Where are the policies and the candidates?
August 15th, 2008 at 1:58 pm by David FarrarIf you go to the National website, you will see an easy link to the 24 new National candidates, and a policy section which now has over two dozen (and growing) policies listed.
Now look at the Labour website. It doesn’t have a single 2008 policy listed, and nor does it include details or even the names of a single candidate who is not an MP.
On the policy side, of course some of their policy is what they are already doing in Government. But nowhere do they have a single policy summary of what they will do if re-elected in a particular area.
And if you want to know who your local candidate is, they don’t even tell you their name, let alone contact details. Luckily for Labour, I have my own candidate’s list so people can find out about them.
The current Labour website is seemingly 100% taxpayer funded, so they presumably feel they can’t put election policy and candidates on it. But if that is the case, then shouldn’t they have a second website for the campaign? We are now within three months of the last possible date, and they don’t even have a list of candidates available.
And if you want to know what Labour will do if re-elected? You need to go to 25 Departmental websites to find out, or read Dr Cullen’s Budget speech. And even that only tells you what the Government is currently doing, not what else they are promising to do if re-elected.
So next time Labour goes on about secret agendas and secret policy, ask them when they will have even a single 2008 policy statement on their website, let alone the names of their candidates?
Tags: Labour, secret agendas, websites
August 15th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Of course they have no policy – they have tried it all over the last 9 years and its all failed:
Helengrad has achieved what????
and still we drop down the OECD rankings
and still more Kiwi’s are departing to Aussie every week
and still no tax cuts
and still long waiting lists
and still hugely inflated bureaucracy
and still unaccountability for dishonesty in Govt Ministers,
and still more crime is committed and police seem powerless
and still etc etc
and whats more even fallen Labour MPs admit that it is better in Australia!!
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Labour will only release their policies when National have shown theirs.
This will enable them to estimate the cost of their bribes or the audacity of their guarantees if reelected
They have to decide how much to plunder from the taxpayer for their pledge card rort.
They have to decide how much taxpayer money to spend on pre-election TV advertising Government dept advertising of the efforts of the “Labour-led government”
They have to work out which groups to bribe e.g.
0-5 Not voters but have parents who do So $1000 per baby born and 30 hours FREE childcare for all
Vote:5-15 Not voters Free Kiwisaver accounts for all schoolchioldren with $1000 already in acct
15-25 Abolition of all student fees
25-30 Abolition of all student debts
30-65 Ideological burp ” Tax cuts, honestly!”
65-80 Doubling of Pension
80-+ Free funerals for senior citizens
August 15th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
and then we we go to the Beehive website to get policy we find they have yanked Ruth Dysons’s speech in which she sets out the framework for Labour’s new (now hidden secret) social policy agenda.
And Winston First and others still have ‘confidence’ in this mob!!!! Sad but true and let the people roar come November (or whenever).
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I pointed this out a few weeks ago, when H1 was slurring that the Nats have no policy – but no one saluted it so I left it to fester for a while.
Now that the Nats have fronted up with policy for the 08-11 period, we can start a ‘what’s the policy” campaign – it just might be fun!
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
It would be nice to know the election date if nothing else!
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
As I remarked to the VDS yesterday after yet another (yawn) Key is the antichrist meme:
“So much faux-paranoia. So even if the polls reflect badly on Labour’s prospects, we shouldn’t accept them because they (like National’s policy) aren’t ‘real’? Where does the line between politics and fantasy start to blur here?
Looks like the Government is running out of time, if it is waiting for Nationals’s secret agenda to ’sink in’ with the public. here’s an idea. Why doesn’t Labour, instead of focussing on ’secret agendas’ and spinning a campaign of distrust and fantasy, like – talk about its own policies? Or is it easier to talk about Nationals fantasy-agenda, than to treat the public with the basic respect they are due, and have Labour tell us what they stand for, rather than what they stand against?
I mean it is a ‘given’ that htye are against National, a five-year-old couls work that one out. But I seem to have forgotten (apart from rolling tax-cuts, a policy nabbed from National anyway) what Labour are going to do, if re-elected?
Starting to look not so much like Labour has its own ’secret agenda’ as much as they actually don’t have a clue. That is to say, if they have policy to fight the election on, they are mysteriously quiet about it, aren’t they?
I mean, are they really going to claim the mandate to run the country simply on the basis that they are better at smearing the opposition than anyone else? Does that pass for policy nowadays?
