One shouldn’t underestimate the symbolism of the Christchurch by-election win to Poto Williams.
In the 2011 election, Lianne Dalziel won 55% of the electorate vote and National took 36%. In the by-election, Poto took a mighty 60% while National slumped to 26%. The days of National sliding under the skin of safe Labour seats has ended abruptly with Cunliffe taking the leadership. National strategists should be worried at the reversal of fortune, the marginal seats are for National to lose and Labour to win now.
Nothing sums up the misplaced self assurance of the right than this cock up prediction tonight from feminist hero Matthew Hooton…
…David’s not resigning tomorrow, Monday or the following day Mr Hooton, now if John Key gets caught out lying about being briefed on Kim Dotcom, will John be resigning that day or the day after?
This win puts wind in the sails of Labour.
Wow ! God , how brilliant ? Go Poto Williams . Go Christchurch East . I like you , you little rebels .
…or if National take a similar caning in the asset sales referendum, will Matthew Hooton put the other foot in his mouth ?
better still will Hooton shut the fuck up permanently.
Tim – He’d need a third foot – the other two are already firmly down his trote and one big toe is in Rinny (Regular Gal) Ryan’s, while the other is in Mike (“I tend to agree with you Mathew”) Williams.
Swing low sweet chariot!
These political sages really do need to sample reality once in a while.
I’m sure at least one has enough of a leave entitlement from RNZ.
Well, good for Labour and the left, I must say. That is much better than I thought, and this is the thumbs up for 2014, for it to be to be all on, to throw “Key the Backhand Dealer” and gang into the rubbish bin of New Zealand political history, or at least into the political wilderness.
Congratulations to Poto, her team, her voters, and Labour in Christchurch!
I still hope though that Labour as a whole will come to the general election with a good mixture of policies, that will also include reversing some of the nasty, draconian welfare reforms that the Nats have imposed on us, forcing sick and disabled to look for jobs, decorated in the pretence that they are “helping” us!
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/15264-welfare-reform-the-health-and-disability-panel-msd-the-truth-behind-the-agenda/
Roll on general election 2014, we want a fairer government, we have had enough of this crap served up to us.
The triumphalism is a bit exaggerated. By-elections are a special case. People vote to deliver a message to the Government. Clearly if National had won, it would be a disaster for Labour and for the chances of a change in government at the next election. If Labour wins it just maintains the status quo. The very bad Green vote shows that the voters didn’t want the complications of a split vote. The message for the Government is “Raise yor game. You are on notice now”
Hard to believe the thought of a National victory was ever discussed (not just by Hooten either) , the media is so very out of touch at the moment.
“Feminist hero”, wtf?
Nothing serious – just like Maurice Williamson’s brief reign as the US LGBT Justin Bieber.
The voters of Christchurch East have given their resounding verdict. So will the rest of the nation at the next election because it is getting clear to most people that unrestricted, uncontrolled greedy capitalist free market is the enemy of the ordinary people and the benefactor of the corporates and the wealthy in society.
The present great pope, Pope Francis has recognised this completely. This is what he said :
“As long as the problems of the poor are not radically resolved by rejecting the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation and by attacking the structural causes inequality, no solution will be found for the world’s problems or, for that matter, any problems”
One does not need to be a catholic or even religious to understand the wisdom of his
self evident words.
Wake up National, ACT, UF and the Conservatives.
Well done Poto. I don’t follow Twitter, just noise to me but obviously a lot do because Matthew Hooten’s comment about the Labour leader resigning have been repeated word for word ad nauseaum on various blogs including trailer trash NZ HQ TradeMe.
Labour Green and Mana have to do some swapsies in certain electorates simple as that as well as raising their party vote and voter participation. The main prize has to be ousting the Key gang however it is done.
As the writer above alluded to: how to get alienated people to vote? For a start make Labour policy that puts the boot into WINZ, no work testing for sickness and invalids beneficiaries. No work testing for over 50 beneficiaries or sole parents unless they can get useful part time work with low if any abatement rates on money earned. That will get people out to vote. If the economy does pick up–yeah right– the jobs will be sought all right. Now this will not please some working poor (join a union you bitchers) but it will be the start of treating people decently who are on the scrap heap because of greedy capitalists fucking things up royally. Tory voters won’t like it either but these dirty filthy bastards voting aspirationally affect the rest of us in so many negative ways so stuff ’em too.
I mean petitions are being held to ensure a disabled friendly Christchurch rebuild, thats how fucking sick this country is at the moment. Well done again Poto and Labour.
I recently joined the labour party, something I thought I’d never do, although my late parents were strong supporters back in the 60s. Everyone was more politically active back then. I feel this result means we’ve turned the corner in NZ politics. This byelection win is a good sign, being the first step to ousting of a bad, heartless government on 2014.
Excellent news for the left. Congratulations Labour and well done Poto Williams.
Poto will be a great representative for her constituency I’m sure. She is a very intelligent woman and although she came from outside Christchurch originally, her resounding victory result speaks volumes about her connection to the people of Christchurch East, as well as for Labour in general.
You go girl. Looking forward to a Labour/Greens/Mana government next year.
Thank you Jim Anderton.
Brownlee was on Morning Report today complaining that the small turnout was more about apathy than a “sea change” in public opinion and the death-knell of this government. He said,
” I acknowledge they won a seat that they’ve always held. That was expected.But to sort of say on such a small turnout that it represents anything other than [an] indication of voter apathy is questionable.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/2578314
Oh, reallllly?!
Does that mean that the same can be said of the 2011 election results, which was the lowest voter turn-out since 1887, with over 800,000 New Zealanders not bothering to vote?
Or is it a “good result” – despite a small turnout – only if the Nats come out of it looking good?
Headline:
“PM unfazed by anything”
Presumably as a card-carrying leftist, the new MP for ChCh East will be planning for a managed retreat of the Eastern Suburbs due to the “threat” of sea level rise.
I’m one of the lucky ones to escape ChCh East. It will turn into a slum in a short time. Poto Williams is welcome to her hospital pass
Sea level rise is a real problem for most of Christchurch, which was built on estuarine wetlands left behind when the Waimakariri moved to its current course. It’s similarly a problem for all our major cities except for Hamilton, as they are all at sea level. All the more reason for putting our #8 wire skills behind a rapid transition to a post-fossil-fuel society.
This has nothing to do with being a “leftist” though. It has to do with being aware of what the science is telling us about how human society needs to change.
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