"Regardless of what critiques people may or may not have of Labour, the fact is that Labour remains a party whose base is the working class of Aotearoa. That is a meaningful and important thing."
“I mean, how can we even compare Labour to the Greens? How can you compare a party that can get 50% of the vote to a party where — the Greens’ base is around 15%, 12-15%? And I’m not saying that can’t change. But I don’t think it’s a matter of deserves or not; this is a reality that we’re working with, and it is different. It’s a completely different way of seeing politics.” My answer to this is simple. I have lived in Aotearoa since 1987 and in that time Labour has CONSISTENTLY failed to speak for those on the fringes of society, the low waged, unemployed, and our emerging youth in training, be it university or trades. [they] provide band aid solutions with no transformative vision. Why would I EVER vote Labour again when two other left wing parties are offering transformative visions. Labourism is a dead dog, murdered by Lange/Douglas/Clarke and latterly Ardern(notwithstanding her outstanding contribution during the Covid pandemic). Chris Hipkins offers more of the same and is so concerned with not being separated from mainstream narrative that he is prepared to put the boot in on Tamatea Paul and the Greens rather than finding the balls, reading the evidence, and agreeing that Police and the judiciary need a massive reeducation when it comes to dealing with Māori. Labour has had 40 plus years to present an alternative to neoliberal trickledown economic theory and has done BUGGER ALL. The reason the Greens and TPM attract such vitriol and scorn from all and sundry is precisely because they ARE OFFERING an alternative and the status quo are terrified by this!
What I draw from this Q&A is that there is little or no alternative to the current Labour Party politics. Yet these have been concentrated on trying not to loose the centre right voters. AND they still managed to loose the last election.
They are simply not bold or radical enough. This talk of wealth tax should not even be considered, it should be mainstream to their politics because without it, what the hell is the difference between them and right wingers?
Yes this current government with the ACT leadership are neo-fascist but that cannot last because people of the center & right are being hurt by their policies as well as the rest of us!
The future can only see a Labour government if enough young people who are currently under such financial pressure, can be persuaded to vote.
Which brings me back to wealth and tax. Why do Labour not say at every opportunity that it is necessary because the wealthy in NZ PAY LESS TAX than we do! Nobody is suggesting that wealthy people should be taxed at higher rates than currently apply, it’s just that tax evasion is so common they do not pay what they should as the rest of us have to.
The irony of abandoning David Parker’s tax review is that it could have been a great template for any Labour government, maybe still can be if they have the guts to use it.
Great comment Tony. Answer… no balls! I’m amazed that David Parker stayed in politics after Hipkins kneecapped him. Chris will never be PM in my estimation and he most certainly won’t get my vote on his current performance. As you say “plus ca change, c’est la meme chose!”
Labour should have backed David Parker. This ‘don’t scare the horses (centrist voters)’ approach they have followed for years has made them virtually indistinguishable from National (current government excepted). Real reform is urgently needed! But New Zealanders are a truly passionless people.
I really feel that too. NZers like sheep that don't investigate politics or query media. They also don't see how much danger they are in right now.
Sometimes I feel like Labour would be better suited to partnering up with national, I think they don't understand how close they've been with them at times hence being called National lite all over the show. But with this current coalition in power I do feel that Labour is definitely not quite as cruel as these blasted lunatics in power right now. They are the perfect storm of Americanism. We are becoming a quiet America.
Thanks for your last article and this interview Elliot.
I personally think, only infiltration of large numbers of people with socialist values becoming members of Lab, Gr and TPM would help us bring about better policy. I do think you need to take people with you on some things in order to get in power and maintain some good will for more terms for long term planning. But doing that isn't as hard as you think if you are a super sharp political operator and a really good communicator as a leader.
As an aside, I have a hard time viewing Labour as a true centre left party at all. Labour has lost its roots to the masses so long ago. There is no push for a living wage, they also underfunded health and made a mess of it, and so weak on taxation. They did nothing concrete at all about the monopoly of supermarkets and their price gouging, or the cost of power. I'm not saying they didn't do some good things. But I think they were pushed to do some of those by coalition partners.
Thing is, I also think Elliot has made some great points in her previous article. Once you do push through things that people love once you are in power that become really popular with the mass of our population (ie not the class of people earning off capital), it is damn hard for a right wing side to reverse it even if you got voted out.
I say these things as someone who has absolutely no expertise at all but identify myself as socialist in my political leanings.
