2010!

Hey folks, Happy New Year and all that jazz. The naughties are done, and the tens have begun.

Back in August I made some foolhardy promises about how much writing I might be doing. Hasn't happened. I was still too busy with other things - an ongoing restructuring at work, thesis work and of course Labour Party activity.

After a solid long break though I am feeling a little more loquacious, and so I hope to be offering a few more things here in twenty-ten as we're all calling it.

Last year politically was interesting. For me the biggest plusses are two, one found inside Labour and one found in the Government.

For Labour, the big plus is that we've resisted the historic tendency of left wing parties to undergo a round of infighting after losing office. Losing elections sucks, and the idea that people might like to have it out with each other and lay blame etc is not a surprising one. Problem is that it's self indulgent crap, and not what voters expect. The British Labour Party is doing that already, in advance of losing its election this year, but we aren't - and we won't. That's a relief.

The government is a big plus because it has shown firstly that it isn't a bunch of radical libertarians, and secondly that it doesn't really know what it wants to do. The first is good because it means John Key's campaign was honest. If I was an unkind man, I would describe him as a sheep in sheep's clothing, but I am not, so instead I will say he's an amiable, smart guy who is doing what he said he'd do.

The "what should we do next" is a plus because eventually people will tire of a government they sense doesn't have a plan. New Zealand faces lots of challenges that the government can play a key role addressing. This government already doesn't look like it has the ideas to tackle some of the biggest - particularly our economic situation, which is a theme I will come back to again and again.

As I observed back in August, the focus of my writing will be on Labour and on issues. It won't really be on the Government or the National Party, or their hangers on. Partisan rants will have to come from other authors, I'm afraid.

I'll be popping up now and again. I've got a few pieces on Labour strategy, the lessons of economic geography, broadcasting policy and others that I am chewing on. If I get one decent piece out per week, I'll be happy.

Best of luck for a great 2010!

- Jordan

Comments

[Tim Ellis]

It's nice to see you had a good break and you're happy about the year ahead Mr Carter.

It is very interesting that you pay Mr Key credit for keeping to his policies, and that he's "an amiable, smart guy who is doing what he said he'd do."

It seems to me that you won't really ever understand your political opponent, let alone beat them, until you respect them for who they are and what their assets are. I think this was a major problem for the National Party for a few years with regards to Ms Clark. They wrote her off rather than respected her for her talents.

The Labour Party still seem to be in a very grizzly mode. The Labour Party activists are still rabidly anti John Key. The writers at the Standard are the unfortunate, extremist face that is all the public sees, egged on by Mr Mallard and others, to try and portray a very different picture of Mr Key than what the public sees.

If Labour is going to make inroads politically in the near future, it needs to treat voters with dignity and respect. A good example of this was Mr Shearer during the by-election. He didn't go for mud slinging or side shows. He kept on message, presenting a positive, warm, friendly face with a considered eye for the future. I don't think Mr Goff has understood the power of this approach yet. He consistently seems to want to take cheap shots, and the plan isn't working for him.

[GNZ]

Not much more to say than, I agree with Tim.

[Jordan Carter]

Tim - thanks for the feedback. It's hard re-learning how to be an opposition. We are all doing our best. I don't think The Standard represents the only views in the Labour movement, but it does represent a view, just as the people over at Kiwiblog do.

I'm intent on getting my head around who Key and these Nats are - not who I wish they were.

[Peter]

That's the most positive take on Labour that I've read on the blogosphere for a while. Attack has to be part of any good opposition's strategy, and Labour is pretty damned good at that, as last year showed. But attacking without a plan, driven by the media cycle and the need for a short term poll driven gain? Not really.

There's a few themes floating around out there about the future. Not all of them are nice, or even politically palatable, but they are still themes. Whatever Labour develops into its future policy, I hope it is about to keep the most open-minded approach, and to look internationally as well as nationally. If that means discarding a bit, then so be it. However, no discarding of time-proven values please. The party did that in the 80s :)