Waatea News Column – One of the most soul destroying parts of being inside Labour is watching focus groups.
I’ve been lucky enough to get a look at the research that comes out of these focus groups and to be honest it almost makes me cry in frustration.
I can only imagine how it makes Labour staffers feel.
Focus group after focus group are shown a range of policy that doesn’t have any Party affiliation attached to it and asked for their thoughts on it.
They look at the National Policy without realising it is National Policy and throw it aside.
They look at the Maori Party Policy without realising it is Maori Party Policy and throw it aside.
They look at NZ First Policy without realising it is NZ First Policy and throw it aside.
Then they come to Labour Party Policy and they all react positively to it.
Then they utter the most painful words in the world for Political Pollsters to hear, ‘Why doesn’t Labour have policy like this”.
That’s when the grim reality of what Labour have been up against for 3 terms becomes abundantly apparent.
Voters can’t name a Labour Party policy and they complain Labour don’t have any policy, yet when confronted by the Policy stripped of its affiliation, they all love it.
Labour’s problem for 9 years has been its ability to communicate their ideas to an electorate who are desperate for new ideas on the social issues that impact us all.
Where Jacinda is so different from Goff, Shearer, Cunliffe and Little is that voters are listening to her so that when she communicates Labour policy, (the very same policy they all love when it’s stripped of its affiliation), they will listen.
Labour’s collapse in the Polls has gifted them a Leader who can finally explain policy in a way that resonates and is listened to, this changes the dynamic and also makes National’s next attack line, which has moved from bad leadership to bad policy, far more of a difficult trick to pull off because when it comes to policy, Labour’s are light years ahead of National.
Labour intend to pump $19billion into NZs social infrastructure over 4 years, let me repeat that – $19billion! National in comparison is simply offering everyone $20 each a week more.
That is the clear choice for voters this election – 2 big mac combos worth of tax cuts or a fully functioning education, health, mental health and welfare system.
Which one New Zealanders choose will say a lot about who we are as a people.
Yes I agree with this I have attended focus groups and too many Nzers are f..n lazy to do some homework
I go prepared with questions
I confront people who talk a load of bull and don’t know what they are talking about
I ask them what kind of a country do you want you and your whanau to live in
I never trust the mainstream they have a vested interest
Jacinda needs to take advantage and get the polices out there now
Too many NZers only hear what they want to
Too many NZers forget our countries history and what we use to stand for and were proud of
Too many NZers have become shallow vessels
Too many NZers have become like sheep
Too many NZers have become selfish, greedy and judgmental
We are listening intently. Please start talking Jacinda.
D J S
She can communicate, all right, Jacinda, but her water policy is just another poorly thought out nightmare, turning many up in anger against Labour, as they do not understand it, as it is too complicated and vague.
If this continues, we will have to focus rather on election 2020.
Fuck no more talk about peace after taking out Metiria, you MSM and others declared war, same as those fighting the G20 capitalist shit had enough of all this crap you serve us:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1q246N1mM0
yes, i would rather see labour spend 19 billion dollars on getting our core social structures back to where they should be than see national spend 20 billion dollars on upgrading our defence force!
Nationals lolly scramble goes only as far as the defense force (to benefit the US) and Auckland roads. Anything Labour puts money into gets my vote because it will go first to the people.