SOMETIME THIS WEEK (the date keeps changing) Andrew Little will announce his Shadow Cabinet reshuffle. The refreshed line-up of senior Opposition spokespeople will be the electorate’s best guide as to who will be doing what in the next Labour-led government. Barring unforeseen circumstances, and unforgiveable cock-ups, Little’s promotions, reappointments and demotions will be the last such exercise before the 2017 General Election.
Very few New Zealanders will pay much attention to Little’s final choices. Labour’s ranks, thinned by successive and increasingly severe defeats, contains nobody upon whose shoulders the burden of the electorate’s hopes has yet descended.
This is not 1977, when the occasion of the Mangere by-election, threw up the gargantuan figure of David Lange. This lawyer-turned-politician was not only larger-than-life but also (and this was the crucial point) larger than the incumbent Labour Leader, Bill Rowling.
For the next five years, the big question, both in and out of the Labour Party, wasn’t about if Lange would replace Rowling as leader, but when. Observing the deep impression the new Mangere MP’s ebullient personality, vicious wit, and soaring rhetoric was making on the public imagination, those Labour MPs determined to steer their party in a new direction lost no time in recruiting him to their caucus faction.
The Party President of the time, Jim Anderton, referred to this faction, derisively, as the “B-Team”. The truth of the matter, however, was that Roger Douglas, Mike Moore, Michael Bassett, Richard Prebble and, of course, Lange himself, constituted the most creative and dynamic politicians to be found within Labour’s parliamentary ranks. Regardless of whether one supported or opposed the ideas they were espousing, there was no disputing that theirs was the team to beat. Everybody understood that when Rowling fell (as he did, eventually, in 1982) things were going to change.
That is the way it is supposed to work in parliamentary democracies: Change is supposed to find its champion, and then, through the ballot box, acquire the power to make things happen. For good or ill, Lange guided the country out of the cul-de-sac into which Sir Robert Muldoon had led it, and the policies of Sir Roger Douglas (and his Treasury advisers) went on to change New Zealand fundamentally.
Nothing and no one of such prodigious capability lurks in Little’s caucus. Not only has Change failed to encounter a champion among its ranks, but she also struggles to find anyone interested in making much happen at all. Such reforms as Labour promised at the elections of 2011 and 2014 have been ostentatiously wiped from the agenda. And such rhetorical skill as Little is able to summon to Labour’s cause is of the sort that serves only to polish the achievements of the past. Lange’s extraordinary oratorical power; his ability to paint a future in which New Zealanders were eager to take up residence, is nowhere in evidence.
Certainly, there is nothing about his finance spokesperson which calls to mind the incandescent passion of Roger Douglas. Grant Robertson is not the sort of person who quotes Neitzsche, writes alternative budgets, or publishes a book entitled There’s Got To Be A Better Way. Although entrusted with heading-up a special party commission dedicated to The Future of Work, there is scant indication that Robertson’s investigation is likely to produce anything that The Listener wouldn’t be proud to publish.
The Wellington Central MP could, of course, be hiding his light under a bushel, and the final report of The Future of Work Commission could end up calling for a dramatic reduction in the length of the working week; a radical reformation of the law regulating workplace relations; state-subsidised retraining; and the introduction of a Universal Basic Income. But a Labour caucus willing to embrace economic and social policies of such radicalism is unlikely to look and feel as somnambulant as the one Little leads.
The latest public opinion polls in the UK are registering a sharp upward spike in support for the Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour Party among the 18-25 and 26-35 year-old cohorts of voters. Though well behind David Cameron’s Conservatives in overall terms, this surge of support from the young is of enormous importance to British Labour’s future as a viable political party.
As Little prepares to lead his re-shuffled shadows into Labour’s centenary year, he needs to consider whether his party’s future is likely to be rescued by people, or policies. If Jacinda Ardern and Kelvin Davis are the best politicians he has to offer New Zealand, then it is definitely bold new ideas that he needs to start bringing forward.
Sad, but true Chris….
what happens with the rightwing stalking-horse that is stuart nash will be the clearest indicator of what little-led labour is all about..
..and kelvin davis..?..look..!..here is a man who is all at sea if required to deviate from the already prepared/rehearsed script..
..the man is unable to think on his feet..this clearly indicated during questiontime last week when he was granted an extra supplementary question..
..this left him blank-faced/slack-jawed..he had nothing..and so wasn’t able to ask his gift-question..just sat down again..to general sniggering..
..davis is generally running a few minutes behind everyone else..is constantly in catch-up mode..
..bright people have a sprkle in their eyes..davis has a dull gleam..
..hilarious/laugh-out-loud moment wknd b4 last when a rightwing p.r-trout on a political talkshow..(trish-someone..)..got all over-excited and said that davis is the next leader of labour..
