Today represents the end of this year’s round of Labour Regional Conferences. Six of them in Dunedin, HamiltonCambridge, Blenhiem, Auckland, Whanganui and Wellington over the last seven weekends (with a week off in the middle for a NZ Council meeting!) Part of me will be pleased that I might get a couple of hours off in the next few weekends, but they have been fun, energising, challenging and enlightening.
I can relay the message that the party is in good heart, that there was vigorous debate over our organisational review, policy issues ranging from economic growth and trade to the republic and marriage equality and that Whanganui had the best food. (but it was good everywhere!)
But what I really want to do, on behalf of our Caucus, is to say thanks. To the hundreds of delegates who came to the conferences, to the people who fed them and who organised everyone, to those who organised the social functions. These conferences are a reminder of what great people you are. Your dedication and commitment to Labour is tremendous. As MPs this is our job as well as our passion. You are pretty much all volunteers who give so much of your time to the party and the causes we believe in. It is so appreciated.
As David Shearer said at the end of the Wellington Conference today, while our goal of course is to be elected to lead a government in 2014, it is more importantly about the historic mission of our party to provide opportunity, fairness and justice for all New Zealanders. Our activists are both our foot soldiers in that mission and our inspiration to take the fight on. So, simply, thanks for all your work.
For heavens sake David Shearer ! Our primary goal IS to be elected in 2014, or any other year for that matter. What sort of nonsense is this, that our goal “is more importantly about the historic mission” of the Labour Party ? Really David ? With leadership like this, the Nats will be roaring all the way to the polls – even with a reduced %. If there is one thing our political opponents do know David, they know that the most important political goal IS indeed to be elected. There is nothing more important than that, for that, David, is what political parties are all about. Or, have I been wasting my LP vote all these decades ? Might we all just wait out the course of history, hoping, sooner rather than later, for that Damascus moment from our political opponents ? That somehow, someday, they will all begin to think like us and work for that fairer NZ Labour aspires towards ? Seize the day David. If you don’t our political opponents will – at the people’s expense.
If it is permitted to comment…
I think this campaign is worse than ‘way behind the 8 ball’.
I perhaps naively thought that Labour would seize upon the obvious ground swell of public opinion and work to win back support as a party of action. Rather than embrace the image of feckless hand wringing lefties. ( yeah, I know, like me OK)
We know that Kiwi’s can once again, after near 30years since No Nukes and apartheid, stand up strongly and be counted, as seen in anti mining of DOC land and the class size dispute.
The sudden back downs make it clear that the Nats know better than to allow NZ to learn how to protest again. We should know that this is probably the most emotive cause that will occur before the 3rd term of this govt.
Publicizing any march will be an issue given mass media leanings, perhaps Clare Curran can step up here?
If the first sale proceeds, history would indicate that we will roll over and allow the rest.
Leaders? The time is now.