But then, The poll that will really count will be on election day, won’t it, so perhaps it is kinder to the sheep to pretend that this election is a fairy-tale struggle between good and evil?”
The response?
“MB (Monkeyboy) you’re a moron.”
I took this as a compliment coming as it did from Robinsod!
Call me a shrink, I’m a broken man!
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
’bout time the other parties started getting pestered for policy.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Easy – they have got a policy – legalising polygamy. Oh, and eating babies.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Spot on polmic. I’ve employed loads of staff in my time. One of the most reliable pieces of advice I received was that “past behaviour is the most reliable indicator of future response in a similar situation”. So we don’t need policy from Labour… there’s sufficient past behaviour evidence (and resulting consequence) on which we can make an informed voting decision.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
DPF,
Will National commit to establishing a set election date? Second Saturday in November for example? Or will Key enjoy the power that Clark has had in deciding when we go to the polls?
[DPF: I think a fixed date has merit. No idea what National thinks but it occurs to me would be a great topic to submit on with regards to the replacement legislation for the EFA]
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Fisiani
While I am sure your comment about abolishing all student debt was made in jest I have it on fairly good authority that this is the policy Labour are looking to as their sliver bullet to win them the election.
All those who think that even Labour would not stoop that low should stop and consider just how desperate, vicious and nasty Clark and Cullen have been in the last couple of months, they are desperate to “finish the job” re their social engineering agenda (the same agenda they have NEVER campaigned on).
Clark and the sisterhood know that should they sneak over the line this time it will definitely be their last term and as such they know that the next term is the one where they must implement all of their remaining goals.
We have already seen Dyson “float” the idea of triples and Clark has often talked about 24 hour state funded child care, lets not forget that Clark also has mentioned (in the past) that she would love to see every child have access to a dedicated social worker.
Some of the other area’s where they (the sisterhood) want radical change are;
1. Changes to the rape laws making it mandatory for those accused to have to prove their innocence rather than the prosecution having to prove they are guilty.
Vote:2. Gay and Lesbian adoption.
3. Enforced quota (50%) of Wimin on all SEO boards (same for private enterprise)
4. Hate speech legislation
August 15th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Vinick – a set date has some support although I am not quite sure how DPF can speak for John Key.
So far all Labour have done is decry (or decry and adopt) National’s policies. They’ve blown the kitty on the train set and now ruled out borrowing for infrastructure (expect a flip flop on that) so what can they do?
National is rolling out their policy at a reasonably steady rate. I am looking forward to the media asking a few questions about what Labour plans to do if it wins a fourth term.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
“3. Enforced quota (50%) of Wimin on all SEO boards (same for private enterprise)”
You’s have thought Georgina would have been a sitter for that.
JC
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
DPF said…
If you go to the National website, you will see an easy link to the 24 new National candidates, and a policy section which now has over two dozen (and growing) policies listed.
Now look at the Labour website. It doesn’t have a single 2008 policy listed, and nor does it include details or even the names of a single candidate who is not an MP.
The reason is that Labour knows that National is just adopting all their major policies so they don’t need to announce anything at all. I hope that National supporters would realize that they’re actually voting for Labour in disguise. For those Nat supporters who are able to see that, can jump and vote ACT.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Except, Falafulu, National aren’t just adopting Labour’s policies. Saying that is trivialising what is going on. ACT’s policies are attractive for what they are, not because they are not Labour and not National. National has some clear points of difference, but they are also more inclined to big government than ACT are. That is where they are on the political spectrum. If you like big government but with a personal responsibility flavour, then you vote National. If you like big government and like that big government telling you what to do, you vote Labour. If you like small government you vote ACT.
It isn’t necessary to belittle National in order to create a value proposition for ACT.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
PaulL
National bloody deserve to be belittled, as a former National party member I am ashamed at the way John (Me Too) Key has led the party down the center left path.
If there is going to be a shock come election day it will not be that Klark and Labour poll well (they are toast) more so that the ACT party vote is going to be much higher than anticipated as former Nat’s give their party vote to ACT.
Key and the Nat’s have really given their supporters or possible supporters no option but to vote for ACT, from what I can see so far a vote for National will only achieve one thing and that is the removal of Helen Clark, while I agree that is a bloody appealing prospect the reality is that the removal of Klark is the ONLY thing that will change.
Under the new center left National govt….
We will still have a health service that is a bloody nightmare
Our kids will continue to fail
Our streets will continue to be dangerous places to be.
Crime will continue rising
Beneficiary fraud will carry on as it is.
