THE LATEST 1NEWS/KANTAR POLL raises a host of intriguing possibilities. Though the mainstream media’s reporting of the poll’s results has concentrated on National/Act overtaking Labour/Green, there has been considerably less attention paid to the potentially pivotal role of Te Pāti Māori in deciding the 2023 General Election. If the Labour hierarchy isn’t yet contemplating a sit-down with the Greens and Te Pāti Māori on strategy and tactics, then it should do so immediately. A radical electoral coalition is in the offing – if Labour has the wit and courage to forge it.
The first thing for the Labour leadership to grasp is that the changes that can no longer be deferred – on climate change, social equity, constitutional transformation and international relations – are so fundamental, so comprehensive and so disruptive as to be completely unassimilable by the current neoliberal order. Whether they like it or not, Labour’s leaders will have to become radicals and revolutionaries – or fade into history.
The other option: standing in the way of the massive changes that loom ahead; will only hasten the moral and intellectual decay of the Labour Party. By positioning itself alongside National and Act, Labour would be abandoning the quest for transformational change to the Greens and Te Pāti Māori.
More seriously, Labour would be setting itself upon a course that could only end in the sort of Grand Coalitions that destroyed the German Social-Democratic Party as a force for progressive change.
Refusing to accept the need for radical changes might delay transformation, but conservative political resistance cannot prevent it from happening. The priority for any genuine party of the Left is to ensure that necessary change takes place in a context that expands the realm of human freedom – rather than constricting it.
Hence the urgent need for Labour to sit down with the Greens and Te Pāti Māori and sort out who does what in the formulation, presentation and implementation of a truly transformational programme.
Crucial to this process will be the identification of new sources of information and advice. A new societal agenda will require a new delivery mechanism: a creative and constantly changing constellation of “action groups” modelled on the astonishingly effective ad-hoc response to the urgent challenges of Māori vaccination against Covid-19.
Rather than policy-making being held within the narrow confines of the neoliberal mandarinate, Labour, the Greens and Te Pati Māori need to seek out the ideas and methodologies of individuals and groups hitherto regarded as operating beyond the realm of “realistic” policy formation. People and institutions able to begin immediately – utilising expertise and energies undreamt of by the official organs of the state.
A government committed to saying “yes” before it says “no”, would direct its fiscal support to transformational initiatives that have already demonstrated their ability to expand organically from one area of need to another, increasing in complexity and effectiveness as they grow. Change could thus emerge like crops in the fields – from the ground up.
Rather than congratulate itself for expanding the size of the state bureaucracy, a transformational Labour/Green/ Te Pāti Māori government would measure its success by the number of public servants it liberated from the crushing surveillance and soul-destroying discipline of the neoliberal administrative apparatus. Instead of sucking-up and taming organisational talent, the government’s goal would be to let it fall like windborne seeds into the fertile chaos of the revolution welling-up from below. As the wiser sort of trade union leader used to say: “Keep your experts on tap – not on top.”
If the recent protest encampment on Parliament Grounds had anything positive to offer the rest of New Zealand, then it was, surely, the example of people held together by a common cause, and how they managed themselves in ways that owed nothing to state or local officialdom. The way the protest community’s needs were supplied by those with the skills and resources required to meet them was genuinely inspiring. Motivated by a worthier cause: fighting climate change; delivering social and economic equity; exploring new ways of organising our politics; what could ordinary people not achieve?
Fanciful? Utopian? Not at all. Though the electorate has been given precious little evidence of its presence, there is in the 65 Labour Members of Parliament a concentration of idealism and talent which, in alliance with their colleagues in the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, is more than capable of unleashing a veritable flood of progressive change. The only thing stopping them is their collective unwillingness to believe that such an outcome is possible. Debilitating them – spiritually as well as politically – is the cancerous neoliberal lie that “there is no alternative” to the inhuman mechanism in which they have allowed themselves to become embedded.
