Here it is folks, the first of our TV ads. It features Phil Goff talking about policy. We are really pleased with how the ads have turned out. We are focusing on asset sales in this ad, and elsewhere in the campaign, because it is a great example of the clear choice at this election. It’s a choice between keeping our assets in Kiwi hands or selling them off. Its a choice between a Labour Party with a team, a plan and the policy that take the hard decisions for the future of New Zealand, and a National Party that is a one man band focused on photo opportunities and short term political decisions.
Tomorrow we kick off our campaign with a major policy announcement around securing our economic future. There will be several other announcements over the next couple of weeks, in various forms. We are taking this election seriously. There is a serious choice, not just about any one person, but about the future we want for the next generations in New Zealand.
Why is he all alone beside a big empty lake?
He is literally on his own with nobody around him.
I think the animated ad is good, but this one gives off quite an odd vibe.
Waste of money, folks. The tory MSM have already spiked them. Seems the ad with Goff is not an ad with Goff, becuase he is by himself, and the amimated ad without Goff is an animated ad without Goff, which proves beyond any reason that Goff is being buried in the campaign by Labour. Oh, and the first Tory ad out of the blocks, up on Stuff this morning, that did not feature Key proves beyond reason that Key is being featured in all Tory ads. Even the ones where he is by himself. Looks like the 3 news bail out and the hiring of Vance is already paying big dividends for Key.
And it is interesting to see that Claire Robinson, the self proclaimed ‘political campaign expert’, has been lauded and praised in the past over on Toryblog by all the RMNJs for smashing into the left. Just saying.
The lighting seems a bit strange. Half his face in sunlight and the other in darkness. Bill English had the same problem with the lighting in his ads in 2002.
Delighted with your strategy. Do everything opposite to the smiling assassin and his mindless lackeys I say. A good solid, commonsense message like this from Phil Goff – and ultimately the rest of the senior Labour team – is exactly what we want to see happen. Bravo!!
Actually Matthew I was in a focus group that vetted those English ads. The problem wasn’t the lighting, it’s that they had to light him a certain way to hide his acne scarring. Had to watch the damn ads a billion times. But It was quite different to this.
Good ad.
Why does Labour keep lying about the asset sales?
Only a 49 per cent sale is being proposed. That’s not a controlling interest, and comparing it to a ladder down a hole is just plain stupid.
Are you still trying to control the message, or is this all you have left?
@ jennifer October 26, 2011 at 7:08 pm
I heard the Professor on radio this evening saying that although Goff will show the warm and approachable side to his nature in the debates and interviews, he needs to be able to exhibit that on the roadside hoardings as well …
Sorry? Inanimate structures exuding warmth and connectivity?
Good god, have our experts become so vacuous – One assumes that those chairs could well be cut seriously if and when the current administration gets to control the universities budgets even further (except for the analysts who promote the government of course)
{Deleted. Very interesting, but a bit off-topic, Grant}
@ Hooton
Agreed, he looks like a batman character two face.
http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?q=two+face&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&rlz=1C1CHKB_en-GBNZ443NZ443&biw=1366&bih=667&tbm=isch&tbnid=3wHCVdV1kvNb0M:&imgrefurl=http://antkillingghostofsparta.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/madness-is-like-gravityall-it-needs-is-a-push/&docid=z5oZ6YQKQ2YQHM&imgurl=http://antkillingghostofsparta.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/fanarttwofacedarkknight51.jpg&w=500&h=333&ei=E7mnTtNm4_CYBaXFnL0P&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=359&vpy=344&dur=262&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=147&ty=124&sig=101263512528165316663&page=2&tbnh=135&tbnw=176&start=23&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:23
Very good ad. Solid and straight.
The Tories will always try to find an angle. If Goff had had other people with him, they would have said that Labour is trying to hide him in the crowd. Pathetic really.
Have to agree with what deano says, the tories will always rubbish Goff but what else would you expect from people who support a Smile and Wave puppet of a leader.
Claire Robinson was on Q and A a few weeks ago when they featured a (fascinating and very clear) interview with the Spirit Level’s Richard Wilkinson. Her comments were along the line that she didn’t understand a word he said because he didn’t market his message properly.
Deleted. Personal and offensive. Banned. Clare
@ Dean: “Why does Labour keep lying about the asset sales?”
Lying, how? The government is going to the polls on this and treating the election like a referendum on asset sales. Their policy is common knowledge, and we’re exposing it for what it truly is.
“Only a 49 per cent sale is being proposed. That’s not a controlling interest, and comparing it to a ladder down a hole is just plain stupid.”
Actually, the interests of the individuals or corporations who hold 49% of the shares still need to be taken into account, and could interfere with decisions that need to be made in the national interest. And the privatization of a 49% of OUR power companies is bound to be the beginning of larger-scale sell-offs. Also, the ‘ladder down the hole’ analogy is perfectly adequate: When a country is facing future energy challenges, why sell off the means to meet those challenges?
“Are you still trying to control the message, or is this all you have left?”
There’s plenty more to come.
Assets aren’t being sold. The assets are those owned by the companies and those assets are not being sold. Just like the land under Auckland Airport wasn’t being sold when Cullen interfered in the share sale to the Canadians.
good ad that explains the issue in plain language. Lots of voters I speak to think they can’t understand it as it’s too complicated.
