Labour at 28%, Heather du Plessis-Allan’s secret source & why Mt Roskill by-election is crucial

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Michael Wood launching his campaign to be the Labour Party candidate for Mt Roskill yesterday.

Labour are at 28% in the last TVNZ poll, with an election still 18months away this is pretty much meaningless and with a mainstream media so stacked against Labour, it’s surprising National aren’t 95% in the polls.

The 28% has sparked off a round of faux concern soul searching by the political corporate pundit mafia which is farcical because their own rampant bias is actually part of the problem.

When the Political Editor of the Herald, Audrey Young, is quoting Guy Williams for political insight, the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse is upon us.

With right wing fanatics like Mike Hosking and Paul Henry dominating the public space for discussion on TV, of course Labour are at 28%. The media in NZ have now spent more time on Inky the fucking Octopus than the Tax Haven Key has built, they are so one sided that Key could punch an infant in the face live on TV and Seven Sharp would still blame the mother.

The agreement amongst the Press Gallery elite however is that Little is safe and that Labour are seeing the 28% as a chance to refocus and come on harder as this Government’s ongoing abuse of political power and crony capitalism will crack the facade of the comfortable moderate bubble world National voters live in and start changing the electoral tides. All of which makes Heather du Plessis-Allan’s bizarre column today in the Herald on Sunday that much more of a joke.

Despite the Press Gallery elites view that this poll drop hasn’t spooked Labour, and that in itself is evidence of a stronger Labour Party, a so called Labour Party ‘insider’ told Heather that it’s all going to hell in a hand basket within the Party.

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Really? Why on earth would an ‘insider’ talk to a mediocre bit player like du Plessis-Allan? I don’t watch Story or Seven Sharp because it’s vapid brain dead garbage serving intellectual shit to pigs. I remember Heather’s cringe worthy interview on Seven Sharp with Cameron Slater, greasing up to him one week before Dirty Politics broke and highlighted the ease with which he manipulated her.

Ugly.

Friends don’t let friends watch Seven Sharp or Story.

Story rates about as well as The Nation does on Sunday morning, most high schools in the North Island would have more of an active audience during school assembly. Slipping the seeds of dissent into the media via a medium no one is watching seems like a waste of seeds.

That’s not to say that Key doesn’t have a vast zombie army of sleepy hobbits from muddle Nu Zilind who’ll vote for his brand of vacant aspiration, they do, did and will, but starting the victory dance for a fourth term seems disingenuous in the extreme.

But Labour do need to get a bloody hurry on.

The Mt Roskill by-election normally wouldn’t flicker any genuine interest, this year however it will become insanely important for Andrew Little. Phil Goff has made the seat safe but the party votes to National in the electorate makes it a contest that Labour have to win. If they lose Mt Roskill 12 months out from the general election it will hang around their necks like a tombstone.  National will throw everything including the kitchen sink into that fight because they have everything to gain by winning or denting Labour. If the Greens are serious about better relationships with Labour they must not stand a candidate, and NZ First could help by putting up a candidate more inclined to win National voters.

Michael Wood is a talented young man who could inject some desperately needed fresh generational blood into the Party and should take the nomination unless the Josie Pagani-Phil Quin faction of two decide to muscle in. My guess however is that they’d be too busy talking to Heather du Plessis-Allan to run a campaign.

 

36 COMMENTS

  1. Who is Heather du Plessis-Allan? How does she get to speak on politics and write in the Herald? It’s bad enough her husband has air time let alone her. Her show Story, is more comedy with her hysterical outbursts than research, so once again I ask, who is Heather du Plessis-Allan?

  2. Who is Heather du Plessis-Allan? How does she get to speak on politics and write in the Herald? It’s bad enough her husband has air time let alone her. Her show Story, is more comedy with her hysterical outbursts than research, so once again I ask, who is Heather du Plessis-Allan?