There is no better example of this tragedy than Jacinda Ardern herself. When there is no rule-book: when History’s lightning-bolts bring horror and havoc out of clear blue sky; Jacinda has revealed her political instincts to be infallible. Her ability to find the right words: “They are Us”, “Team of Five Million”, speaks to an extraordinary level of emotional intelligence and empathy. But, on an ordinary day, with the rule-book open upon her desk, Jacinda’s performance is woeful. This superb free-spirit daily snaps the cuffs of “the way things are done” around her wrists and allows herself to be escorted quietly to the neoliberal jail.
Surely, by now, the Prime Minister understands that it is the lightning-bolt that inscribes the pages of history? That the rule-book she and her colleagues rely upon is merely the imperfect codification of all the inspired political improvisations of the past. Where was Mickey Savage’s rule-book? Where was Roger Douglas’s? They didn’t have one. All they had was the conviction that things could not go on as they were. That, for better, or for worse, changes had to be made.
Like them, Jacinda and her colleagues have come to a fork in the road. Whether their choice leads upwards to a brighter future, or down into the dark, will depend entirely upon how many people are invited to help them make it. Roger Douglas relied upon the secret neoliberal priesthood of Treasury. Mickey Savage upon the wisest and most generous spirits New Zealand had to offer – beginning with the extraordinary people contained in his own caucus.
“By their fruits shall ye know them”, says the Good Book.
Having based her government’s decisions on the Rule Book, can Jacinda honestly say that she’s satisfied with Labour’s harvest?
The only way to win anything worth having in politics is by trusting the people. In alliance with the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, Labour needs to give New Zealanders something worth voting for.
Then watch the polls change.
All so true Chris but the very reason the polls are plummeting for Labour is their lack of any real action on nearly everything they promised. I can’t see them doing those wise things you suggest…. they just haven’t got the ability or talent.
On the contrary, garibaldi, the talent and ability are there. What’s lacking is the confidence to use them. And that applies not only to the back-bench MPs, but also to the Cabinet Ministers and those closest to the PM. They do not seem to understand that their problems arise from HEEDING the advice of their neoliberal public servants – not from setting it aside.
The key lesson they have to learn is how to say “No” to their officials and “Yes” to the people.
This latest move to cut the excise tax on petrol by 25 cents is a good start. Not from the Neoliberal Rule Book at all!
“They do not seem to understand that their problems arise from HEEDING the advice of their neoliberal public servants – not from setting it aside.”
Ain’t that the bloody truth! It’s a disease that’s afflicted them for quite some time too.
The faith-based system: “I have complete faith in my officials”
Yes Chris agreed. That’s because that’s a poll driven or popular vote decision not based on the Mandarins or rule book as U describe. The public servants don’t care about the politicians life span only the Polly’s care of that. They only care about the dogma they follow or have been following for over 40 years now. So hence why the politicians come and go and the public servants stay put.
“…those wise things you suggest…. they just haven’t got the ability or talent.”
Sadly this describes National/Acf as well. Why at a time when we face such big problems do we mostly seem to have lightweights as leaders? And I’m not only talking about our country.
Labour has limited talent imo, however National & ACT are bereft of any talent, Luxton is a corporate gnome currently enjoying some Christophoria from the latest polls and Seymour Guns is an opportunist looking for the next carcass to feed on. Yucky imho ?
I would argue Labour has almost zero talent, National a little more so and Seymour is actually quite talented – I’ve always thought so, but am horrified he supported Labour’s defiling of my basic rights.
Adern is rather like Stalin but arguably with a better haircut.
Garibaldi Some may have the ability and the talent, but there are human cushions in all three parties, sitting out their time on their thumbs, ready to collect their pensions and waddle off to a life of financial security unbeknown to too many out in the real world. That’s Labour. That’s National. The Greens defy rational explanation.
