Apparently, according to a six line news brief on page seven of the New Zealand Herald today, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security’s report into the possible unlawful spying on New Zealanders has cleared the GCSB of any illegality. That’s it, nothing to see here, move on everyone.

Except that the New Zealand Herald would have to be clairvoyant to actually make that claim, because John Key has decided that the report will not be released because its not in “New Zealand’s interest” to do so. Instead we must rely on a media release from Ian Fletcher the Director of the GCSB, who tells us that Paul Neazor has found that the actions of the GCSB were “arguably” legal. Presuambly this means they were arguably illegal as well?

The Inspector=General is meant to be our watchdog on these agencies. Frankly I couldn’t care less what John Key’s family friend thinks about the report. New Zealanders deserve to see it. It must be made public if there is any hope for New Zealanders to regain a shred of confidence in our intelligence agencies. That must be followed by a full inquiry into our intelligence agencies.

The lack of transparency around this government is now reaching crisis levels. Denying Parliament access to information about the legal consequences of the mean spirited carers legislation and the legislating away of rights of appeal, missing BORA reports and Regualtory Imapcts are the new normal under National.

Bear in mind that the Office of the Ombudsmen, the agency charged with dealing with complaints about government actions, has a backlog of thousands of cases, and is actually investigating a number of government agencies about their non-compliance with the Official Information Act. That is how bad things have gotten under National.

This government is riding roughshod over our constitutional norms and practices of good governance. This cuts to the heart of our system of democratic government. It might not rate as a nightly news story, and for people struggling to make ends meet it will be at the bottom of their list of problems. But it does matter, because transparency of government is at the heart of the social contract of our liberal democracy. Without it, government loses legitimacy. They must not, and will not, get away with this.

Today we lost our dear friend and colleague Parekura Horomia. All of us in the Labour whanau are feeling his passing very deeply. We think tonight of his whanau, especially his boys and his moko. I will remember his generous spirit, total commitment to his people and to Labour and his wicked sense of humour. Miss you, chief.

David Shearer and Moira Coatsworth paid tribute on our behalf tonight.

Kua hinga he totara i te wao nui a Tane
A totara has fallen in the forest of Tane.

Labour Leader David Shearer says he and his colleagues are devastated at the loss of Labour MP, the Honourable Parekura Horomia, “our matua”.

“We send our love and thoughts to his whanau, especially his sons and his mokopuna, and to all the others whose lives he has touched.

“New Zealand has lost a truly great Maori leader.

“Parekura devoted his life to championing Maori aspiration and achievement. Before entering politics he was a leader in work and community employment schemes on the East Coast. He took his grassroots knowledge through to leadership within the public sector, in roles in community employment and Maori development.

“As an MP and Minister he worked tirelessly to support the achievements of his people and of Maori across New Zealand.

“Under his guidance Maori well-being improved, employment increased and opportunities in education flourished. He also oversaw the establishment of Maori Television and expansion of iwi radio.

“As a politician there were few who could match Parekura’s knowledge of Maori issues. At every marae and town in this country Parekura was welcomed as a leader and a friend. He was respected across New Zealand and across political lines.

“His wisdom, passion and humour were a guiding light for Labour, and I will miss him and his advice tremendously.

“His loyalty to Labour and to our values of inclusion, fairness and solidarity was absolute. He stood strong for the people of Ikaroa-Rawhiti and for the rights of all Maori.

“We have lost a man of immense mana, a man of conviction and of compassion. We celebrate his contribution to Aotearoa-New Zealand, and we mourn the loss of a great leader.

“The Labour whānau is heart-broken today,” David Shearer said.

Moira Coatsworth, Labour Party President said: “Parekura, our Labour matua and Vice President, will leave a huge gap. He was loved and respected throughout New Zealand after a lifetime of service fighting hard for a better life for all. Within Labour he inspired dedication and much affection and he worked tirelessly for our movement.”

If you wanted a reason to know why we need to do something about power prices, look no further than the lead story in today’s Dominion Post. 44% of people in the survey are living pay day to pay day. The cost of living is taking its toll as unemployment stays high and wages are not keeping pace. Raewyn Fox from the Family Budgeting Services Federation said they had seen a 60% increase in those needing financial support and advice in the last two years. And yes, she highlighted power prices as one of the causes of financial stress.

