By Bernard Hickey
Labour Party Deputy Leader Grant Robertson and Maori Affairs Spokesman Shane Jones have both confirmed they will stand for the leadership of the Labour Party.
Fisheries and Revenue Spokesman David Cunliffe declared his on Monday afternoon.
Robertson was the first to move and timed his announcement to coincide with the 6pm television news programmes on Sunday.
"I offer a new generation of leadership that can unify our Party, and lead us to victory in 2014," Robertson said.
He said there was a huge amount at stake. "Every week New Zealanders can see new examples of how badly John Key and his government have lost touch with their hopes and concerns. From the Sky City deal, to rising unemployment and a lack of respect for our fundamental democratic rights and freedoms, this government is not listening to New Zealanders," he said.
Robertson said he wanted to encourage the 800,000 New Zealanders who were eligible to vote but currently didn't.
Jones told the NZHerald his candidacy may not resonate in the common room, "but rest assured it will be relevant in the smoko room".
"The Labour brand is a proud and true brand. Unfortunately, we have allowed that brand to become irrelevant in how a whole bunch of New Zealanders see their personal circumstances," Jone said.
"The 800,000 who didn't vote last time need to see Labour as relevant to what they need to help bring their kids up. It's simple stuff: jobs, income, security, sport, life," he said.
A snap OneNews poll conducted over the weekend showed Cunliffe was the current favourite over both Robertson and Jones in the eyes of general voters and Labour supporters.
Cunliffe had the support of 29% of eligible voters and 32% of Labour supporters, while Robertson had 10% and 14% support respectively. Jones had the support 15% of Labour supporters and 11% of the general electorate.
Cunliffe in too
Cunliffe announced his candidacy with a statement on his own website, saying he had consulted with colleagues and family.
"Their view is that I can bring together a party and a government that provides a strong, clear voice for fairness, inclusion and prosperity to be shared by all. I believe that now is the right time to answer that call," Cunliffe said.
"Our shared vision is to rebuild our society so that everybody – not just a lucky few - gets the chance to succeed and make the best of their potential," he said.
"I am deeply saddened this Government is so intent on cutting deals for its big business mates and kowtowing to powerful foreign interests, that it is willing to sacrifice so much of what we hold dear."
Prime Minister John Key said he was not bothered about any of the candidates, but thought the main contest would be between Robertson and Cunliffe.
He said whoever won would pull Labour further to the left.
(Updated with Cunliffe joining the contest)
59 Comments
A bit of a waste of time I should imagine.
Robertson's sexual orientation will hold him back from the mum's and dads that in the end decide which party rules - labour won't want to test that hurdle just yet. Jones - a List MP who scraped through an immigration scandle through a failure of the investigation to prove that there was criminal intent and not just stupidity - won't National be rubbing there hands together at the prospect of raking all that up. The misuse of credit cards, charging for pornographic movies and the hiring of a charter jet show some serious character flaws for someone who aspires to the highest level in NZ. The Smoko room might be interested but the Labour party won't unless they just want a Mad Hatter to hold the position until Cunliffe takes over just before the election.
Yet GR won his own electorate, moms and pops cant be that bothered, "Grant Robertson is Labour's MP for Wellington Central. He won the seat at the 2008 election with a majority of 1904 votes, and a majority of 6376 at the 2011 election" 6000 isnt a bad majority.
Same sex marriage this year, nay a squeal.....
"raking it up" so really the quality of National's MPs is the ability to rake up old muck....great piece of governing that is.
Fair point , but as Matthew Hooten said on Radio National this morning , Kiwis have had enough of the NZ Labour Party behaving alike a group of gay university intellectuals ...
... they need to get back into the mainstream : The economy / Jobs / Health / Justice ... re-connect with the average Jim & Joan Kiwi
When " intellectuals " start micro-managing your life for you , your light-bulbs / showerheads / mass medicating your daily bread ... then you know they deserve scorn .... because those politicians are so up themselves that they think you should act in your personal life exactly as they do ( and if you don't , they'll force you to by law ) ... because they really do think that they know best ...
... most folks want commonsense from their elected officials .... not the rubbish they copped from 2005-2008 ..... and they still remember lucidly those last 3 years of the Clark Labour government ..
No one calls Bill English an intellectual . The guy applies commonsense to his policies , and doesn't steam-roll over the populence .... who in Labour can match that ?
Wild Bill told the populace aways back in 2008 , that he planned on asset sales after the 2011 election , if the Gnats won ....