The failure of Labour is the lack of talent. Add to that a total inertia that should have been the Labour party core reason to live in the 9 years on the opposition benches and 5 years on the treasury benches. Come up with a plan for the future. We should really charge them with fraud or misappropriation of tax payers funds to have done no planning for the last 14 years.
Case in point being the police minister moaning about National reducing front line police numbers.
Labour had 9 years to format a response plan, 5 years to implement that plan and yet the “promised” 8oo extra police in the Winston Peters coalition never eventuated.
Why not? Was it because it was a Peters policy, not Labour?
Labour are too late to now try and choose the direction to take. They have lost the confidence and willpower to function as an effective political party and do not have the talent (except for Kiri Allan) to even see the cross roads, never mind the ability to make a decision.
Labour (except for Kiri Allan) are all career politicians, they do not make decisions, they do not how to.
Problem with career politicians is they live in a beltway bubble, fed by communication teams that call a cost of living crisis an energy crisis. Career politicians are too far removed from the people to form a strategy that benefits what the people need.
For the people, the edifice that is the empty and deserted Labour office on the Great South Road in Manurewa is a monument on what Labour thinks of the people in South Auckland. Not for them the $35M for a cycle path between gentrified suburbs, no the Manurewa to Takanini cycleway is a death trap and not use by sane cyclist.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/south-auckland-leaders-angry-over-35-million-cycleway-for-wealthy-inner-city-suburbs/IR45PBOAP35AUYNFGHHMKAWHHA/
all true gerrit
‘Labour has the wit and courage to forge it.’ I have picked that out from the post. It sounds like my idea of a belief worth having. Can they make it come true? If they don’t they will surely rise – by being hoist by their own petard. Any political watcher worth their salt knows what it means. I’m suffering from a personal weather front at present, a slow-moving depression is bringing a chill wind and major discomfort about our country’s future, particularly that of people like these described in David Lodge’s book about H.G.Wells. (Governments can be insincere as we all know, including that of NZ. Can we set the sheepdogs on them, herd them into the pen, and crutch and drench them turning out healthy politicians not carrying too much fat? Use heading or barking or both?)
(H.G. Wells was heavily involved in the WW1 war effort in Britain, working to get the League of Nations active, Lodge writes, but resigned after concluding that the British government were insincere ‘in promising a constructive and generous peace settlement…cynically designed for German consumption only… ‘intent on punishing Germany as well as defeating it. He felt exploited and betrayed, and resigned his chairmanship only a few months after taking it on.)
Lodge writes on Wells’ impressions after the victory – ‘The crowds blocked the progress of their cab,,,and he thought to himself, looking at the happy complacency on every face thronging the pavements, ‘This is the real people. This seething multitude of vague, kindly, uncritical brains is the stuff that dear old Marx counted on to exercise the dictatorship of the proletariat’…’
Wells after WW1 felt that Victory Day should be a Day of National Mourning considering the lives lost and the injuries and devastation; the fighters and sufferers deserved services of gratitude and sorrow for their sacrifices.
This mirrors what I am thinking, we are all half-educated, unskilled in the complexities, and under capitalism many have been able to reach a higher standard of living than otherwise, and become complacent about the extent of our wisdom and understandings; have become ‘deserving of cornucopia’.
My old relative sees progress as totally positive and the rise in his city’s population by about 50% in ten years also positive, business is booming. Three Waters is not needed and their effective systems manage well, apparently stormwater surges are controlled, and Labour are giving up the water to the Maoris.
