For the election campaign to begin in earnest.
Four weeks of intensive politicking begin now. New Zealanders have an important choice to make on 26 November. They need to know the details of what’s on offer and get a feel for how each of the major parties will perform as our next government.
In the last 6 weeks of the Rugby World Cup, the importance of teamwork, discipline, focus and skill have been on display to the world. And playing to win. It can be tough and uncompromising when there’s a single goal in mind.
Like the RWC, NZ’s election is for a good cause. In the case of the election; New Zealand’s future. Our kids. Our economy. Our environment.
Labour is playing to win.
Clare.
That’s a nice analogy.
I’d imagine just about every politican is going to try to find some way to catch a little of the reflective glory from the rugby win.
John Key is going to try and surf that wave of positivity all the way into shore. Never mind about the other stuff… We won the RWC!
Aside from all the kissing of hands and shaking of babies that goes on in the usual pre-election buzz most of the public will be in an optimistic mood, which is generally bad for an opposition.
In the last 6 weeks of the Rugby World Cup, the importance of teamwork, discipline, focus and skill have been on display to the world.
The ‘world’? Really?
yawnnnn……who in the world really cares who won the rugby ‘world’ cup…except for a bunch of navel gazing kiwis.
The rugby world cup is a piddling event and our national obsession with this game is rather embarrassing.
Little more than 33 million watched the game last night —-less than the audience for your average English Premiership League game.
RWC —utter waste of money to keep the plebs distracted from the issues that matter.
Here is an honest debunking of some of the hype that has surrounded the RWC
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/michael-burgess/news/article.cfm?a_id=701&objectid=10761073
From the article:
“The Putting Rugby First report found 97 per cent of the abovementioned 33 million came from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, the four home nations and France. Fewer than one million tuned in from the IRB’s other member nations – which number well over 100 – and include Japan, Argentina and the Pacific Islands.”
100 x 33000000 / 6,775,235,700 = 0.49% of the world watched last night’s game.
That is 99.5% of the world did not give a stuff about the RWC, most unaware it was even on.
Grow up kiwis!
If you are playing to win you might like to get your website up and running.
Still down, 7 hours and counting.
@Dave
Try not to insult peoples intelligence by suggesting they can’t think about more that one thing at a time.
You just made yourself look like a right pillock with that holier-than-thou attitude.
@ Dave
It’s been fun for most of us – especially seeing the visitors wearing their country’s colours – but agree with your comments.
If you are playing to win Clare, then you had better stop playing the man. You should know that doesn’t work!
Dave.
Watching rugby may be a waste of time. Not sure if it’s a bigger waste of time than let’s say… bitching on the internet about people watching rugby.
Why are you worrying about how people choose to spend their leisure time? It’s just a bit odd.
So looking forward to this election campaign. The ideas of left vs right. The walk back to the failed e,ploy,end and labour relations policies of the 1970′s or probably a bit of tinkering around the edges as the Nats would do. VSM vs compulsory student association membership. Continued tight fiscal control, or spend and hope.
Can you please tell me, if Labour do suffer a massive defeat as polls suggest, would you take this as a rejection of your policy framework and set about moving the policy platform to the right?
At long last! So glad you posted “It’s Time” Clare. A wee starting gun?
First in my sights- Monty- after your prophesy of the All Blacks scoring in the 40′s (RWC:Time for History to Repeat.Red Alert) I now have reasonable evidence of your unreliable judgement, thinking and view of the future- so I shall take your snipey, old hat comments even less seriously than usual- and just pass over them completely from now on.
Which, considering the way every single National government has put us in hock and shrunk economy means Labour or National respectively. But, as you’re a RWNJ, I assume you’ll vote National or Act anyway and go for the borrow, sell and hope policies – even though it’s never worked before.
Watching rugby may be a waste of time. Not sure if it’s a bigger waste of time than let’s say… bitching on the internet about people watching rugby.
Why are you worrying about how people choose to spend their leisure time? It’s just a bit odd.
Not ‘bitching’ about people watching it at all.
What is concerning is the sheeplike way people have allowed the government and local authorities to spend huge amounts of money on an event that will do little to raise New Zealand’s international profile – one of the main purported benefits touted by the likes of Snedden and Key.