... after 4 years , asset sales finally began .... after two elections , both of which the majority of the voters agreed on asset sales ...
Meebee you could furnish us with your intellectuallised definition of " steam-roll " ?
GBH I think you are stretching on this.
I find it interesting that where pollies normally seem very cautious about losing votes, yet they carried on with this despite the considerable disquiet that flared up. I can but voice the feeling that as part of the keep NZ's credit rating talsk with the markets etc they pandered to the ideaology of that cohort....seems strange they would snowplow though so much disquiet without good reason.
Yes sure overall ppl voted for a series of platforms that National had, one of which is asset sales...to claim most ppl wanted it when you only have about 51%? of the vote though is a bit of a stretch.
I wonder though as we see just how the SOE's have been over-charging just how wise it is to continue, its looking like an election battleground. Lots of OAPs on limited incomes getting uppity on rising power bills, then ppl like myself...so a vote loser....doesnt have to lose many % to be toast.
regards
... usually I'm credited with the sort of memory that makes a goldfish look like an elephant , but on this I am certain ( ahem ! ) ..... Ms Helen challenged Jolly Kid way back in 2008 on the asset sales , and JK promised none until after 2011 ....
Jolly gee whizz , he delivered on his promise .... what more has the guy gotta do to satisfy some people !
... and after JK rebuffed every one of Clark's alarmist anti-Gnat rants , she knew the jig was up ....
Democracy , me old dear , the good folks of Kiwiland voted for asset sales in 2011 .... for , not against ....
That is true Brendon, the Fatman has soiled it with falling piecrust and blatant contempt for the citizenry of Christchurch.
Have you noticed he's been flying under the radar of late...? well obviously not so much flying as plummeting, but Joyce once again has been deftly used as a deflector of light in the house of mirrors .
Still I don't suppose Fletchers can grow into Fonterra overnight, but they are well on the way.
So many ppl are upset on landlords out pricing them that no I think its not that bad an idea in terms of votes, the family home is excluded after all. Sure some wont be happy, on their bachs etc but they were probably die hard National anyway, nothing is lost. 1million? out of 4 million? 2 person family, 2 kids, that suggests with your number, every family has one, seems OTT.
The election platforms will be interesting to read....
regards
Exactly right Zz.... unless Labour widen the CGT to include all assets , even the family home , the rich-listers will find ways around / through / over / under it ....
Just as they did when Sir Cullen brought in his 39 % income tax ....
.... that badly backfired on him , or at least , on the middleclass who don't receive WFF .... and the CGT will do so , too ...
So many ppl are upset on landlords out pricing them that no I think its not that bad an idea in terms of votes, the family home is excluded after all. Sure some wont be happy, on their bachs etc but they were probably die hard National anyway, nothing is lost. 1million? out of 4 million? 2 person family, 2 kids, that suggests with your number, every family has one, seems OTT.
The election platforms will be interesting to read....
regards
Captain Charisma hath spake upon high , to the heathen masses below ( that us , Mr B. ) .... and his epiphany is that Hard Labour is on the right track , the answer to all that ails us is a Capital Gains Tax , and localised applications of leeches ( IRD / and your local council ) ...
... CGT will cure the housing " crisis " , raise much needed munnies for an underfunded welfare state , reduce unemployment ( can you prove it won't ! ) , and feed the poor starving poverty stricken underclass on less than $ 150 000 per year ...
Screw the rich pr#cks to the wall , and make 'em pay , the bounders !
Ah come on GBH , he aint said squat yet.....rich pricks...? no no matey.....elitist's with a contemptuous view of the masses....their money may facitlitate the urge to separate but it's their very nature that brings about the elitist thinking.
That said ....my best wishes upon you Mon Ami.
Hello Count : They ran a Cunny spiel on Radio National yesterday afternoon , with our boy proclaiming his confidence in the previous Labour policies , and the need to install a CGT ASAP ..... too many richlisters " getting away with it " ....
... and a few other gems of Labour's money envy ..... really gonna chase anyone who's successful , again ...
And with the same consequences as when Sir Cullen tried it , the richies got away with paying even less , and the middleclass copped it in the neck ....
Really? yet National passed the same sex marriage act (or whatever its called) just this year...no fluff there eh?
The pink tourists are interersted..what in that is detrimental to jobs?
Really if Jim and Joan kiwi are the right wing bigoted hicks that your above line (gay university intellectuals) implies then a lurch to the right of desiny church is required.