“I mean, how can we even compare Labour to the Greens? How can you compare a party that can get 50% of the vote to a party where — the Greens’ base is around 15%, 12-15%? And I’m not saying that can’t change. But I don’t think it’s a matter of deserves or not; this is a reality that we’re working with, and it is different. It’s a completely different way of seeing politics.” My answer to this is simple. I have lived in Aotearoa since 1987 and in that time Labour has CONSISTENTLY failed to speak for those on the fringes of society, the low waged, unemployed, and our emerging youth in training, be it university or trades. [they] provide band aid solutions with no transformative vision. Why would I EVER vote Labour again when two other left wing parties are offering transformative visions. Labourism is a dead dog, murdered by Lange/Douglas/Clarke and latterly Ardern(notwithstanding her outstanding contribution during the Covid pandemic). Chris Hipkins offers more of the same and is so concerned with not being separated from mainstream narrative that he is prepared to put the boot in on Tamatea Paul and the Greens rather than finding the balls, reading the evidence, and agreeing that Police and the judiciary need a massive reeducation when it comes to dealing with Māori. Labour has had 40 plus years to present an alternative to neoliberal trickledown economic theory and has done BUGGER ALL. The reason the Greens and TPM attract such vitriol and scorn from all and sundry is precisely because they ARE OFFERING an alternative and the status quo are terrified by this!
Labour has been captured by bankster economics. Until it renounces neoliberalism, it is lost
What I draw from this Q&A is that there is little or no alternative to the current Labour Party politics. Yet these have been concentrated on trying not to loose the centre right voters. AND they still managed to loose the last election.
They are simply not bold or radical enough. This talk of wealth tax should not even be considered, it should be mainstream to their politics because without it, what the hell is the difference between them and right wingers?
Yes this current government with the ACT leadership are neo-fascist but that cannot last because people of the center & right are being hurt by their policies as well as the rest of us!
The future can only see a Labour government if enough young people who are currently under such financial pressure, can be persuaded to vote.
Which brings me back to wealth and tax. Why do Labour not say at every opportunity that it is necessary because the wealthy in NZ PAY LESS TAX than we do! Nobody is suggesting that wealthy people should be taxed at higher rates than currently apply, it’s just that tax evasion is so common they do not pay what they should as the rest of us have to.
The irony of abandoning David Parker’s tax review is that it could have been a great template for any Labour government, maybe still can be if they have the guts to use it.
Great comment Tony. Answer… no balls! I’m amazed that David Parker stayed in politics after Hipkins kneecapped him. Chris will never be PM in my estimation and he most certainly won’t get my vote on his current performance. As you say “plus ca change, c’est la meme chose!”
Labour should have backed David Parker. This ‘don’t scare the horses (centrist voters)’ approach they have followed for years has made them virtually indistinguishable from National (current government excepted). Real reform is urgently needed! But New Zealanders are a truly passionless people.
I really feel that too. NZers like sheep that don't investigate politics or query media. They also don't see how much danger they are in right now.
Sometimes I feel like Labour would be better suited to partnering up with national, I think they don't understand how close they've been with them at times hence being called National lite all over the show. But with this current coalition in power I do feel that Labour is definitely not quite as cruel as these blasted lunatics in power right now. They are the perfect storm of Americanism. We are becoming a quiet America.
Thanks for your last article and this interview Elliot.
I personally think, only infiltration of large numbers of people with socialist values becoming members of Lab, Gr and TPM would help us bring about better policy. I do think you need to take people with you on some things in order to get in power and maintain some good will for more terms for long term planning. But doing that isn't as hard as you think if you are a super sharp political operator and a really good communicator as a leader.
As an aside, I have a hard time viewing Labour as a true centre left party at all. Labour has lost its roots to the masses so long ago. There is no push for a living wage, they also underfunded health and made a mess of it, and so weak on taxation. They did nothing concrete at all about the monopoly of supermarkets and their price gouging, or the cost of power. I'm not saying they didn't do some good things. But I think they were pushed to do some of those by coalition partners.
Thing is, I also think Elliot has made some great points in her previous article. Once you do push through things that people love once you are in power that become really popular with the mass of our population (ie not the class of people earning off capital), it is damn hard for a right wing side to reverse it even if you got voted out.
I say these things as someone who has absolutely no expertise at all but identify myself as socialist in my political leanings.