Sica, good way of avoiding the question. Plenty of people thought France would be walloped last night. But that is beside the point. Question remains the same. Should labour lose the election and based on current polling that is a distinct possibility, will they accept that the policy platform is not acceptable to the majority of NZers. Simple question.
Draco the problem with your argument is that the Nats have introduced very little new spending. All spending is a legacy of the Labour Government
Monty – what’s our current debt? How much has it increased in the past three years? That sort of ‘tight fiscal control’ we can do without.
@Dave
Prime example of “when in doubt, invoke a conspiracy”. Do you remember what government actually put in the bid for RWC in the first place?
@Monty: “All spending is a legacy of the Labour Government” – you mean like tax cuts for the rich?
I think we’re lucky that your political commentary is almost as informed as your sporting predictions…
While the result of this year’s election looks fairly predictable, it should still be a reasonably interesting campaign nonetheless as there is a real left vs right divide. Which is good as some of the ambiguity has gone.
To continue with the rugby analogy: is Labour a team that is ready for the challenge? Does Labour have a strong captain able to keep the team united & focussed on the task at hand? Is Labour able to play a full fair & honourable game where they concede few penalties?
Sen. Eugen McCarthy described the choice between Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson as “a choice between obscenity and vulgarity”. I can’t think of a better way to describe the choice between National and Labour. Considering all the choices arrayed before voters makes this election look more like a lost cause than a “good cause”. One could only choose who they think will do the least harm to New Zealand society and cause the least chaos whilst they hold the reigns of power. Then when one considers the probability that their individual vote will have of influencing the outcome of the election, which is so infinitesimally small as to be negligible, then I can’t think why I should vote.
Like the RWC, NZ’s election is for a good cause. In the case of the election; New Zealand’s future. Our kids. Our economy. Our environment.
So you’ll be voting Green, Clare?
In planning for the future GreenLabour should consider making provision for a Mine disaster, a massive City earthquake, and a stupid ship, say an oil tanker, hitting a reef (think Auckland). All occurring with an 18 month period.
@ Tim 4.39am
“@Monty: “All spending is a legacy of the Labour Government” – you mean like tax cuts for the rich?
I think we’re lucky that your political commentary is almost as informed as your sporting predictions…”
Lolz galore.
Monty
This is where we are heading under Key.
Just for you
http://www.alternet.org/occupywallst/152811/the_shocking%2C_graphic_data_that_shows_exactly_what_motivates_the_occupy_movement_/
Our economy is not being controlled nor even cleverly directed. Just let the importers do as they like, the transnationals buy what they like and export what ever profit they like and nominate how much tax they shave off, import cheap labour and source local services off shore; all for their private dollar we the public are borrowing and paying interest for ad infinitum.
Absolutely no planning or foundation work laid for greater NZ sustainability in basics for living, which we will feel acutely as the world economy overshoots to the point of melt down.
Gregor: i’m glad you said that now and not several months ago. For a long time the Greens have not really been a very environmental party and more of a communist branch (mind the pun).
@Jake1
While Communist is overcooking it, the Greens certainly had (until the recent retirements of Locke and Kedgeley) an unfortunate ‘socks + sandals/leftists stuck in the 70s’ feel about it, particularly after the loss of the moderating influences of Donald and Fitzsimons.
The Greens have recognised that to be treated as a serious political alternative they need to present a genuine social justice/enviro platform that appeals to the electorate – a differentiation from ‘Nat-Lite’ approach in which the NZLP has steadily eroding their own base of working NZ and one which appears to be gaining significant traction for the Greens.
What Clare has previously posted as ‘white anting’ is the start of a sea change in NZ politics. It demonstrates the agility of the Green party (both brand and ideology) and the staid nature of the NZLP. Both Turei and Norman have done a superb job in managing this message with potential voters.
I think within 3 elections (incl. this one) we may well see the Greens as an established coalition partner in government – and I wouldn’t discount a Nat/Green future partnership – with significant representation within Cabinet (and not just the milksop posts of Environment and Conservation).
Clare, looks like you are ‘off message’ from the get go. Not a good start.
Dave – I couldn’t care less how many people watched it overseas, it was a great time had by hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders – how often does that happen? Get over it mate