GUEST BLOG: Willie Jackson – Jacinda and Kelvin change everything

1. “With Jacinda as Leader, we have a real chance to do something meaningful on poverty…”

   Are Labour going to support the Greens in increasing core benefit payment rates?

   • Yes and Jacinda must follow Helen Clark’s lead when she denounced Rogernomics as “a ghastly period” and won the 1999 election by abandoning its legacy

   • “With Jacinda as Leader, we have a real chance to do something meaningful on poverty…”

     Are Labour going to increase the minimum wage to the living wage?

   • “With Jacinda as Leader, we have a real chance to do something meaningful on poverty…”

     Indeed. Yet why are we still waiting to hear what this “something meaningful” will be?

     To date, Labour haven’t offered change that is significant enough to bolster support.

     While a leadership change may help, it requires substance behind it.

     And with Advance Voting about to kick off in a number of weeks, the clock is ticking.

     • The Chairman, Good comments. Of course they aren’t really going to do anything meaningful for those at the bottom of the heap. That is not where labour is these days and hasn’t been for years.

       • Yes Chairman. These are questions we need answers for. Quelle horreur if we are going to be offered National lite again.

     • Implementing Green policy? We will never know unless we change the government in September.

       • While it’s currently a Green policy, restoring core benefit rates is something Labour should have done long ago.

         Therefore, not only will it signal to voters that Labour is back and this is more than another mere leadership change, it will also strengthen the perception of unity within the left having both (Greens & Labour) sitting on the same page.

         Supporting the Greens on this may entice them to give endorsements in the Maori seats, thus improving the overall chances of changing the Government.

         • The past is the past. MoU is still standing despite the efforts of media to break it. Labour wants to retain their Maori seats and go after Flavell’s Cant make changes unless the government changes in Sept.

           • The past is the past but poverty and all it’s related ills are just as relevant today.

             Voters are skeptical that this is just another leadership change with little substance, thus this would signal otherwise. Hence, would create a far larger buzz, building a larger momentum to change the Government.

             And while the MOU is still standing, and despite Willie’s efforts, the Greens won’t currently endorse Labour in the Maori seats.

             But, perhaps with a little give & take, a mutual consensus could be reached, thus increasing the odds of changing the Government.

2. Jacinda & Kelvin,

   We need the rail infrastructure to be restored to every province now!!!!

   Since we own the rail company, Kiwi rail we need to bring it up to 21st century standard’s not 19th century!!!!

   The roads are now gridlocked with trucks, dangerous to use for other drivers and tourists now!!!!!

   And the roads are simply crumbling around the provinces with the sheer over weighted trucks now with those large H signs showing they are all now (Heavier 63 tonnes weight) are now costing us other users more billions to maintain while we are subsidising transport companies!!!!

   Dont build more roads get rail moving freight again!!!!

   Please sack all the Kiwi rail board, & CEO Peter Reidy, and all errant managers as they conspired since 2008 to wind down our rail and close down many services and the workshops, and many regional lines like Gisborne/Napier and Northland rail services.

   Solution is to bring back previously fired Rail workers as the board & Manager’s again as should have been to run Kiwirail!!!!

   I know many fine rail engineers and locomotive Drivers and ex rail freight managers who lost there jobs when in 1993 the rail company ‘NZ Rail Corporation’ we owned was sold to Wisconsin rail/Fay/Rich white consortium under the National government during the 1993 era by Jim Bolger’s Government!!!!

   RESTORE RAIL PLEASE; – AS NZ FIRST PLAN TO DO IF IN COALITION –
   UNDER THEIR EXCELLENT PLAN CALLED “RAIL’S OF NATIONAL iMPORTANCE” (RONI)

   http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/249628/nz-first-announces-rail-plan
   ,

3. Now is the time to join the Greens and stand in solidarity with Metiria and all those others trying to survive on a benefit.

