GUEST BLOG: The Lockdown With Bryan Bruce Day 23: TOP Party Leader Geoff Simmons

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The Lockdown With Bryan Bruce Day 23 now up on New Zealand Public Television features and interview with TOP Party Leader Geoff Simmons.

This is the second of the long form interviews in which Bryan talks to the smaller parties contesting the next election.

Bryan Bruce is one of NZs most respected documentary makers and public intellectuals who has tirelessly exposed NZs neoliberal economic settings as the main cause for social issues.

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5 COMMENTS

    • No its not. It is exclusive , depreciating older voters, and in effect, a single issue party because of its proclivity towards youth. It wont last. I’m sorry , but any political party that wishes to succeed long term MUST include people from all walks of life. It must have universal appeal. Ageism, is the death throws of any political party.

      When you enter into that, you have as good as signed your political death warrant.

      The youth vote is notoriously fickle.

      It relies on present issues and neglects the lessons of past and similar historical precedent’s set. This is not the 1960’s with big corporate backing and neither is it a time of western global wealth.

      This is a time of massive global economic contraction by which simplistic cries from the ‘youth proletariat’ are easily swept aside. By which the only means for the ‘ youth proletariat ‘ to succeed are by joining the very forces they oppose. IE : the far right wing.

      And that would simply deliver them more of the same oppressive neo liberalism they have kicked against in recent times. Therefore, with all youthful energy , I would say taking those policy’s to the Labour party and forging a relationship with them would be much more sustainable in the long term than trying to ‘go it alone’ into certain political oblivion. And essentially , becoming a contender for the COL rather than an obscure outlier achieving nothing on the back benches or worse.

      • Semi’s comment was on the UBI WK not about the alienation of the Boomer vote. And he is right , It was very well described and the correct approach to a UBI being “universal” rather than a targeted simplification of the benefit system as is what’s called a UBI in the UK and advocated by some as a ploy to sabotage the idea of a proper UBI.
        What he (ACT man) said about actual practical disadvantage to the boomer generation is much less than the rhetoric. Leaving the family home out of the CGT is an obvious remedy for the issue that Bryan raised. Otherwise second investment houses would sustain the level of tax suggested. Whether it would discourage overseas speculators at that level is another matter.
        To undertake the obvious alternative to reducing the foreign investment in housing , just making it illegal will require radical revision of all the trade deals we are in . Until this happens we have no control of our economy at all , or the resultant ability to meaningfully redress the flow of wealth from ordinary people to the super rich. In the case of NZ super foreign rich, but the implications of taking such radical action are for massive disruption in the short term as our trading partners would make life very unpleasant for a while. So I can see why ACT would not be talking about doing that , but the problem was alluded to and is clearly in perspective.
        This is by far the most impressed I have been by ACT.
        D J S

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