New Labour Party leadership

It's official - Labour's leadership team was voted in as expected.

Is this the team I was expecting? Yes, it was. Is it the team I wanted? Surprisingly, yes.

I know that people will see this as a 'move to the right' and so on, but I don't know how much of this talk is true. Sure, Goff voted in favour of selling off assets and so on in the 80s, but that was a long time ago. Since then, he has vehemently opposed the right wing rubbish espoused in the house by the Nats over the past nine years. Cunliffe is, without doubt, a social democrat, and Annette King has implimented left-wing policies in health and justice.

So I don't really see the new team as being too right. It's true that I'm not a hardline leftist, but even for a liberal-left person like myself, the new team is more than just acceptable. Shane Jones isn't ready for leadership, Cunliffe is also a few years off this task - both men just don't have the public trust and recognition that Goff has.

Do I think that this team will be attractive for voters in 2011? Yes. But only if they stay left of center. Trying to sweeten the center in compeition with the National Party lost Labour this election. It was the stong line on Health, Welfare and Workers Rights that won the '99 election, and it will be the same approach that will win the next one.

Election Hangover

What a disappointment.
That's all I can really say about the election outcome, although we were all expecting it.

New Zealanders have decided to opt for "change". Not like the change in the US, though, where the republican administration was overturned after a string of failed policies and wars. Our change was mindless and idiotic. We voted for a man desperately trying to appear left-ish A man with the same re-hashed, redneck, neo-lib caucus that aims to put in place the same disproven 1990s policies: the policies to blame for the global economic collapse.

But no matter, there is plenty to be done. We need not to sit around despairing about our dismal new government, but instead to reorganise. MMP will no doubt come onto the firing range, as National realises that FPP gives them an unfair advantage - this needs to be saved. Labour is yet to announce new leadership - this will refresh the appearence of the party. We need to increase left party membership - thereby increasing the base for policy influence and support. But most importantly, we need to reaffirm and reestablish the organisations that ensure that the new government is under intense and intelligent scrutiny - that's where the Hardworking Kiwi can help.