Saturday, November 17, 2012

The 'new reality for Labour!'

Labour will not ever win alone in an election. The reality is that Labour will need ot work with 'strategically similar' parties. Sometimes the differences will not be minor, but Labour must find middle ground. Given this, the language used to interract with other parties must change, from the innane, to something resembling working political alliances.The simple fact is that Labour must work closer with the Greens, The Maori Party, Mana and New Zealand First. Get used to the new reality, Labour!

The Issues Labour must address and have policies to match!

Labour must make us believe that they will deal with the following issues!
1)    Housing: Labour must make housing affordable again for first home buyers. By that, I don’t mean that first home buyers should be able to expect to live in high price areas, but I do mean that they should be able to afford ‘basic start-up’ packages, in the cities that are currently way too expensive for them now. That equates to high rental too. We must also train and retain our skilled builders and the allied skilled workers.
2)    Education:  Labour must rebuild confidence in the education sector. It must take us away from the destructive and divisive policies of the present Government.  There must be an emphasis on educating, not time consuming spurious testing. We need resources increased in lower decile schools or we will face as close to a ‘class war’ as we can get in NZ. There is a huge difference in outcomes for those attending lower decile schools and it has nothing to do with the teaching. The issues of poverty and all that entails must go hand in hand with developing successful educational policy.
3)    Health: Labour must build on past success and return to a time when the private sector is not the first and only choice for those facing various elective procedures. I have nothing against efficiency but we must have availability. For Diabetes, we often hear about a ‘looming crisis.’ It’s here now! The present Government has even cut preventative programmes.
4)    Asset Sales:  Labour must stop all asset sales and if anything, buy back those strategic assets that we do not want to eventually go into the pockets of foreign owners. They belong to us!
The above issues are just a start! Labour must put the ‘Leadership’ squabble behind them and unite behind David Shearer.
www.authorneilcoleman.com

Goodbye Bullshit--hello real policy--great---Mr Shearer---.well done?

Now, forget the bloody leadership crap and get on with what really counts—being a Government in waiting, developing policies that will make a difference. It’s a pity it took so long, but finally Mr Shearer has delivered in his major address at the Labour Party Conference today.
I was almost at a point where I was going to flag away any chances of my supporting the party at the next elections. Mr Shearer’s timely announcement and speech gave me reason to hope again. Without hope, there is no direction, just the fuzzy sad ‘do nothing’ approach of the present Government.
If there must be a leadership vote, have the damn thing now and be done with it. I am sick of the speculation and the manoeuvrings that the wannabes and their cohorts are involved in. OK, it is typical of all political parties, so I guess I have to accept that, but get it over so Mr Shearer can focus and come up (with the support of his Party) more policies that will lift New Zealand from the boring and sad mire we are in now.
Well done Mr Shearer. To the other David, you too are needed now, in this shadow Government of hope.