One of the reasons I am really proud of New Zealand Power as a policy is that it will put money back into the pockets of ordinary New Zealanders.  It is a hugely significant change to the way our electricity system is run. Its not something that we have gone into lightly, but New Zealanders have been ripped off for too long. Its time that people come first, not super-profits and million dollar CE salaries. This policy cuts to the heart of reducing inequality and it will help businesses who struggle with energy costs to develop and create more jobs.

This is what we mean by Labour being a hands-on government.  We can use the power of being in government to change our country for the better.  And yes, you can expect to see more bold policy from Labour. Just like KiwiBuild and NZ Power we are not going to sit on our hands while opportunity and prosperity concentrates in the hands of the few. National’s disastrous policies in education, labour relations and elsewhere need to be, and will be, turned around. And we are not going to be put off by the predictable howls of outrage from those with a vested interest.

The government Labour leads will be a progressive, social democratic government, far, far different from the hands-off crony capitalism of the National Party. Get on board if you want to be part of it!

A curious thing happened in Parliament last Wednesday. In the midst of the red cards for Trevor Mallard and Chris Hipkins, John Key had, unprompted, decided to tell New Zealanders that the Director of the GCSB who he had recommended to the Governor General for appointment some 18 months ago was a family friend. Curious in that he had not thought it important enough to mention up to now, and more so that he was not actually asked about the relationship.

Why then, raise the issue? We know now it was because he was looking to limit the damage from the revelation that he intervened in the selection process for the Director by shoulder tapping his old friend, who then was the only person who was interviewed for the job.

This whole episode is a classic example of John Key’s modus operandi – diminish, divert, demean. (more…)

And, as is becoming traditional here is the one true Christmas anthem, to wish everyone a peaceful and restful festive season. Its been a big year in political terms, and I am pretty sure I am not the only one looking forward to a break. Its also a time to think of those for whom 2012 has not been much fun- those without work and/or struggling to make ends meet. Those in war zones around the world and those for whom this season will provide no reason to celebrate. Take some time out to count your blessings and re-commit to making the world a fairer and better place.

In terms of Red Alert, watch out in the new year for a re-launch with a different approach and way of doing things. Exciting times ahead.

The fourth and final speaker for Labour in the adjournment debate was, well, me. Its a pity I can’t sing, but I did my best to end the year with a bit of levity through National’s 12 Days of Christmas aka the National’s 12 Fiascos. I hope you enjoy!

Third speaker for Labour in the adjournment debate was Jacinda Ardern. This was an excellent speech, challenging the government’s abysmal social record that sees inequality at its worst ever levels and hundreds of thousands of children in poverty. Jacinda laid down some specific policy challenges for National to get in behind Labour’s policies.

Second up for Labour in the Adjournment Debate was David Parker. He went through National’s shameful economic performance (to quote David Clark, ” the worst economic record in 50 years!) and outlined some of Labour’s alternative policies. David has had a really good year shifting the debate on monetary policy and pushing the need for a more active government role to stimulate our economy.

The final Parliamentary debate of the year is an opportunity to sum up the political year and enjoy a few laughs. Labour had four speakers yesterday, and I will post them up in order today. First up was David Shearer who delivered a funny but also very pointed summing up of National’s Year to Forget. The consensus at the Press Gallery Party last night was that his was the best speech on the day.

If you’ve got any spare time today, why not join in the Keep Our Assets Sign-a-Thon. This ia weekend long push to get us the remaining signatures we need to force a referendum on asset sales. Reports coming in from yesterday indicate a great response, just as it has been all year.

You can find out all the information about activities in your area here

I’m not sure that sitting in David Shearer’s office on the day he and I had been elected Leader and Deputy Leader, discussing a root and branch review of our Party I actually believed we would see the most thorough review in a generation done and dusted in a year.

One of the other people in the room that day, Party President Moira Coatsworth deserves huge credit for making it happen- swiftly and inclusively. She and David Shearer had both committed to a thorough review, and between them, the working group, the review group and thousands of party members- we did it.

As it happens a couple of things (candidate and list selections particularly) have been pushed off to next year, but what has been achieved is nothing short of remarkable.

The reforms are exactly what we need to be a modern, outward looking and democratic organisation. The review meetings made clear what many people had felt. The way people look at joining organisations has changed significantly over the decades. The cynicism for politics of all shades is at an all time high. We needed to turn outwards and provide people with hightened levels of engagement, influence and fun.

