This afternoon in Pansy Wong ’s Botany electorate a new Labour Branch was launched. Along with my colleagues, Labour leader Phil Goff , Ethnic Affairs spokesperson Chris Carter and Raymond Huo, I participated in the launch of the Botany Chinese Labour Branch.
It was a great event with many participating in celebrating this occasion. The branch is launched with 119 foundation members including many young people.
Phil spoke about the importance of the relationship between China and NZ, the importance of the Chinese community in NZ and events of concern to all New Zealanders like cuts to Adult and Community Education and attacks on ACC.
The launch of this Branch is part of building a stronger Labour party that provides a range of ways to be active and represents the diversity of our community. For example in Maungakiekie, the area I am working in, 22% of the population are defined as Asian. I hope that in very short order we will be launching a Labour Chinese Branch in the Maungakiekie electorate.
Congratulations to the Botany Labour Party organisation and to Raymond Huo who has determinedly worked to build this Branch. As well as launching the Branch today, Raymond also launched his consultation document on Asian representation in the new Auckland local government arrangements. This was extremely well received by those present.
That sounds great!
Did Phil have Chris on a short leach?
Love it!
Great post. Love it!
Why the heck is Chris Carter the Ethnic Affairs spokesperson..? What does a middle class white man know about ethnic affairs when there are people in the caucus who’ve actually lived the “affairs”…
Whoa, just because he’s white it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t understand ethnic affairs! And maybe the more “ethnic” members of the Labour caucaus don’t want to be defined by their race and might not be interested in ethnic affairs spokepersonship. If anything it’s good that he’s there as a non Chinese person as he can learn stuff from the Chinese people.
I didn’t say he didn’t understand the portfolio, I said he wouldn’t understand it as well as someone who has lived the issues the portfolio attempts to deal with…
As regards your second sentence, show me one politican that isn’t interested in having an extra portfolio or which deals directly with their own constituency…
It’s because he wouldn’t understand it as well as someone who has lived through it that it think it’s a good thing. It means that he will get a lot more learning out of the portfolio than someone who has been there and done that.
The second part I can’t answer because I think it depends on the individual and what challenges they’re interested in.
Well done Raymond. Botany is a National stronghold, but the tide is turning against Pansy. She has done nothing since becoming a Minister, her honeymoon is over and the public are growing tiresome of her. She is right for the picking. Botany to go red in the next election or 2014.
As a labour supportter in the past I am very worried about the ASIANATING of our country by asians!,it is blatanly obvious that these people have an unhealthy agender to this country,isn;t there motives sepratised? they are not interested in the new zealand way of life or western ideals,I don;t think that we should(socially)be had to be held to ransom because of a free trade agreement and it;s hitide that the goverment came clean on what the real concession we had to make to get that aggreement because it;s quite obvious with the rising asian crime rate as to the quality of the asians that are coming to our country and in our parliment..this is the problem we have with mmp,totally unsuitable forgengers beiing let in and not being vetted properly.