As others, I have noted the upbeat style of the Greens (since a relatively successful election campaign) and the contrast with a tentative, inchoate Labour Party, still to emerge in whatever form desired by Mr Shearer, and lacking a public persona that grabs attention. I don't share the view that we are seeing an inevitable and permanent shift in forces between Labour and the Greens, but I do see in the Greens a confidence and a political space that allows them to pillory the government in a way that Labour finds difficult at present.
As I have argued before, the tendency seems to be that Labour is competing for the "responsible" vote, a notional Centre supposedly spooked by radical thinking. I can understand the thinking behind this, but don't agree with it. I believe that Opposition is the time for radical thinking and debate, not conservatism. It is a time to build the activist rank-and-file that will canvas next time. It is a time to build policies that deny the neo-liberal orthodoxy expounded by National. It looks like a time in which we should be putting the acid on people like Mayor Brown, too.
Perhaps the good thing about the current focus on the Greens is that it will cause Labour to stir its stumps and become both visible and challenging. The "wait and see" game can be played only for so long before Labour looks tired and ineffectual. Or maybe we should be encouraging Mr Shearer and his team to eat a little more red meat......
IDLE THOUGHTS OF AN IDLE FELLOW: The Ruminations of Robert Winter
RW - the core of the Labour caucus has looked tired and inneffective for some years - Horomia, Dyson, Mahuta, Prasad to name a few - then there are the nasties lead by Mallard.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't see Cunliffe sitting on his hands and dithering if he were the leader of the Labour Party! We don't have time for Shearer to get media training , besides, Stuart Nash has announced there isn't to be any media training. Cunliffe doesn't need any media training, he's ready to attack Key now. So why, oh why did the MP's vote for Shearer!! A decision they may live to regret. Labour are going up in the polls because National are doing badly, not because Shearer is shining as the new leader.
ReplyDeleteanon - you overlook that the Labour Caucus is like Hawkes Bay. There is no one there who likes Cunliffe.
ReplyDelete"Or maybe we should be encouraging Mr Shearer and his team to eat a little more red meat......"
ReplyDeleteOr share the Green's energizing tofu? ;-)
Or..Labour needs to take even a longer "breather" and finally emerge with a platform where NZ under Labour lives within its income, and steadily repays its very large debt. There must be a left position which is not based on internal spending based on "needs" and "rights", afforded only by continously increased taxes and increased borrowing. Should the next Annual Conference be in Athens...
ReplyDelete