  3. Labour remind me a bit of the Clinton side Democrat. They say what they think will buy votes, rather than saying what they believe. So, I agree with du Plessis Allen. Labour lacks decisiveness. They’re not left leaning at all. They’ve lost the notion of what it means. As Julie Stein (Greens USA) says, they’re faking left while leaning right. You can’t fake it. Labour could chase down immigration policy, charter schools, debt, TPPA, but they don’t, or they do in a vapid way. They’re unconvinced and appear to lack a clear vision of the future. Andrew Little is a nice bloke, but nice blokes won’t cut it come election day. You need anger, leadership and revolution. So, Andrew needs to do his homework again and come out fighting as if in a backstreet brawl, all guns blazing. But, he won’t. He won’t because he’s unconvinced and incapable of revolution.

    • Talking about revolution in the accepted meaning of the word is just silly, Robert.

      But you are right about Labour’s behaviour, if not about their motives.
      Like the Clinton side of the Democrats, they often sympathise with many of Bernie Sander’s objectives but doubt that they are achievable without a rather more cautious approach. In the same way the leadres of the New Zealand Labour Party still seem convinced that a party with a more extreme Left position cannot win an election. This may or may not be true. Those who advance the belief as well as those who reject it are pretty much relying on vigorous assertion to make up for a lack of evidence to support either position.

      What is clear is that energy, clarity and a genuine sense of anger at the excesses of the current administration are entry level qualification for anyone wishing to mount an opposition.

      However, there are two strands, perhaps, still active in Labour. There are those who believe that the core principles of State activism to advance the goal of a more egalitarian society are essential to create a better society and a worthwhile government. On the other hand, there may still be those who simply believe that they would be better administrators of the status quo (Pagani, Quin et al seem to belong to this group).

      There does seem to be a fascination with day to day issues and half thought-out pronouncements and piecemeal policy production. We have yet to hear anything approaching the Doctrine According to Andrew. Perhaps this battle for the soul of the party has not yet been resolved and explains why the anger so many in the wider community feel is still not reflected by any principled public pronouncements from the top.

      The alternative must surely be that they just haven’t got around to it yet.

  4. Yes, Story and Seven Sharp are controlled by the elite. And yes, duPlessis Allen is one of the same, but she’s right about one thing. Labour lack direction and Little is confused, lacklustre and benign. One thing you need in politics is charisma and Little ain’t got it. He could tackle debt, the TPPA, immigration policy, tax havens etc and he does, but, he does with a white flag raised, ready to give up. Uncertain of the facts or his position. He is incapable of revolution and doesn’t nail the point emphatically, consequently nothing resonates. Quoting Julie Stein, in reality he’s right leaning, faking left. Labour need a revolutionary, but there isn’t one to be had. Indeed, Key is convinced and therefore convincing, even if he is spinning a line of bullshit. Whereas Little remains unconvinced.

  5. Josie’s every appearance on the media “from the left” is a disappointment. GO the Labour True Left !!! And bloody greens butt out.

    • Not only Pagani but Brian Edwards is also touted as being on the left in Labour, that is a joke. Sometimes I truly wonder if there are any in the Labour party on the left, it still seems to be dominated by the ABC group who destroyed Cunliffe’s career I think, well he made some stupid mistakes but he was the best of the bunch. Little was stupid to hang on to King as deputy, they should get out those dam people.

      Somebody could enlighten me as to which MPs they see as on the left currently in parliament.

      Not sure why the Greens should butt out either.

      • Labour was once a radical left wing organization.
        Even into the seventies it showed some independence. I remember fondly those frigates going into the Pacific to protest French nuclear tests. But something happened when it was taken over by neoliberal thought and it has never recovered. I’d say it’s terminal.

        It’s certainly terminal for me, (who was raised in a solid and intergenerational Labour family), they lost my party vote long ago and now they’ve lost my Electorate vote.

        Firstly they don’t stand for anything much. Certainly not the workers in precarious situations, not women as mothers and carers, not children doing without, not the environment, not Maori aspirations for sovereignty, not other NZer’s aspirations for sovereignty.

        And they didn’t butt out! Not for Mana in the last election and not for the Alliance party many elections ago and not for Values long before that.

        Labours biggest problem is it is pretty much a branch of the National party and it likes it that way.