PS Sorry got my italics mixed up so not clear about what is quote. The book is
‘A Man of Parts’, I think it is faction. Wells was The Big Thing for a while and then
after 1920 a new style came in and he was mocked a bit. Prophets…! Deep and yet practical thinkers don’t always stick – our minds are flibbertigibbets (great words – synonyms! – birdbrain, cuckoo, ditz, featherbrain, featherhead, nitwit, rattlebrain, scatterbrain, softhead)
Wells after WW1 felt that Victory Day should be a Day of National Mourning considering the lives lost and the injuries and devastation; the fighters and sufferers deserved services of gratitude and sorrow for their sacrifices.
and that’s exactly what Remembrance Day (poppy day) was until the wave of mawkish sentimentality since the centenary of 1914…
Sounds like a bit of tall poppy syndrome coming from garibaldi pretty mean comment given we still have the lowest death rates from Covid in the OECD and our allies still have many more cases and deaths occurring daily.
Too much damage has been done to turn the tide in favour of this govt again.They sit atop a pile of broken pledges and exude an arrogance that has alienated too many people for good. Trying to save themselves through the lalaland Greens or the myopic separatist Maori Party won’t swing it.
Yup!
The river of filth comments were perhaps the most outrageous thing I’ve ever heard come from any government and the fact that Adern tacitly approved of this behavior indicates how little empathy she actually has for anyone who dares disagree with her.
The more shocking thing is that a huge percentage of the people there were supposedly “her” people, which points to another problem which is this government has governed far more in favor of it’s people than national ever has.
So much for giving a damn about all New Zealand ears.
She only “cares” (I e. Humors) you if you’re dependent on the state and dare not question her.
This woman makes Muldoon look empathetic.
If the protestors were her people she is doing the right thing by finding new friends. I have no time for Jacinda usually but I am sure by standing up to this mob of the deplorables she would have won as many friends as she lost. The politicians of all sides went up in my opinion as they did not try to win points by siding with this mob in just the same way they are standing up to Put in with a united voice.
And there it is.
The sanctimonious, callous disregard for other people with differing views that only a true champagne socialist can exude.
You’re like Mike Hosking without the charm.
I have never abused children or old people for not agreeing with my views zI have not throw shit and stones at the police while doing their job . There are truly principled people with anti vax views but there were not many of them in this mob
I think I have been following this website a lot longer than you, Jays, and i laugh to scorn your assessment of Trevor Sennitt.
Jays is one of the many right-wing trolls who are currently flocking to TDB to accentuate left-wing unease, but so transparent..
Thank you nice to be noticed .
Jays, Yes the ‘river of filth’ was a particularly puerile and grubby way for any politician to be speaking, and that other ass Mallard is now back helping to re-sanctify Parliament’s grounds, which makes me feel a little ill. He’d be better not seen or heard.
‘ Kindness,’ they shout as they bully the punters.
Right on, Gaby. I have voted Labour for years. No more! They are unscrupulous, mendacious even. Winston Peters favoured Labour in 2017, but he and the public were not told of He PuaPua.
It’s been a while coming – as starkly put as this, It says it all.
I assume a copy of this will quickly make its way to every Labour MP’s inbox?
It surely, surely needs to!
At least, should what’s being suggested here be actioned, the people would have a very clear binary choice – radical/transformative versus steady as she goes. There’s a credibility problem for labour though, both the dismal failure over the delivery of their aspirations and a fundamental dishonesty over their actual intentions. In particular the sleazy way He Puapua was hidden from the people at the last election. Why would they do that?
Perhaps they know something you don’t or are unwilling to admit: the people aren’t fools, these kinds of changes suggested are deeply unpopular and for good reason: they tend to be disasters full of unintended negative consequences unseen by their Utopian proponents. Of course that could be countered with actual examples of free, prosperous and just societies that have adopted them before? No, obviously that won’t help either.
“The first thing for the Labour leadership to grasp is that the changes that can no longer be deferred – on climate change, social equity, constitutional transformation and international relations – are so fundamental, so comprehensive and so disruptive as to be completely unassimilable by the current neoliberal order. Whether they like it or not, Labour’s leaders will have to become radicals and revolutionaries – or fade into history”.
So erudite Chris. This and more. Fanciful? Utopian? Not at all.
