The big story for me around Local Body elections was the emergence of young, Pasifika leaders many of whom stood under the banner of the Labour Party. Lotu Fuli, Apulu Reece Autagavaia, Rev Obed Unasa, Ruby Manukia-Schaumkel and myself are just a few of the new people to have been elected to a local board and the Counties Manukau DHB.
What I do know is that over the years there have been many forms of people wanting us to look at them and “pretend that they’re Pacific”. MP’s show up to church at precisely the 3-year election cycle.
I’m convinced that under Cunliffe’s leadership Pasifika voters will both be inspired to the booth and others, back to Labour.
Third way social democracy was never an ideology of or for the left. It was an experiment. Can Labour afford to experiment with Grant Robertson?