And the attacks – by people who would never say anything good about Labour, ever – just show it’s struck a nerve!
Overall not a bad ad except for the opening line.
Unfortunately the beginning is the most important part.
The ladder analagy was a good one and it was well shot and put together though.
@Dean – Lies are all they have left. Your point is very relevant though. Unfortunately Labour does not believe in telling their voters straight facts. They want to portray their message in a manner which best benefits their cause; not that of the general public.
@ Jake: So Labour’s lying when we say that the government is proposing to sell up to 49% of the power companies (and therefore, their associated assets)? Or was National lying when it released its privatization policy?
The message (and the way it’s being portrayed) — that it’s important to keep the public’s assets in public ownership (and holding on to all those hundreds of millions of dollars in annual dividends) — is for the public’s benefit, not just for the benefit of the Labour Party.
Asset sales are sales, righties. If you suddenly sold 49% of your body to someone else do you truly think it would not make any difference to your life? It would affect you profoundly, physically and mentally.
National is the one lying about the 49% asset sales. Next they will be saying 75% is not a sale. For years in opposition they push for asset sales and yet the detail is fudged when it comes election time, but only until the votes are counted. Then like the GST increase that was promised not to happen they will sell them
Of course Nats keep saying that they are only selling down(the river) 49%. They never mention the Treasury advice they received that in order for asset sales to work, they would need significant overseas interest. It will all eventually end up in foreign hands. You will pay your power bill to a company offshore. Good ads, by the way. The only reason that Key features on all the NAtional billboards is because he is their only asset. The rest of them are unelectable frights: English the man with 3 credit downgrades to his name, Tolley, the Dolores Umbridge of NZ politics.
For the record : the Labour leader doesn’t usually appear on individual candidates hoardings. In the Coromandel last week I was asked by a radio interviewer if Key was standing there because he appeared on all the hoardings!
All it does is remind me of phil reynolds apologising for having a fucked up mobile network. Is phil apologising for another u turn or something?
I hope labour gets Youtube to take down the parodies National and its lackeys are running. Its only minor but if its good enough for Key ( or his campaign manager Joyce who probably did it for the RWC final klingon handshake)
In Epsom Goldsmith seems to be disappearing from billboards
Ghost… Key had nothing to do with the handshake youtube vid being pulled. The IRB did that on their own accord , not for political reasons but for their own Rugby reasons. Not EVERYTHING is a conspiracy created by the Nats!
Next you’ll claim the Nats created the fake moon landing, better still maybe they orchestrated JKF’s assassination… I mean come on.. isn’t it obvious, the man behind the grassy knoll was clearly John Key.
@bob aka Jem
The IRB did that on their own accord , not for political reasons but for their own Rugby reasons.
Well lookey here: (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10761945)
“Key’s botched handshake clip taken off YouTube
YouTube has mysteriously taken down a popular video clip of Prime Minister John Key’s awkward three-way handshake with victorious All Black captain Richie McCaw and International Rugby Board chairman Bernard Lapasset.
The clip … had been viewed more than 20,000 times by Tuesday morning. But it was no longer available early yesterday, with a message saying: “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by International Rugby Board.”
But IRB spokesman Dominic Rumbles said the clip had not been taken down at the IRB’s request. … “There would be no reason for us to ask for it to be taken down.” …
Mr Key yesterday said he was surprised the clip had been removed. “They should leave it up there as far as I’m concerned, I’m not bothered by it.”
Hopefully the MSM will find out who caused it to be taken down. If it is someone associated with National then Key’s credibility just took another wee chip.
We are taking this election seriously.
Grant, under what circumstances would you not take an election seriously?
And yet, Mickey, in the same story, you neglect the bit where Key doesn’t care whether it’s up or down. Talk about cherry-picking your argument. Given how unreasonable the IRB were about Print and Online media running video highlights of the games, I’d say it’s entirely likely someone at the IRB just issued the takedown as a matter of course.
@Dan
No cherry picking. bob/Jem said the IRB had the clip taken down. It seems clear it did not and one wonders who did.
Good ad. Consistent with Labour “No Asset sales” policy
Everyone in National including Key seem annoyed that Labour don’t wish to be any part of a National campaign. The Presidential style they push is distasteful with an air of falsehood, and I bet Helen even felt that way at times too. So, I absolutely applaud a change of tack from Labour. Nice to see the Party has not lowered itself to the level National have in thinking everyone needs JK.
Goff is on the appropriate billboards in my electorate, Why? Because it is his Electorate. Kinda makes sense eh.
Go Labour!
Mickey – I know this is getting OT, but in many instances the organisations themselves do not police copyright on Youtube – that work is often spun out to other organisations under contract. I know that Formula One did this at one stage. While the IRB may not have directly requested it be removed, it is just as likely that someone else did. Any assumption that it had something to do with the National Party is just that – an assumption. You’re basing yours on the IRB saying they didn’t take it down, and yet in the same article John Key doesn’t care whether it’s up or not. You have to take the word of both or neither, but taking one or the other is a little disingenuous.
This is a great ad. Simple and to the point. I would be a likely contender to buy shares in energy companies if they we are sold off (already own a few Vector) but I don’t want them sold in the first place. In fact, I still believe that the splitting of the power companies in the first place is what has lead to the current high power prices.
Shot Phil. Shot bro. Policy will win the day.