4. Labour’s problem has been too much rationality can they capture the attention of the good fish attention span majority off National and can Jacinda give good answers to sensationalist reporters. Can they end the low growth low inflation or stagflation economy. We’ve really wasted 9 years taking feel good selfies.
   The problem is Maori have done more than their bit regarding Ti Tiriti. Some sort of structure on the Pakeha side needs to be set up that somehow meets Maori halfway before any real talk on partnership and addressing these issues can happen. Confusing Pakeha and Crown is unhelpful. Healing the pain felt by Tangata Whenua is going to be very hard.

5. ‘Now is the time to join with us and make a real change in New Zealand politics.’

   NZ is a corporation, set up to extract natural resources and turn them into waste for short-term profit.

   Central government is a management system, set up to oversee the extraction of natural resources and their conversion into waste, and to oversee the conversion of natural sustainable systems into unnatural unsustainable systems that require massive inputs of energy and resources to exist at all.

   Local government is a management system, set up to oversee the extraction of natural resources and their conversion into waste, and to oversee the conversion of natural sustainable systems into unnatural unsustainable systems that require massive inputs of energy and resources to exist at all.

   The ‘human livestock’ that makes up the populace of NZ consists primarily of uninformed debt slaves, farmed by the controllers to extract natural resources and turn them into waste for short-term profit.

   Politics is primarily concerned with keeping the human livestock uninformed, compliant and complacent for as long as possible as the system collapses. This is achieved by politicians never mentioning any of the crucial issues that need to be addressed (overpopulation, overconsumption, fractional reserve banking and interest on money created out of thin air, peak oil, abrupt climate change, the general poisoning of the air, land and waters etc.) by focusing the public’s attention on short-term matters such as tax rates, jobs, and housing even as the entire system shows clear signs of moving towards the termination stage.

   Nothing will alter any of the above realities, and the suicidal march towards self-annihilation (actually the annihilation of the next generation’s future) via energy depletion and environmental degradation will continue, whoever forms the next government.

   All talk of ‘progress’ or ‘improvement’ or ‘development’ is simply neuro-linguistic programming, propaganda founded on misrepresentation of the facts, and the policies of ALL political parties are both destructive and unsustainable.

   We anticipate the collapse in the energy sector and the collapse of the environment that is now underway to accelerate significantly from 2020 on, perhaps as early as 2018.

   One of the prime roles of politicians is to ensure that NZ society is totally unprepared for the mayhem that will ensue over the period 2020 to 2030 as the global energy system and the global environment collapse, and ensure that short-term financial Ponzi schemes are kept intact for as long as possible, ensuring that wealth continues to be transferred upwards from those that have little to those that have far too much and to ensure that wealth is transferred overseas to the owners of NZ.

   • Simple question.
     Do you want 3 more years of the Nats or don’t you?

6. No more the fatuous National liars and torturers of the poor. No more giving jobs away overseas. No more children in cars during cold winters, nor in motels. More houses, jobs, education, and functioning hospitals. Change the government.

   • DAMNED RIGHT kappanz LETS DO THIS #changeThegovt

7. Just caught up with the Q&A interviews with Jacinda and Kelvin which were good btw Jessica’s interviewing style of interrupting and talk over was particularly infuriating, cutting kelvin off repetitively did get my hackles up. Clearly the media have no intention of allowing Labour any cut through with its messaging. Unlike the UK there are no laws here governing the media and its behaviour during an election campaign that did give Corbyn the eventual cut through the UK Labs desperately needed. Opposition parties combined can have the best of all worlds in their policy platforms but if the media keep shutting them down and out, well….and they’re the friggin state broadcaster too, I despair and on Andrew, do people in the media like Jessica and others not know that an opinion poll is not a election result? It’s grating that they try and make it so.

   • I thought that the interviews were terrible. On every important matter (e.g. super) Ardern insisted that she wouldn’t comment. This indicates that Labour is clearly planning on campaigning on her personality rather than policy.