Well, you are right. In light of the task ahead better to be positive, hopeful, with options in hand than be pessimistic and cynical with no solutions I applaud you for that. But that part of me that is dark and cynical would hold that only one of the Four Horseman can shift the ideological impasse that political elites find themselves in.
Vision! Conviction! Action! I do hope you’re on the right side of history.
So do I, Bozo! So do I!
@ CT. You write:
“A Fork In The Road: Which Way Should Labour Go?”
My vulgar, agricultural answer would be to go fuck itself.
I could indulge in the debate by going up labour’s arse to study the molecules that bind labours shit together but why? Or, as the French might elegantly ask “mais pourquoi?”
The answer is, of course, there’s actually no reason. No point at all.
Labour is exactly the same thing as national. They are one and the same thing.
AO/NZ’s entire political matrix is polluted by narcissists using the greed is good mantra to get their dicks out. There’s nothing else. There’s no point in debate. There’s no need for understanding beyond that. We are without actual, human-esque political representation. All our absurdly highly paid politicians focus on is the money.
Cast your exhausted mind back to prior to covid? Did the Labonats give a fuck about us then?
No. And did we get agitated by that? No. Did we expect some kind of miracle awakening to beset the Labonats whereby we could see homeless people in houses and kids living in dire poverty suddenly not? No. We did not see that. Why not? Because the Labonats don’t care. They literally, actually, really and truly DON’T CARE whether people live in shop door ways and in poverty while real estate agents drive past in Ferraris.
The Labonats phenomenon isn’t unique or unusual either. Neoliberal capitalism is a breeding ground for narcissistic egomania, where greed is indeed essential. If you’re not greedy and think you’re the most beautiful, wonderful miracle to ever grace the footpaths of Ponsonby you’re not a playa and only playa’s get the spoils. Aye boys?
I feel we’re heading towards a civil war. Unfortunately, the factions within that movement are dumber than Dumb and Dumber. They love donald drumf. They love Jesus, the love freedum, they love shit an’ that.
So fuck yeah! We can debate our politic until our brains whither down to become bread dough with raisins but it won’t change the fact that we don’t have one.
You’re ‘reaching’ Chris. That ‘Unicorn’ moment is out of their reach.
They need to resign from the government now and let the people decide their fate because they can not be trusted. An election is needed now!
They have lost the confidence of the masses and integrity as well as the ‘trust’ of the public.
The last 11 polls tell you this!
Regardless of what talent they have, they do not possess the confidence of the ‘electorate’.
Crisis; Housing, Homelessness, Poverty-Child Poverty, Health, Edukashon, Terrorism, Inflation, Social Upheaval, woke climate change- green washing capitalism.
The Crises have had babies and have multiplied! All in the past 4 years.
Accountability is needed and so is the publics need for confidence in a government.
Let’s sort this out with an election as soon as possible this year!
Pressure helps!
Simon Bridges has just announced his retirement causing a by election in the seat of Tauranga. Maybe he is feeling the pressure…….
Two things Kat. He only returned to deliver utu to Crusha Collins, and I recks, Luxon has told him, “if we win the election coming up, I’m going to be the finance minister.”
Lets ‘see’ who takes that portfolio ‘temporarily’ once Burning Bridges has gone.
You may be right DP, “temporarily” could be utu for Luxon as well. My “recks” is the true Nat messiah isn’t leader yet.
Agree Den, its just a pity its taken so many people so long to wake up.
I thought the unicorn was used by the Greens. Was it Labour too. I think that magic trick is overdone but hesitate at the one where they saw the female assistant in half. I’m a bit anxious about that and don’t think it will draw the dwindling crowds by having a dwindling Labour leadership – not till they find a lot of trainee magicians anyway – perhaps from the Unseen University (DiscWorld). Rincewind always won in the end though seemingly gormless, and he was perspicacious enough to keep schtum on the vital earth-quaking spelll.
“They are Us”, “Team of Five Million”, speaks to an extraordinary level of emotional intelligence and empathy.”
Wake up Chris- they are products of Jacinda’s spin doctors.
iT TOOK THE WRONG FORK IN 1984 AND HAS NEVER COME BACK! and has gone down the neoliberal dead end to the bitter end 🙁
Preferably into political oblivion along with National….still die hard’s will keep them going….right?
I can’t stomach any of the current political parties.
McGillicuddy Serious anyone?
I’ll add that one to my list!
Yes, Right-wing troll encouraging lefties to lose their principles and philosophy.
Jays – I suspect that your stomach is not much bigger than your brain.
I’ve just read Verity Johnsons article in Stuff https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/128047599/why-i-am-thinking-of-ditching-labour
Here she outlines – in similar terms to the article above – her disappointment in the Labour government and it’s complete lack of transformational policy.
And despite being ” … part of the turmeric and charcoal scented young, urban Centre-Left” – this core left voter is considering ditching the it.
What is most fascinating and where Jonson differs from Trotter is in her decision to support National as a better option to the disappointment of supporting Labour.
In other words for the majority of middle class NZ it actually doesn’t make much difference to them day to day or even on the big issues whether they vote for Labour or National. And I don’t think they really care because the impact on their lives is minimal either way.
What Jonson doesn’t do is consider or even attempt to push for the radical transformation her original support for Labour desired – as Trotter does. Instead – there’s a shrug of the shoulders and an “oh well at least my taxes will be lower under National”.
And this, comrades, is exactly how it’s supposed to work – Verity like Adern (and all NZ voters) has the “cuffs of “the way things are done” around her wrists and allows herself to be escorted quietly to the neoliberal jail.”
This is why we don’t have a Mana Party but we do have an Act Party – the Overton window in NZ has moved along way from the days of Trotters youth of a class conscious and motivated electorate.
And can I just point out this charming little fact with regard to nationals parasite of choice, roger the rat’s neoliberal nibble toy?
Southland, farmers and farming.
Southland was roaring ahead with that there farming thing ga ma jiggery from since we colonials swindled AO from under @ Maori feet.
Then… something dark and evil came this way.
Deviant greed in the form of the nasty old natzo party.
Check this graph out showing rural town population stats in Southland from Te Ara.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/20148/town-populations-in-southland-1891-2013
Everything was going swimmingly until roger rat and his natzo minions came squirming up through the cracks in the floor boards.
See how the graph flattens out over a five year period from 1976 to 1981 then heads South?
See how from 2001 the line slowly moves back up to indicate that people were now beginning to return to our primary industry economy engine room?
What does that tell us?
It tells me that roger rat and his mice minions deliberately tanked our economy by asset stripping it out then scuttling back down the cracks with more than 35 years of our lives, and counting, and billions of dollars of what should have been our financial wealth.
How could a Labour Party with the best intentions address that scam, much less the soft pink Labour lap poodle party to Big Business that we have? A fat accountant and a flash-hair blairite standing on the neck of the truth.
Reading that comment reminds me of the day someones dog did a wet poo on the shag pile carpet in the lounge.. It was all so unnecessary and avoidable with a little bit of thought.. Try that next time you want to show off your spelling skills.. So Southlands population started flatlining during the Muldoon administration… What does that say about what Roger Douglas did to his own party, and the country? Practically nothing.. If you cared to read the whole set of figures, you would have noted that the nineties were the height of immigration overseas. I was in Perth at that time, and the joke about the last person leaving had to turn the lights out came back into vogue.. There were tens of thousands of them in the workshops etc there, and they all had the same story. The Bolger government had forced them to look elsewhere to make a living… Just like they had with me… Try to keep up..
Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come
Labour/Greens/Maori Party could work very well together if they got their heads and got rid of all the stupid shit.
Yet, why is it that when Labour ever considers immanent movement on something transformative Chris always takes to his pen and sternly warns of dire political consequences to their ability to stay in or obtain office. Suddenly it becomes a matter of poll driven pragmatism.