..dream on..!..sailor..!
Labour still comes across as a party with NO spark and a lack of true talent, in my view. While I appreciate that Andrew Little has done a lot to unify the caucus, it appears too often, that they only stay loyal to each other and do not dare speak their minds, because they fear a further drop in the poll should one of them do this.
It is a party that seems to have settled for the lowest common denominator, and that is rather dull, I feel.
What Labour does need is a person with a vision and with ideas, and who has enough charisma to appeal to not just common sense, but more that people feel attracted to.
The Key Party on the right is actually also rather dull, but they have at least the cunning and smart operator and never short of comments offering PM, who seems to have a skin of teflon, and a tendency to survive all challenges, as there seems to be sufficient luck that does not seem to run out. Whenever the government is in problems, some event or crisis overseas, or a natural disaster nearby, do seem to turn the focus away from the issues, so people then think, hey we do not have it as bad as others.
They know the one at the helm, and being a rather conservative minded lot, most rather stick with what they know, than take any risks, unless a truly inspiring, convincing contender may suddenly arise and catch their fancy.
Bill English is as dishonest as Key on many matters, but again, he is also a “safe pair of hands”, to run the finances, and as most that vote have vested interests, and others are disillusioned and do not even bother voting, we continue to get the polls and election results we have had.
I think Labour is very ill advised to continue with a dull, perceived “safe” middle of the road course as we have it, as few will see any significant differences to National as a sheep in wolve’s clothing. Nats will give enough voters a bit of a carrot here and there and continue to divide and rule, by marginalising and singling out the ones it does not give a damn about.
As most people like security and stability, I fear with what we get upon a re-shuffle will not suffice to bring Labour into government in 2017. That is unless a true disaster will strike the country, or at least the present government.
That does not mean all in Labour are no-hopers, the problem is the dedication and honesty of a fair few is not enough to create a spark that tends to make people consider a change of course, offered by an alternative party being a government in waiting.
So far I can only see a waiting for National Light under a “Labour” banner, I wish I was wrong, and I would be happy if I was proved wrong in future.
Go grab your guitar Chris and drop in on Monsiuer Petit…
“When you finally get yourself together
You’re gonna get down in that sunny southern weather, yeah
You’re gonna find a space inside a laugh, yeah
Separate the wheat from some chaff
I feel
Like you owe it, yeah, to someone…”
That right , Chris – their bland.
Bland , bland , bland.
And gutless to boot as we have serious problems brought on by the original neo liberal ‘ fish and chips brigade ‘ that have had an negative effect on this country for 31 years of societal destruction.
Yeah , nah… yawn.
Sorry…we need to see blood and guts and hellfire and brimstone before this limp excuse for an opposition shows any kick against 31 years of neo liberal abuse.
And this Labour party sure aint gonna be doin that any time soon.
Yawn…
Labour then was ACT in drag Norman Kirk would have been turning in his grave.
And btw – sick and bloody tired of going over the same old bloody ground about this Labour party.
These days Im seriously starting to yawn every time I hear about them…save for Phil Tywford and Little’s endorsement of his stand. And good on Little for taking a peek over in Ausse to see what the crim element in the Aussie govt is up to regarding OUR people.
Apart from that?…holy crap!
If they cant see what needs to be done they aren’t worth even talking about.
Yawn.
Better switch to NZF
Andrew Little’s ‘job’ is to facilitate the agendas of international banking cartels and corporations, and pretend that their agendas equate with progress.
If he does as required -promote increased debt, overpopulation, overconsumption, looting and polluting of the environment and impoverish of the masses- he will be allowed to remain as leader: if he doesn’t he will be ousted, along with anyone who speaks the truth about our predicament or attempts to reduce corporate control of NZ.
The puppet show will continue, as everything that matters gets made rapidly worse, until the collapse point is reached.
Will try yet again. Maybe this comment will get through.
Who cares about Andrew Little’s inner circle. What have they done to help bring peace and justice to NZ and what have the Natz. done as well ? A paradigm shift is needed ? A refocus ?
Keep up the merry go round trying to cover a political system that does not work and has not served the people as it should and keeps the truths from the people. It appears that alternative news outlets are not that unlike the MSM in its denying many truths and keeping up with the status quo. Where are the guts and backbones ?
I know one person who recently came out and spoke with integrity about the lies and what can be done to encourage peace and fairness worldwide. But low and behold, my submissions about this valuable speech is not allowed to be posted when we submit our comments and links.
Seems the truth is not as money making as sensationalism in journalism.
The current political system is f****d in this country!\FACT
Who controls MSM and the State Broadcaster reminds me of living in East Germany in the 1970’s.
Jonah Lomu’s funeral is the next big item on the agenda for National?
Chris the reshuffle was always going to be end of November. Do you have any reference to it being promised another time?
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