Just Left

What next?

I've been mulling a bit with how to proceed (and whether to do so) with writing anything on Just Left for about two months now, which is the main reason for the lack of posts. Time pressures with work and study and Labour commitments mean it's hard to fit it in, and they're all more important than the old blog unfortunately.

The tentative decision I've made is to only try and post once or twice a week, and for my posts to be focused on Labour's future and the prospects for social democracy in these islands we call home. 

The day to day ratrace of Government, and the opposition-government contest that haunt the media and most political blogs, are not as interesting to me as the broad question of "where Labour goes next". And obviously, if one is talking about where Labour goes next, then that has to be a long term question to avoid the day to day rat race. That's fine by me: my interests in politics have always been more about the long game than tactical management of issues, or who is up and who is down.

This is in a sense a return to home for this blog. That was the focus I used to have in my writing. For a few years tho the focus went somewhere else, and with a greater media and "game" theme appearing in the writing.

I'll see how it goes. Might work out, might not. Drop me a line if you've any feedback on it. The other authors remain free, if they choose, to write as they like from a Labour point of view.

Jordan

Not Yours To Sell

Worth a watch this - very well done to Phil Twyford for pulling this together. For more on the issue, go to the issues.co.nz page here, or sign up to the Facebook group (if link doesn't work, search for "Not Yours to Sell" on FB).

National Party On Again, Off Again Message

It's been a while between drinks here at Just Left so I thought I'd get the ball rolling.

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First thing first; if you're looking around for someone to defend Taito Phillip Field, keep on looking because you're unlikely to find it here. I hope they throw the book at him.

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Isn't it amazing how almost every cabinet minister has turned the ministerial housing issue into a family issue - "we want to live with our families", "this job puts presure on our families", "please don't make me send my family back to Dipton, Whangarei, where-ever-the-hell-they-come-from".

I have a certain level of sympathy for the workload placed on Ministers and their respective families. Being away from home five days a week would be tough, especially if home is two flights away (such is the case for English and Heatley). At the height last year's campaign, I caught up with the spouses of several Labour candidates - the pressure that was put on them by their partner's campaign was immense, especially those with young children. Anyone who thinks politics is a glamour sport should think again.

Where I start to loose sympathy is when the likes of Bill English claim $900 a week for his 'secondary' residence in Karori - which just happens to be where Mrs English and their children have lived for two years. Mr English (and John Key) then startto talk about Mrs English and associated sprogs being forced to move back to Dipton if the deputy Prime Minister doesn't receive the ministerial allowance. Despite a pay increase of almost $100k. Plus the fact that he could afford it while being deputy Leader of the Opposition. Plus he's overseen the review of government department budgets, resulting in thousands of redundancies. Whether he's entitled to this or not, it's not a great look Bill.

Plus the "we're family men" isn't as potent any more because, well, the child-less Helen Clark lives in New York now, and Phil Goff has a family. After a decade of the Tories holding the fact that Helen didn't have children against her, the Nats all of a sudden have to look for a new song book.

And what's with John Key spitting the dummy at his Post Cabinet Press Conference on Monday? The first time the Prime Minister gets angry about anything is defending how much his ministers get in allowances. In the height of a recession. Also not a good look.

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It appears that the reason that so many people are loosing their jobs is because the opposition keeps talking about it. John Key wants it to stop - Loose lips sink ships - or at least the economy. So if we're not allowed to talk about it, why does Bill English use it to try to change the topic from the expenses he's claiming?

And then, John Key tells Keisha Castle-Hughes to "stick to acting" rather than commenting on climate change. I'd rather Key had stuck to currency trading rather than trying his hand at leading the country, but this is a democracy and everyone (even Mr Key) has a right to an opinion. In the name of consistency, I assume Mr Key will in future not be calling on Michael Jones or Va'aiga Tuigamala to do anything other than chuck a rugby ball around?

Not a great week for the Nats and it's only Wednesday.