        • I think the rot set in well before the 1970s but otherwise agree Janine.

          Why people still chose to delude themselves that Labour is to the left of National is bizarre. Actually, Key is to the left of Labour on the retirement age, social welfare benefit levels and he was markedly more reluctant to get caught up in the Iraq mess than Helen Clark was to help invade Afghanistan. Also, he’s way less racist about the Chinese than Labour.

          We need a real workers’ party, one of, by and for the working class. Not a bunch of professional self-seeking careerists like Labour.

          You might find this left/critical history of Labour interesting: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/the-truth-about-labour-a-bosses-party/

    • Yes , the msm media must think all their Christmas’s have come at once having Josie Pagani and Chris Trotter being marketed as representing ‘The Left’.
      It sends a powerful and confirming message to Nat supporters and swinging voters, having the opposition (joke) commentators continually critisizing their own (joke) corner.
      Pure nectar from the heavens and it is no wonder Radio Live , 1zb and Radio N.Z seek out these people for commentary.
      If they are well rewarded financially for their appearances one has to wonder about their moral compass ,or, are they exacting revenge on deep long held resentments at the expense of the most vulnerable people in this country.
      Because either way it’s not a good look .
      No one in their right mind can think that what is going on is sustainable or good for the future of N.Z citizens.

  6. Heather du What?

    Is she now allowed to write a column in one of our remaining print media players? I am in disbelief, what “qualifications” has she got to offer any proper commentary on our political affairs?

    Re Mt Roskill, I think that will not be a seat that Labour can simply rely on in these days of endless bias and dumbing down that much of our media engage in. Sadly too many still rely on MSM reporting and commentary, no matter how shallow and stupid it is at times.

    Then please realise the large migrant composition of the Mt Roskill electorate, over the years we have had thousands of socially conservative new migrants come into Auckland, many of whom have little time for a party that adheres to some liberalism.

    I watched with some horror the many ACT Party placards and stickers in windows in Balmoral last election and the one before.

    And Key is one who many new, more socially conservative, “hard working”, competing new migrants love to grease up to, as being a sycophant comes with some folks that like to prove they are “good” and “deserving” new residents and citizens of New Zealand.

    Michael Wood does though seem to be wise choice for this electorate, he comes across as one who can reach across the divide, also having lots of local government experience.

    • More like Heather Duplicity-Allan like one has labelled in the past. If Labour loses Mt Roskill like Phil Goff did to Gilbert Myles over 25 years ago, then it’s going to be a massive struggle for Labour to win. Oh how the electorates got rearranged especially in West Auckland with Kelston being formed, just so Carmel Sepuloni would be a threat against Paula “Jabba the Hutt” Benefit thus her retaining Waitakere.

      The way in which the media has kept the sleepy hobbits as such sickens me evermore! Oh how Key and Nashernil are laughing at us right now…

  7. Great article Martyn,

    Agree entirely.

    MSM is so implicit and cant see that they are simply part of the problem because they never give equal efforts to the opposition who ever they are now.

    I have watched time after time and heard also on radio that when a controversial subject comes up Key/Joyce/English and other front bench National MP’s get the lions share of the camera while a puny sound bite and in many cases no opposition right of reply.

    The same is seen in Parliament and it is so frustrating and time and time I cry out for all opposition Parties URGENTLY NOW HOLD A MEDIA FORUM TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY CAN FINALLY GET EQUAL TIME ON MSM.

    Apart from the seizing of half of the public media of TVNZ/RNZ as they have the right to being our representatives of our share of half as voters who voted for them, there are few remaining options left now.

    We expect this forum if they finally decide to hold one can easily demonstrate in court the reasons now why the current iron grip on the media National have is not benefiting the opposition supporters rights to a balanced media service from public service media.

  8. Secret source indeed!
    Its either a Key mole or a load of crap.
    Your right Roskill is crucial and had always been a Labour seat but the mix in the electorate has changed.
    We are at war against a nasty well funded enemy and Labour has to treat this as a de facto 2017 campaign and go for broke.
    You are right Woods needs a clear run and the Greens need to form an alliance with Labour and show a clear alternative going ahead ,its so vital to the run up to Sept 2017.