     Kelvin ‘my sky remote is my most treasured possession’ Davis stands in direct contradiction to Jacinda’s inner city appeal. Moreover, his ‘victor’ anecdote which described a builder with a stay at home wife who had ‘only’ managed to save $19k missed the mark completely.

     The interviewer was also terrible. For example, she completely missed the opportunity to question them on Labours charter school policy and Davis’ statements that he would resign if charter schools were abandoned.

     Labour continues to be light on policy and presents as an incoherent mess.

     • We must of been watching a different Q&A. I watched 2 interviews. Ardern was questioned over charter schools and she made Labour’s position clear and said when asked about age of super that they are not campaigning on it. Sad you cherry picked why kelvin wanted to talk about Victor and the point he wanted to make that Jessica rudely interrupted and talked over. I thought Kelvin’s descriptions of Nat govt members were very witty and apt.

       • 1) Yep, so they are avoiding the super question.

         2) Davis has previously said her would resign if charter schools were abandoned by a Labour govt. This was a clear follow up question given he is now deputy and Labour have stated that they will abandon charter schools.

8. Ardern is a positive step for Labour. She will resonate with the middle class very well.

   The only sour note is her willingness to distance herself from Metiria Turei. If she cannot support an ex-welfare beneficiary who lied to support herself 20 years ago, what faith do we have that Ardern will stick her neck out for beneficiaries today?

   My electorate vote will go to Grant Robertson. But I’m switching my party vote to the Greens. It’s a small thing I can do to support Metiria.

9. Heres another point on recent opinion polls that the media dont like to highlight, the opposition has more support than the govt and Bill English’s support is going down now well below what he started out with. Another thing, when did Paula Bennett talk about and or show relentless positivity? So how can Jacinsa steal from Bennett what she never had? and why does she talk like she’s 5 years old? Ooooh Bill’s got an “amazing big brain” she gushes but oooh Jacinda doesn’t.

   • On that point.

     Before standing down Little stated: “at 24 (%) you don’t get to form a Government”- despite the same poll showing Labour could potentially form a Government.

     Comment made around 9mins into the audio in the link below
     http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201852947/andrew-little-considered-resignation-after-poor-poll-results

     The question is was this Little’s position or Labour’s position, therefore is it now Ardern’s position?

10. Ardern can handle an interview far better than Little.

    It was interesting to note:

    She’s not ruling out working with the Māori Party to form a Government.

    She won’t rule out a CGT, though she’s not campaigning on it. However, I don’t think voters will appreciate the uncertainty. Which is one way to piss off both sides of the debate.

    Supporters of a CGT will be disappointed there was no commitment and those opposed won’t be joyous of the possibility it will be enacted.

    And she was also vague when it came to keeping the age of Super eligibility at 65. Again, no doubt disappointing both sides of the debate (as with her CGT position).

    When it came to inequality, she talked of the squeeze being felt by those traditionally seen as in the middle, wanting them to look to her to make a difference in their lives.

11. The adoption of the slogan “Let’s do this” may be a political masterstroke.
    It is far better than the one before “A fresh approach”. That sounds pedestrian and distant. The new one immediately sounds more in-your-face, positive and inclusive. It also sounds a lot more like the kind of language younger voters will identify with.
    And it makes National’s “we’re delivering…” sound woefully archaic (send in the string quartet) and pleadingly defensive.
    I find my self thinking back to 1972 with Labour’s song about a time for loving and a time for moving, whilst National came up with “Think! You have never had it better…”
    Can we see any parallels between 1972 and 2017? I hope so, in 1972 the charismatic Norm Kirk kicked National’s butt harder than it had been kicked for many years. We can only hope something similar will happen this year.
    “Let’s do this” fairly bristles with positive energy and it is like a raised middle finger to the Natzski establishment. It reads…”.you clowns have had nine years to make good on your promises but you haven’t, so f…off and let a real government take over..”
    This is going to be a real humdinger of a campaign.

    • Do what? Aye, there’s the rub.

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