If not for yourself Labour, fight for your south!

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A couple of dispiriting polls means one thing Labour. Fight. You’re caught on the ropes and you can put your hands up in defence or you can get the swag back into your skip and box your way out. For the people of the south; the truest support known to the Labour Party my message to you is simple and loud. Fight. Throw yourself at this election campaign and show us the fight we all know is in you. You’re a true union person so fighting when the chips are down and everything is against you is in your DNA.

The popular discourse has certainly changed this week and whilst I would’ve preferred a different story to lead the week, here we are. Metiria Turei has taken established ‘norms’ that place unfair and privileged judgement on those occupying society’s periphery, and shown us how hollow they really are. Her bold comments have done wonders for the Greens in the polls and frenzied the stale offering that is the mainstream media. The missing million want a reason to vote and she’s given it to them. She’s given those without a voice, a genuine voice and therefore a reason to hope.

Labour must do likewise. And whilst it might all seem uphill and worthless, I assure you that the dear folk out south who loyally vote Labour want you, on their behalf, to fight yourself off the ropes. Labour’s most loyal support is from the Pacific voter base out south. So while you’re weighing up your new options as Leader give this some thought: we’ve stood with the Party because its the best means to have our economic aspirations realised. It’s no secret that we’ve been unhappy with much of the social policy but at our core, we’re Labour supporters. Fair employment conditions and access to representation. Good, warm state and social housing. A supportive and humane welfare system; education and health system. The living wage. A decent life. Those remain the very basics we want to get on the path to full participation and prosperity.

So as you can see Labour, nothing’s changed. So for the life of you, take this election fight by the scruff of the neck and shake the hell out of it. Focus on leading the nation, not the opposition Labour Party that’s become way too accustomed to warming the bench. Listen to your gut, not the naysayers inside and outside of the tent. And with these last 8 weeks, fight like you’re defending your own family. And be sure of this: the loyal Pasifika, south Auckland vote will go crazy when the gloves start swinging and like Sugar-Ray, the feet start dancing.

14 COMMENTS

  1. You know what, the knives seem to be out in caucus this morning, Andrew Little is not considered untenable by many Labour MPs, they are desperate for a change of leader now, as the lower ranking ones see the writing on the wall, they will lose their seats, list and even electorate ones.

    So it is not looking good, common sense goes out the window when some get desperate, they think of themselves now, like the ones on the sinking Titanic, they want to rescue what may perhaps be rescued for themselves, and if a game changer stops the collapse of the vote, they may save their necks.

    I listened with disbelief to media reports, the frenzy, this morning, even former president Mike Williams signaling Andrew Little will stand down, and Jacinda being the only option.

    Gosh, she is 36 years young, has not been in government before, certainly has some experience and abilities, but to handle a divided caucus, falling back into ABC type behaviour, that requires more strength and decisiveness than Jacinda has ever displayed.

    The election may well be lost for Labour now, progressive voters can only hope to save some ground by mass voting Greens now, comparatively stable and newly focused to the left of centre. And those more conservative can go for Winston.

    I fear Labour may only get 25 percent in the election, still enabling a change of government, but Winston will not like to sit next to the Greens in an unstable arrangement, so there is the danger of a re-tweaked National led government, that will only change a bit to the status quo, as supported by NZ First.

    • Mistake:

      It should read “Andrew Little is NOW considered untenable by many Labour MPs”. And it appears he has resigned now, making way for Jacinda Ardern or perhaps some other candidate for leadership.

  2. … ” Fair employment conditions and access to representation. Good, warm state and social housing. A supportive and humane welfare system; education and health system. The living wage. A decent life. Those remain the very basics we want to get on the path to full participation and prosperity.

    Listen to your gut, not the naysayers inside and outside of the tent. And with these last 8 weeks, fight like you’re defending your own family ” …

    The above comments are the truth.

    Especially the last sentence.

    We have had 9 bloody long years of this shitty National govt , and 9 long bloody years of them shitting all over the working people , the unemployed, those on sickness benefits , those renting – and even to the point where family’s sleep in bloody cars because of a speculators market that the National party expanded .

    You , Labour have been warned time and again about purging those neo liberals among you. But you didn’t because you were fearful about being perceived as being ‘ divided’.

    You have lost leaders who could have negated neo liberalism by purging them from your ranks and implementing true social democratic change. You let them lie low and ambush you on the eve of an election. You believed their lies about working in unity.

    You need to come out roaring like a lion and swinging hard.

    You need to stop being so naive and accept there are malevolent forces that want to destroy you politically. That they are hostile to you. That they are hostile to workers, the poor ,and especially,… to any concept whatsoever of a rejection of neo liberalism and a return to a more equitable and fair social democracy.

    You need to fight , Labour.

    You need to start swinging.

    Hard and fast.

    • This is my concern also, but it’s not the National Party doing the controlling. They themselves are controlled.

  3. If only Labour could fight neo lib dogma and idiot National Governments with the ferocity they bring to knifing democratically elected leaders. I thought their bill boards looked silly before they dumped Little…..

  4. Yep the Labour/Greens/NZ First alliance was on 50% beating National.

    So apparently that was not acceptable to National and to MSM – so pressure was put on to give National the help they need to keep selling off our country and importing in cheap workers but derailing the steady hand aka Andrew Little keeping the alliance in place .

    Andrew Little was a fucking hero, against all the odds ensuring that the alliance could work and beat the Natz.

    Little got results that mattered – the guy was beating the Natz and NZ First voters overwhelming wanted an alliance with Labour – together they were on 50% with the Greens.

    So Andrew Little got fucked over somehow and made to feel like a loser, before he could even play his final cards to take out the Natz. It was all fake news of doom and gloom, his collaborative strategy was winning!

    • Andrew, unfortunately was not attracting voters support.It seems in the New Zealand political scene charisma, personal appeal and the x factor are essential qualities policy seems a secondary consideration ,if at all.
      If the electorate has difficulty gelling with a candidate then it doesn’t matter what the message is, Andrew realised that he was not having the impact required to win the election and good on him for his dignified hand over of the leadership.

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