Today we are One. So we thought we’d celebrate.1902 posts, 35,116 comments. 35 out of 43 Labour MPs have posted on Red Alert. Some more than others. Trevor Mallard still wins the prize for the most posts (550). Followed by me (212) Grant (198) Phil Twyford (156) and Chris Hipkins (136)
But all MPs make interesting, diverse and thoughtful contributions. Sometimes deadly serious, sometimes adversarial, sometimes funny and a bit silly. Sometimes a bit obscure.
They reflect the diversity of our caucus, but all have a set of common values. And we’re not short on opinions. As you’d expect.
We’ve tried a few new things. Red Alert’s original aim was to open ourselves up to online contact. Now we’re opening up policy with the intention of opening up government. #OpenLabourNZ ,launched off Red Alert, is our first open policy on open and transparent government. And we’re doing it in an open and transparent way.
So far the reaction has been great and people are participating.
We’ve also tried using other forms of social media. We’re now sending Red Alert posts to both Facebook and Twitter and starting conversations about the issues in these mediums. Many Labour MPs are now actively using social media.
The important thing is the conversations we’re having with you the readers and commentors. We’re not trying to force our ideas down your throats, we want you to respond with your own views and have a discussion.
I feel proud of us, I think we do have a strong and valid voice and our challenge is to make Red Alert better known in the community and for more people to participate.
The year ahead will become more intense, we pledge to maintain our credibility and integrity.
Here’s a few stats:
We average about 30,000 page views a week
More than a million page views
465,000+ viewers
People visit Red Alert via:
Google (organic) 134,318 29.13%
Direct)86,917 18.85%
thestandard.org.nz (referral) 53,161 11.53%
kiwiblog.co.nz (referral) 46,955 10.18%
facebook.com (referral) 17,432 3.78%
The moderators on Red Alert are myself, Trevor, Grant and Chris Hipkins. We do our best to be fair and reasonable and your comment will get through as long as it’s not offensive, a lie or way off the subject.
We look forward to the next year and hope you’ll keep reading and commenting and telling us what you think.
Clare
Just awesome. Thanks Clare and the rest of the team behind Red Alert for making NZ democracy that much more vibrant and inclusive.
Great stuff team. Long may you continue and expand these ventures into open interaction and government!
Yay keep it up! You’re all doing a fantastic job at such a unique idea.
Not sure if Trevor’s typing or busting out the moves to “Thriller”, though….
Happy Birthday!
bleepin big brother. 
Trevor has a huge lead
Creepy that you know the route to which we get to your site
Kudos to the moderators who have put in many hours of work.
[...] Red Alert claims this is them celebrating their first birthday, but I am sure we can come up with better captions for the. As always funny not nasty. [...]
Well, one step on the path back…
Can you take me off moderation? Delete or censor my posts as you like, but moderation is a pain.
For the record, not one of my posts has been deleted or censored, hence why the need for moderation?
Oh, happy birthday, its much better to talk to you people than at other left leaning political web sites. Much better to speak to the organ grinder than the other monkey’s.
Sweetd you are now out of moderation. Clare
Happy birthday! Red Alert has quickly become a staple in the blogosphere diet – hats off to you all!
@spud, not creepy re the route to Red Alert. Just an online method of tracking. Not specific about individuals. useful stats
See caption contest on the birthday pic at Kiwiblog
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2010/05/caption_contest-13.html#comments
Happy Birthday, RedAlert. I was fairly sceptical of the blog to begin with, fearing that MPs would mistake blogging for communicating with voters, but maybe I was wrong. Good luck on the next year.
I think it’s great that the Labour caucus get together with their laptops and help Chris Hipkins with his homework.
What a cheerful youthful bunch you look in your photo!
Keep it coming as its an important to visit here each day!
Good work and congratulations. Whilst of a different political persausion this is a useful tool and it is enjoyable to interact and also hear some of the ‘inside stories’ from time to time.
Happy 1st Birthday to you. I am finding this site informative and helpful in so many ways. Keep up the great work! Just wondered if you realised your ‘birth’ date falls on International Midwives Day…
Happy Birthday Pinkos!
Please let us know how the (cough, cough) National Party site is doing
Looks like the guy who imports Toshiba notebooks into New Zealand thinks its his birthday today too lol
Happy birthday, I’ve enjoyed the interaction with my MP on this site, plus the others who are to the north and south of that Great City of Lower Hutt.
@Sweetd – congratulations
I bet parole feels sweet 
@Clare – Birthday flower.
I do find and appreciate your blog. I love the opportunity to disagree with virtually every comment you make and put the view of the opposing side up for debate.
now….
Since you brought up the subject of moderation – how about moving me off moderation – I have been in here for over six months. Next time I see one of you in public I will be asking the same in person.
(and how about putting spud with his mindless commments and breach of the 2 responses per post rule back into moderation).
Hey Monty you are out of moderation, but don’t slag off at others, including Spud. Clare
Prickle, you are being unexpectedly gracious. Did you see that your close friend and senior National Party person said that Red Alert:
He went on to say dammingly:
Frankly, I want the Nats to engage on-blog. Will any of them say why they won’t?
Monty, keep up, I no longer have to limit myself to any specific number of comments.
No but take care buddy
What?
I mean well 
Ahhh Trevor’s just got to look fair and square mate. You’ll be right Spud. Chin up, wanna see a few more posts from ya
Gulp
Phil
I named Red Alert the Blog of the Year 2009.
Happy birthday Red alert.
Hey Clare – I am still in moderation – I thought you were releasing me. I can’t have offended already.
Whoops, sorry, thought I’d done that. Human error. Try now. Clare
No Macbooks? For shame! (Sadly, Parliamentary Services will not support Apple/Mac, Grant.)
PS HB RA
To me, labour has always been the opposite of national, there for the people that needs a hand.times have changed and labour needs to outhink national as these older style political lines have become blurred. Economics is at the heart of everything.My own personal thoughts are to scrap all taxes ecept GST, make kiwi s…aver compulsory,eventually ending the need for super,make it accesible when needed.add a capital gains tax for rental proerties, taking the heat out of the property market, making it affordable for first home buyers.purchase any homes at GV that landlords sell and make them state houses.bring company tax down to 10%add a transaction tax for trading of the dollar, this should make it easier for exporters as the dollar should settle at a more realistic level..also bring in govt. investment bonds for things like research and development…a safe investment for those that do not trust the share market.See More
Congratulations Red Alert!
As a New Zealander in exile keeping a handle on NZ politics, I vastly prefer reading your posts to the cold sick served up elsewhere (including *cough* our major news agencies online).
It would be great to see the last 8 Labour MPs make contributions from time-to-time. Which is not to say that we do not enjoy the regular contributors (there is something especially awesome about TM making posts from inside the House).
Keep it up team.