IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!: At the heart of the election is the issue of the economy and which party we most trust to balance the books? Who do you trust? And what about job losses? The public sector is facing cuts-how will be effected by job losses? And kiwisaver—will changes improve the people’s pockets?
WELFARE REFORM: The Government has pledged to reform welfare after the election. Up for reform: solo parents with kids over 14 will have to return to full-time work, part-time once their child is of school age, and those on the sickness benefit will be encouraged to return to work as their health improves. Are these changes fair or another form of benefit bashing? Are there even jobs for them to go to? Will there be job training?
LIVE pub politics from the Backbencher Pub: Wednesday, 9th of November. Our Panel: ACT Party Candidate Stephen Whittington, Green Party Candidate James Shaw, Labour Candidate Grant Robertson, and National Candidate Paul Foster-Bell.
Is this an implied admission that for the past 3 years WLG Central has been marginal?
1904 margin in 2008 and 34%
3904 ? margin in 2011 and 44% ?
18 days will tell.
it is not possible for an electorate to be marginal for 3 years, sbw! it WAS marginal at the 2008 election when Grant was a new candidate. It’s fair to say he’s made his mark since then!
@Dorothy – yes, it can be. The Party and/or MP in the area that’s not the Electorate MP could have done great work/became popular in the area over those 3 years making the electorate marginal.
Take Mana – was a Labour landslide, but because of the active Hekia Parata, come the by-election, the electorate was considered marginal.
“solo parents with kids over 14 will have to return to full-time work, part-time once their child is of school age, and those on the sickness benefit will be encouraged to return to work as their health improves.”
Can someone please ask National to “shows us the plan for job creation”?
“those on the sickness benefit will be encouraged to return to work as their health improves.” Can someone explain how National will change this from existing WINZ practice? Will they bring in 80% of the minimum wage for 6 months if you higher an improving in health sick person?
“IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!: At the heart of the election is the issue of the economy and which party we most trust to balance the books?”
To be honest I don’t think any party can really balance the books. The only way I would trust any party to fulfill these promises is if that party can acknowledge that energy policy = monetary policy for the real productive economy.
Anything worthwhile which gets done is done with energy. We simply could not replace even 2% of the energy from oil with our own physical labour. Either you acknowledge that energy underpins everything or you should step aside and let someone who truly understands take the reigns.
Welfare reform is about as useful as fiddling with the thermostat when the pilot light is out. If you want real employment then you need to acknowledge that the economy is so productive that we simply don’t need people working 40 hour weeks.
Imagine a 32 hour, 4 day working week. We’d use less fuel, have less congestion, more time with families and for ourselves and we simply wouldn’t need to rely so much on outside services to stretch our limited free time. Best of all we wouldn’t have as many unemployed.
No Stephen Franks.
I would agree with you here – I think Grant generally has done a good job as a local MP. Furthermore, the Nat candidate has had very little visability – As a resident in Wellington Central, and a follower of politics, I cannot recall his name. Hard to win if you are not well known.
So my problem is do I vote for someone I don’t know, or someone who is a good local MP – - inspite of him being Labour and disagreeing with nearly every single policy platform of Labour? MMM questions questions
Monty, I can’t comment on whether Grant has been a good candidate or not, but I have to disagree regarding his visability as a candidate. I have lived in the Wellington Central electorate for about 18months, and am not sure if Grant has been a good MP or not, however, the only candidate I have seen or heard anything from in this campaign has been the National candidate, I have not seen any of the other candidates – including Grant.
Grant where are you? Where is the promotional material? Sorry, but being the current MP is not enough for me to vote for you, I expect candidates to be visible, (even if it just a flyer in the mailbox). {Missy, I think most Wellingtonians would say they hear plenty from me. I have produced four electorate wide newsletters a year while being MP, run clinics every week, advertised in community papers every week, been on radio every week, been door knocking for most weekends this year. You can email me your address at grant@grantrobertson.co.nz and I will make sure we get some material,
}
The lack of visibility by candidates is not just in Wellington Central, my parents live in Hamilton, and they have seen nothing of their Labour candidate (or many of the others), but their National candidate has been very visible and made an effort to meet the constituents by knocking on everyone’s door – for the second year running. In this day and age of social media, tv and the internet it seems many candidates forget that sometimes old fashioned face to face contact, door knocking and general visibility is what can win you an election. I want to SEE my candidates, at the market on a Sunday, at the supermarket, on the street talking to people, this is how I make my decision on my MP.
I have to agree with Granty here. Maybe living centrally helps, but he does turn up at the Mt Vic fair, the offices in willis st are visible and available ( Marian Hobbs had same base and was extremely helpful). Down at Sunday market for several months labour have had a stand. Ignored by most people and unable to discuss the 2008 PREFU but that is beside the point.Grant is probably well suited to representing Wellington central.
Still doubt I will vote for him in spite of being a good local MP. But he would not expect my vote either I think.
Grant’s website says he welcomes discussion but he never allows any comments to go up. That certainly ain’t accessible.