Our police will continue to be understaffed and under funded
New Zealand will continue to lose cricket test matches
We will still be over taxed (despite the tax cuts)
Race based funding will continue
Separate Laws for Maori will continue
The treaty gravy train will keep chugging along
Our whole system will still be poisoned with PC rubbish
And in nine years time (when we are on the verge of Bankruptcy) the people will demand that something is done or that we find a politician brave enough to do whats right.
I hope we still have one or two who are brave enough.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
We have a student updating policy.net.nz with all the political parties published policies, but only those on their official websites. The Labour Party website does not appear to have been updated since 2005.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Indeed.
Check out our OECD GDP performance.
We’re ranked 28th= with contracting economy in Q1-08, and 26th with growth of just 0.7% over the previous year. Imagine those stats sans cows !!
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Check out our OECD GDP performance.
We’re ranked 28th= with a contracting economy in Q1-08, and 26th with growth of just 0.7% over the previous year.
Imagine those stats without our golden-udder sans cows !!
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
There seem to be a number of people who are crying out for National to do better. In so many ways they are and this sort of information only serves to confirm it.
Their welfare policy is being lambasted by some for being too soft and others for being too harsh. A good indicator in my opinion.
I was talking with a colleague at work today who has been in the ‘undecided’ category. Since the announcement of the welfare policy he has decided that he will be voting national this election. The kicker is, he is a solo parent.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Listening to Barry Soper on NZB tonights sounds like Natiional are doing the rights things. Up slightly in the poll released tonight and expected to improve dramatically in the other 3 polls this weekend.
Also favourable response from most corners on the Welfare and Energy policies.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Paul Holmes was at his best this morning.
On air he wondered what had killed the guy in Tekapo
Vote:a) health condition
b) the cold
c) the conversation
August 15th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Someone needs to start a joke about
“What do you get when you have Peter Davis, David Parker and a stiff stuck in an ice cave?”
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Southern R, I wouldnt dare post that comment on a few posts ago
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
……….would the answer be “frozen dead boring?”
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
After spending a cold night getting spooned by Peter, David may be rethinking his policy on global warming.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
From Stuff. Latest Poll out today. Question is how many old people are in their NZ to keep on increasing the NZ First vote?
National has retained a healthy lead over Labour in a new poll but NZ First appears to have benefited from recent publicity with a 1.5 point increase.
The latest New Zealand Morgan Poll surveyed 834 voters during July 28 to August 10.
National Party support was up half a point on the last Morgan Poll at 48 percent. The poll showed no reaction to publicity around secretly recorded conversations of National MPs at their recent party conference.
Labour had a fillip, up 1.5 points to 34 percent.
NZ First, which has been in the news over questions relating to donations, was up 1.5 points to 6.5 percent — which sees the party clear the 5 percent party threshold that a party needs, if it does not have an electorate seat, to be in Parliament.
The Green Party lost half a point to sit on 7.5 percent, the Maori Party and ACT lost a point each to hold 2 and 1.5 percent support respectively.
The poll also found more New Zealanders 44.5 percent (up 6 points) believed the country was heading in the right direction compared to 41 percent (down 6 percent) that said the opposite.
Consumer confidence was also stronger, up 7.1 points to 94.9, and up 12.9 points since early July.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Falafulu: I won’t be surprised at the ACT result. They have consistently polled around 2% between elections, and got close to 5% in elections. Except for last time, which was an anomaly for two reasons: 1) Brash took some of their territory, and 2) the media pulled a real dirty on them, with poor polling showing that Rodney wouldn’t win Epsom. It was always obvious that Rodney would win Epsom, and he did. Everyone professed surprise, but I don’t really see how they could have been.
It will be the same this election. ACT will come in in the 4-6% range, and everyone will profess surprise. To me surprise should only occur when the result is something other than than expected, and you’d be a bit of a fool to expect something different than the pattern in the last 4 elections.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Ok, now I’m depressed. How can 6.5% of NZers be so stupid? Hell, these blue rinse idiots would probably vote for the devil if he had a nice haircut and wry smile.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Getstaffed.
Free biscuits and a cup of tea.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
“Hell, these blue rinse idiots would probably vote for the devil if he had a nice haircut and wry smile”. – and promised them eternal but selfish riches
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
This just helps me put a line through MMP. We have a bunch of swinging, personality obsessed voters who can set our nation’s direction… by putting an ethically shipwrecked hubris poodle in charge. Grrrrr …
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
getstaffed
What it signifies is that even though Winston is a crook he still understand MMP better than ANYBODY in the National party.