    • I opt for the load of crap, she made it up to shitstir because the Labour party caucus didn’t react to the poll like the right wingers thought they would. In fact, Labour didn’t react at all and as Martyn aptly pointed out, all Andrew Little said was that his party weren’t spooked, and the National govt mouthpieces didn’t expect that !!

  9. The National party traditionally uses Labour, GFC and ‘the world economy as excuses for their woes. The Labour party traditionally blames the media for their woes. It’s time Labour lolooked at themselves. I’m bit suggesting that the MSM don’t give them a hard time, but I am saying that Labour make it SO bloody easy for them ! Why is it that the Greens and NZF don’t whine and complain about the MSM? Could it be that these parties are much clearer about who they are and what they stand for, give the press a lot less ammunition, and just get on with it? If I wanted to vote for National, I’d vote for National. Perpetually Neo Lib Labour just don’t get it.

  10. I have to say I started out reading HDPA’s column with dread, but in the end I think she made a fair point – being “authentic” and standing for a “fairer” society is the counter to Key. These values are not so much left vs. right as decent vs. deceit.

    The list of issues being handed to Labour on a plate is truly staggering; rich individuals & companies not paying their share of tax (even Gareth Morgan is onside with this one), TPPA, water quality, inequality, poverty, to name a few.

    Corbyn and Sanders are outraged at the state of the world – and rightly so. Labour needs someone who can channel outrage – bring back Angry Andy. National mocked Angry Andy because they know it will be effective.

  11. I read Heather du Plessis-Allan’s piece.

    Interesting.

    I won’t ‘bag’ her as she raised issues and problems worth discussing. The real thing that gave her any measure of credibility? She refrained from interviewing her type-writer about an “impending leadership challenge”.

    That would have torpedoed her entire piece, had she indulged in that kind of nonsense.

  12. “Labour are at 28% in the last TVNZ poll, with an election still 18months away this is pretty much meaningless and with a mainstream media so stacked against Labour, it’s surprising National aren’t 95% in the polls”

    Spot on Martyn, spot on, that says it like it is. Completely agree with everything you wrote. Another 5 star article there.

  13. The Nats knew what was coming. The Panama papers outing NZ as a tax haven destroying its reputation was the reason behind the pollsters coming out with a fudged poll, designed to hoodwink Kiwis into thinking everything is fine and dandy when it is not.

  14. Just a point. Real people who are really of the left would NEVER party vote National. NEVER. National did a lot of rigging in the last election, more so than the one before, they changed electoral boundaries and created new ones to favour National party candidates, particularly the likes of Paula Bennett who they knew was going to lose the Waitakere seat, cut the number of polling booths in areas that were not strong for National, not enough ballot papers, turning people away who didn’t have their easy vote cards etc and so on. Influential sporting people, who knew better, breaching electoral law to promote National. Standard dirty American style electoral politics, not to mention a dodgy counting system that CleanGreen has highlighted in excellent informative posts, which I hope he will repost again on this thread.

  15. Heather du Plessis-Allan is an idiot for thinking Corbyn is “a borderline-communist eccentric”. He’s just a social democrat.

    But one part of her article was spot on. What does Labour stand for? Are they just better neoliberal managers than National? That’s all I can see at the moment.

    I know nothing about Michael Wood…is he a Corbyn or a Sanders? Because that’s what Labour needs. If he’s just another third-way drongo off the Labour conveyor belt, then he offers us nothing new. Just more of the same.

  16. If Andrew Little had a clue, he would campaign for legalizing cannabis. That would actually give Labour a point of difference. But he doesn’t have a clue.

      • Why egg?

        I would argue decriminalisation over legalisation, but Harry makes a good point.

        A popular viewpoint that should have become reality decades ago. It will save money from our justice system and lower prison numbers. Seems a no-brainer to me.

        This policy is sitting on a plate, ready for Labour. I think John Key is more likely to bring it in, since he runs his politics based on popularity.

        Call me a left-wing loony, but I’m not in to perpetuating the failed war on drugs.

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