The importance of being campaign ready and ‘party vote’ focused drove the creation of the “hubs” which I think will go from strength to strength. The more democratic process for election of the leader is a huge step forward for recruiting, involving and engaging members.

I want to specifically mention the significant change in terms of member involvement,the Policy Platform. Actually, it has been well covered by Anthony over at The Standard. This is a great development for Labour. It means that we will have an enduring Party endorsed statement of our policy. It will clearly state our values and priorities, and guide the creation of election manifestos. It’s in draft form now and through next year we will finalise it. I want to congratulate Jordan Carter and the rest of the Policy Council for the work on getting us to this stage. As the Chair of the Policy Council I am hugely impressed with the calibre of people we have involved in our policy work.

At the conference itself the robust debate was on the level of Caucus support to trigger our new democratised leadership process. What there was universal agreement on was the need for the process itself, in particular member involvement. Despite the impression one or two people want to make, no one was opposing the 40:40:20 process, and indeed over the review many Caucus members, me included, have strongly advocated for it.

The process is a balance between democratisation and stability, and throughout the review meetings I went to, and submissions I read, most members were very aware of the need for this. It’s interesting to note that a motion to not have a Caucus trigger for the Februry vote was soundly defeated by the conference.

In any event no one could mistake over the last year in the many review meetings and conversations, nor in the enthusiasm and passion at conference that the review is going to see a different party in the future. It will be more energised, dynamic and member driven. That will not be without its challenges and upsets, but it will be a very, very good thing for us and I hope for politics in general.

My first time up for air this week, and I have been reflecting on a remarkable annual conference. I’ll do a couple of posts, but I have an overriding residual impression from the conference, and its probably not what you think.

This was my 14th annual conference and without doubt had the highest level of energy and buzz of them all. A significant reason for that, and the stand out performance at the conference came from Young Labour (and recent Young Labour alumni).

They organised superbly through the weekend to see their core policy ideas pass the remit process, including on marriage equality, voting age and poverty eradication. They spoke brilliantly in workshops and on the conference floor, and had two outstanding candidates (Soraiya Daud and Rory McCourt) for the Young Labour rep on New Zealand Council. Congrats to Soraiya on winning that contest.

Having worked closely in the Wellington region with Young Labour over the last few years, this has not just happened over night. Its been dedicated work and an unabashed sense of fun that he seen Young Labour build year on year over recent years.

I have long felt that you can judge the strength of a party on its youth wings, and on any count Labour is in terrific heart taking a look at our young’uns. I left Ellerslie knowing that we are a Party and a movement with a bright and energised future.

Here is the speech that brought the Labour Party Conference to its feet. A strong articulation of Labour values, backed up by concrete ideas to take New Zealand on a path to prosperity and fairness. Two specific new policies as well, Kiwibuild that will see 100,000 affordable houses and the Healthy Homes Guarantee that will see proper standards for rental properties. Enjoy.

As a storm of biblical proportions hits the east coast of the United States it is absorbing most of the TV time on the networks, but here in Austin, Texas where I am beginning my election observation visit, it was not the lead story on the local affiliate station I watched tonight, or last night. They led with a worrying local road toll and a dispute over helicopter flights over a suburb respectively.

That’s not to say that people in Austin don’t care about the tragic and damaging events on the esst coast, but it goes to prove the old adage that all politics is local. And that is the story of the presidential election. The electoral college system ensures that local(state) concerns matter. A small economic pick up in Ohio matters as a swing state for Obama. A factory closure in Virginia might favour Romney. Ignore the nationwide polls. They will all be close. It’s Ohio, Virginia, Florida etc and their local issues that will make the difference.

It also means that the on the ground campaign will be everything. Despite all the sophisticated targeting and data management systems both camps are saying that there is nothing that beats door knocking and direct phone calls from volunteers to motivate people to vote.

But the real “local” issue now for millions of Americans is the damage and chaos in their lives from Sandy. As I write the news is coming through that six million people are without power. Who knows how that will affect the election, with some suggesting power might not be reconnected by polling day in some places. But rightly that is not the focus for now as people deal with death and destruction. Mother nature is no respecter of the political calendar, and right now my thoughts are with those communities dealing with the carnage.