A smart National party campaign manager would have realised very early in the piece what Winston would promise the old greedies and got in first (especially in the wake of the various finance company collapses)
After nine years of this corrupt and evil govt I do not have the faith in the NZ public to do what is right come election day, Clark has managed to worm her way into the minds of Kiwi’s in as much as so many (even hoards of the middle class trapped by WFF) that they must and should look to government for a large portion of their income.
Vote:August 15th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
hmm wonder how the kiwi party will do – they had a good run with the anti smacking stance…got a few from all parties on board with that one..if there was just another cause for a petition….nope, can’t think of any…
Vote:August 16th, 2008 at 9:06 am
big bruv … and as someone who was once kindly disposed towards ACT (when they had decent leadership) I have to say I am disappointed that now they have become nothing more than a vehicle for angry rhetoric and lightweight rhetoric at that. In reality ACT is nothing more or less than what the Progressives are to Labour. Nice to have around. Inhabited by earnest people who have not yet figured out the simple truism that 1.5% on the polls = 1.5% = 98.5% think you are a vehicle for nutters like the middle aged ACT ‘lady chanting slogans outside the National Party Conference with a contorted face that projected hate … far better if she had smiled.
And that’s the reason why your quality people like Franks have jumped ship.
Vote:August 16th, 2008 at 10:51 am
I will vote for the party that refuses to fund Beatrice Faumuina to any more Olympic or Commonwealth games from my fucking tax dollars.
Faumuina seems to think that she has some god given right to these four yearly jaunts and that her performance is irrelevant, after FAILING to even qualify for the final last night when questioned by the media she said “You can’t take this moment away from me…”
Yes I fucking can and Yes I fucking will!
Given her attitude to public funds and her assertion that her performance is not relevant I expect to see her named in the Labour party list for the coming election, no doubt Beatrice has demanded a very high position so she dos not actually have to do any bloody work to gain election.
Vote:August 16th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
“Inhabited by earnest people who have not yet figured out the simple truism that 1.5% on the polls = 1.5% = 98.5% think you are a vehicle for nutters like the middle aged ACT ‘lady chanting slogans outside the National Party Conference with a contorted face that projected hate … far better if she had smiled.”
I assume that was Lindsay Mitchell….and what did she have to smile about while the “freedom loving Nats” sold out virtually ever principle they claim to stand for to the red side?
“And that’s the reason why your quality people like Franks have jumped ship.”
More like his Social conservatism was more welcome at the Nats where that anal retentivness belongs.Remember this was the guy who said child abuse was ok if the majority supported it….tool.
Vote:August 16th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
James, I thought your mate the bookshop owner was the guy who thought child abuse was ok.
Vote:August 16th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
OK Lee C
Like
You’re a Shrink man
cool
Vote:August 17th, 2008 at 6:47 am
To be fair to Labour, all they need to do is point people to the National website for Labour’s policies.
After all, National has ripped off most of them. WFF, New ETS scheme in nine months, Kiwisaver, No State Asset sales etc. National’s most logical coalition partner after the election is Labour. Their policies match up almost exactly. Top half of the OECD? Dream on!(I think that is Nationals actual policy for lifting New Zealand up the OECD ladder).
The good news when National forms a coalition government with Laobur is the Prime Minister Helen Clark would probably let John Key be Minister of Revenue as long as he doesn’t get under Helen’s feet.
(It will free up more of Bill English’s time to plot becoming the Leader of National again)
If you want real, positive change then the only party to vote for is ACT.
Vote:August 17th, 2008 at 10:26 am
The best political website I’ve seen was the Alliance the election before last. All there was was policy.
The difficulty I have with Key as we get closer to the election and he maintains his lead is that he declared that by making incorrect statements about National and its position on Iraq; his error was one of political naivety. That simply means he wasn’t used to manipulating the truth.
Given the high pluses scored for pro National statements, it seems that their supporters will admit that all politicians including those favoured are rogues. So it is the best of a bad lot that should be elected. But what is bad and how deep does bad go? Additionally it simply means to win you must jump hardest on the politicians you like least and always pretend – no matter the odds, that you shall be right.
Ordinarily the reasonable comment to the above is ‘so – isn’t that obvious?’.
Yet more obviously it should be that those who support their politicians engage their chosen party not to decieve the truth and prosecute any lies. That makes the public responsible and not the politicians – that makes the media responsible and not the politicians – that demands that people are interested in the truth rather than simply propergating that which is the more acceptable.
Vote: