Earlier this week, several minorly amazing things happened. National decided to breach its nine-year commitment to leave the retirement age untampered with; Labour found itself with an MP in a leadership position whom the public actually seem to like; and I caught myself red-handed agreeing with David Seymour.
In all of my dealings with Ron over the last few years, and from my ongoing observation of the ‘second phase’ of his Parliamentary career, if I could pick but two phrases to sum him up they would unquestionably be “man of principle”, and “fighting for a just cause, to defend our country”.
It’s become a depressing pattern. Every time news of record migration numbers come out in the media, the National Party leap into action with another excuse for why they’re justified.
The most recent “alternative facts” laden argument for adding tens of thousands of people to the New Zealand labour market … is that apparently the workers already here can’t pass drug tests.
I want Labour to run ‘to the left’ of where they were in 2014 – both because I’m sick of quasi-center-right warmed-over neoliberalism masquerading as progressive economic policy … but also because I genuinely believe that moving to the left will help Labour’s prospects later this year in September.
You’d probably shoot me a somewhat incredulous look. Mt Albert, as the received wisdom goes, is a safe Labour seat – so safe, in fact, that National’s not even standing a candidate there. Apart from a minimum modicum of expended campaign-funds, what possible detriment could Labour incur by winning in the Mt Albert by-election to be held later this month?
In any case, while there are good and solid reasons for Labour to put Jackson forward as a candidate, many of these seem to have been lost recently amidst the rush-to-recondemn from some on the left.
This has not been an easy piece for me to write. Watching in mounting horror as somebody – or something…
Having witnessed yesterday’s excitement at Ratana, I am starting to wonder whether Gareth Morgan may actually be a surprisingly good political strategist.
Another year, another hike in the price of cigarettes.
The 2016 election season continues to be quite the wild ride. No matter whether one is following events through the regular media and traditional outlets, or braving the wilds of social media feeds, each new day brings some shocking “revelation”which would have seemed utterly inconceivable the day before … yet there it is in print.