The ultimate see saw.
Chris you have convinced me that labour has lost its moral compass.
We all cringe when we see a Poto Williams biting her tongue during interviews. Hard to speak when you are biting your tongue.
Hey All
I hope you read Shane Jones article today. It’s quite something! Beautifully written too.
I agree Chris but the fly in the ointment is Identity Politics.
In days gone by, I would have supported Greens without a second thought if Labour had disappointed me enough. Now we have co governance and all things identity politic. The greens are woker than LINO.
And for many like me, who believe utterly in democracy, the ethno state and co-governance will not fly until we do it constitutionally by popular vote and dont get me started on that other evil of the day, limits to free speech and freedom of expression.
Ex Labour voters like myself have nowhere to go. I cant vote Labour or Greens and I despise National so its a vote for Winston or TOP or no vote at all.
Why would Winston not go for Tauranga. He is younger than Biden or Trump. That will put a spander in the works for He PuaPua.
But Chris is right. The time is now for the social liberals to strike. But they are now Liberal Nationalists.
if you need laws to enforce decency and politeness then as a society you deserve neither
All NZ parties are only the rich mans friend. Do yourself a favour and leave the parasites paradise. Vote Albo.
Standing at the fork, Labour has two viable options: fork you or fork off. Both work.
You first Sour!
Before you do, how about denouncing https://nuremberg.nz/?
This alt-right site threatens health experts, at least 71 women, Maori and Polynesian leaders, media and politicians?
Why can’t you denounce this alt-right site Sour?
I have never abused children or old people for not agreeing with my views zI have not throw shit and stones at the police while doing their job . There are truly principled people with anti vax views but there were not many of them in this mob
Trevor Sennitt The protestors at Parliament may not have descended into an unruly and violent mob had they not been wound up right at the start by the hoon from Wainouiomata. That is something we may never know.
“Instead of sucking up organisational talent the government’s goal should be to let it fall like windblown seeds into the fertile chaos of the revolution welling up from below.” I learned long ago that the fruitier Trotter’s metaphors, the more likely they were to be the real point of the whole exercise and the less likely they were to relate to anything rational at all.
Harry love Sounds like you analyse all the flavour out of Trotter’s poetry, turning all to dust. It doesn’t match your mood which is depressing.
We all know Labour and Forked. They pander to the fat centre of the political bell curve. They won’t sufficiently differentiate themselves from national so the center swings back and forth. This is Neo Liberal Labour. Nothing new to see here. Nation will get them of the “delivery propaganda”. Though I have my doubts about the Nats keeping their composure.
Chris it’s obvious this government is not going to ever be transformational. It is clearly beyond them. They couldn’t even transform the tax system away from relying on taxing labour and shifting some of the burden onto capital out of fear it would cost them votes. Ditto housing, inequality, homelessness etc etc. Unfortunately the other mob think that a tax cut is the solution to every problem so I can’t see anything changing in my lifetime. It’s as if they have all run out of ideas and are floundering around in a state of myopic confusion. The only party that seems to have any fresh ideas is TOP and as they are on about 1% of support it appears that they will never see the light of day. Pity really because this country is crying out for change.
sad but true syl
The biggest problem is apathy, caused by constant gaslighting. My friend who was at ‘te Protest’ reported committed, vibrant humans. This species would seem to be few and far between and I think a lot of them don’t vote because why? it’s always going to be same shit, different day, and as countryboy says, the industrial scale corporate raiding which has hobbled this country has still not been addressed, therefore is still happening imho. Whenever you see “strategic partnership”, right there is code for “we win, you lose, suckers,” so pucker up and kiss the benefits.
I personally didn’t get any of those issues from the demo….just me me me and my feel feels…now if they had been raising real issues they might have got a more sympathetic ear…but they weren’t..at least in their public pronouncements.
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