No I dont think so.
regards
Prime Minister John Key said he was not bothered about any of the candidates, but thought the main contest would be between Robertson and Cunliffe.
He said whoever won would pull Labour further to the left.
Well at least they'd be getting pulled some bloody where....anywhere but nowhere ya smug little whack job, which is where they were going with Shearer.
Not bothered....isn't that just typical of Key...smug contempt "disprezzo compiaciuta" should become the party motto.
Well if Cunliffe drags em anywhere to the left of where your taking us they should still land to the right of center.....twat.
No Zanyz, I think you will find it was Phill....just Phill...people didn't warm to him you see, he was nice and gangly...then he became tough but still looked awkward.....then there's nothing worse or more sad looking than a defeated tall awkward man...just nowhere to hide .
Scroll the site for Smug Vs Desperate 1/2/3 the tale of the tape.
Aw Zanyz I know Phill well enough to throw a stone from my window n hit his office roof there by the Garage on the cnr......but come on , even influencing Council to upgrade the footpaths or do something anything about that awful Mt Roskill Shopping Center on Dom Rd....has been poor to say the least.
That said the May /Stoddard Rd Complex is looking every bit the business....just could have done with Three Kings looking a little more like it yeah..?
Hey you did'nt used to be Kimy did you...? he's around there somewhere.
I don't call him the Running Kun for nothing gonzo, Kun Li, will bitch slap em both, knife Robertson, blueball Shane as a reminder to not be soo red blooded....then have a chat with Jacinda about any ..um..aspirations she ...er,may have.
Still when it comes to being self satisfied their combined egos could not match ol' not bothered's.
Don't you worry about that , me little darling , Captain Charisma Cunny will ride to the rescue .... our boy's just biding his time ... flushing out the pretenders to the throne ...
.... he knows , in your political life , you don't get many opportunities to grab the leadership , and third time lucky , Cunny will win it easily ...
Then , 14 months of pulling the team together ( no , Jonesy , I didn't mean that ! .... you too Grant , putcha hands into your own pockets , fella ) , linking up with Winnie and the Firsts , appealing to the middleclass of the country ...
.... a win in 2014 ... Voila ! ....
I fear Calamity's imposing figure would prove too big a distraction for Jacinda who needs to be able to see where her opportunities lie.
nope Calamity is out before he's in....besides you know what happens to nice guys in politics....nothing....nothing at all happens...then you leave.
I think we could allot Jacinda and Shane Jones joint custody of the entertainment and movies industry portfolio ...
... give Jonesy enough time , we'll soon see were Ms Ardern's opportunities lie ...
..... I've never referred to them as " opportunites " , Count , but I will tonight , when the wife gets home ...
I can identify 5 potential leaders in this Labour caucus photo.. any thought?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/movies/21barn.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
..." we have made .....the Labour Brand irrelevant ...'
Precisely Mr Jones , exactly what does Labour stand for other than the INTERFERING NANNY STATE and TAX AND SPEND ?
Even the Greens have a clearer strategy than Labour, although God help us all if they ever get into power .
John Key won the election twice becasue he recognised that middle income Kiwi's were fed up with being taxed to death , with the tax money transfered to idle layabouts and being told when they could wipe their backsides or discipline their children .
The problem that Labour has got is that most New Zealanders who supported them in the past are now in the middle class and TAX AND SPEND POLICIES actually hurt them instead on the amorphous ill -defined rich guys , of which there are very few in NZ .
Key is assured of victory in 2014 against these losers.
Ergo fair enough , but even if they did find a " Tony Blair " and re-invent themselves , what have they got to over the Average Kiwi other than Tax and Spend ?
I dont see what they could do to attract their old working class consituents back.
Their support base is a combination of
1) The Old trade unionists some have died or retired ( many have gone to Winston Peters )
2) Refugees
3) Struggling Pacific Islanders with bad spending habits
4) People too lazy to vote
5) The looney left
6) Maori not on the Maori voters roll
7) a few Gays
and
8) a fair share of leftwing rabble rousers
With regards to the working class generally , the dirty work is done by Migrants nowadays , and many of them are ambitiuos and dont support labour , dont understand the Greens , and see John Key as open and fair .
I must concur with you on that Scarfo', I myself was shocked to see intellectual luminaries such as SK enter the fray to joust merrily among such rabble as myself....
But yes, is was a relief from the ennui of numbering in a physical world......an I'm dead poso the ratings went up as well......hybrow indeed..!
FYI, poll here on who should be Labour's new leader - http://www.interest.co.nz/node/66072
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