Why I think TOP are disruptors – what the Left can offer Q
By ruling out TOP, Luxon has misdiagnosed why voters are fleeing National in the first place.
TOP is drawing second generation migrant communities and Gen Xers locked out of the property market.
TOP voters are the kids of National voting parents who live in the cities.
They are too rich to vote Labour and not Māori enough to vote Green but they are horrified by the race baiting and cruelty of National, NZF and ACT.
They are leaving National BECAUSE they are disgusted by what National have allowed NZF and ACT to get away with.
Luxon trying to cauterise National losing more votes to TOP by ruling them out is a misdiagnosis about why they are fleeing in the first place.
If you have an education, aren’t held hostage by the farming lobby and believe in climate change, you know a vote for National is a vote for ACT and NZF, that is why TOP have popped and are so close to 5%.
The issue now Luxon has ruled them out is how could a Labour/Green/TPM/ TOP Government work together?
National exist to stop Labour getting in and Labour exists to stop the Left from ever gaining really policy wins.
TOP are disrupters.
What can the Left offer TOP if Labour + Green + TPM + TOP = 51%?
In think there are 3 very quick wins that could be offered to TOP.
1 – Free Public Transport for Students, the disabled, beneficiaries and pensioners with everyone else using Labours Public Transport Fare Cap.
2 – UBI for all Tertiary students.
3 – Feasibility study on Land tax. The current land tax proposal would see $17 500 from a million dollar valued land, (which works if UBI is used for everyone) but if you are only limiting UBI to tertiary students, that land tax is simply too high, but if if was .01 instead of 1.75, $1750 extra annually is far more palatable than $17 500.
TOP could gain a UBI for tertiary students, free public transport for everyone not covered by Labour fare cap and a Land Tax.
Those are wins TOP could bank and build upon.
They are also wins Labour, Greens and TPM could live with.
Independent Media is more important than ever, especially in the lead up to the Election. TDB is the largest Left Wing Blog in NZ and we have been operating for 13 years now. We get zero funding g from NZ on Air and we don’t have no rich backers. If you can donate please do so here or directly into our account – 12-3065-0133561-56
Labour need to get their own house in order before doing deals .Where are the policies that they have had 3 years to work on ..I read 1500 ETU workers had a protest about wages and no one from Labour turned up .
By now most astute voters will be aware that this CoC will go to any lengths to win the 7/11 election. So whatever you do, take Martyn’s advice and don’t fall into any traps or public discussions without checking who is running them! We are all so sick of this current govt’s continuous, biased, racist, corrupt and totally dishonest SH&T and our media for hardly ever challenging them! The CoC need to go back to the drawing board, find candidates with some decorum and work on becoming a fairer, kinder and more caring bunch – definitely not what they are now! And Hipkins, take charge now, and do your absolute best for NZ. Not for you or your party, for New Zealand! If the Right win again, NZ as we know it will disappear!
What would be the chances for a formal deal before the election? I mean, now that National has ruled TOP out?
UBI for students seems smart- it will be eaten up with the cost of living and inflation but makes sense to give it to all youngsters 18-21 that way a generation thats so adrift can actually get a hand up, students, trainees, apprenticeships and increases the employability of young people leaving school but only if its a decent amount. It actually makes sense to invest in people starting their working lives.
If UBI and land tax are phased in gradually then it won’t be as polarising. TOP are thinking about decade long policy not the current electoral term and that itself is refreshing.