Goff shifts to the right
May 6th, 2009 at 10:27 am by David FarrarA future Goff Labour Government’s economic policy is looking to be far more centrist and understanding of business, than the Clark’/Cullen Government was.
The three key economic Ministers are PM, Finance and Economic Development. You can arguably add Commerce onto that also.
Cunliffe is no academic socialist. He has worked in business and has a Harvard MBA. His work with Boston Consulting Group would place him as a high achiever, who understands business. This does not mean business will like everything Cunliffe would do, but I doubt you will find an ideological opposition to tax cuts here.
Jones is also no socialist. Quite the contrary. He has spoken to many business audiences, and generally leaves them impressed with his ideas and analysis. He also has a successful business background.
Goff is harder to pin down. He started off as a staunch socialist and then became a disciple of SIr Roger in the 1980s. He towed the line under Clark. His picks of Cunliffe and Jones for senior economic roles suggests he does deliberately want to move the party more to the centre, with a more balanced economic policy.
Dalziel continues on with Commerce. Despite her background as a union lawyer, she actually picked up a reasonable amount of praise for her work as Commerce Minister and I doubt she would fight a more moderate economic policy.
So it will be very interesting to see what alternative budgets and economic policies Labour comes up with in the next two and a half years.
Tags: David Cunliffe, economic policy, Labour, Lianne Dalziel, Phil Goff, Shane Jones
May 6th, 2009 at 10:42 am
“Goff is harder to pin down.”
Maybe Goff has learnt from Mike Moore and taken a right turn after witnessing that pushing the socialist idealism doesn’t create wheelbarrows of capitalist cash? The real Goff will emerge now he is free from the Klarkula web of deceit.
Vote:May 6th, 2009 at 10:58 am
D4J – what is the real goff?
Vote:He has been bounce off the wall character ever since he started in politics direct from school.
Walter Mitty had more understanding of what he stood for, than this career polly.
goffs got nothing, firing blanks as it were.
Shit the fact that he has had to dredge up the bully boy for the front bench, just proves the point to me.
He is pinning his hopes on someone with a bit of character (love him or hate him) to put some colour into a generally faceless & grey lineup. (complete with wrinkles)
May 6th, 2009 at 11:08 am
lofty – indeed you are correct in your analysis of Mr Goff. The real Goff is the inffective political yoyo since his Minister of Housing portfolio all those years ago., however I do notice an increase in facial warts collected on the Liarbour front bench.
Vote:Could be catchy not so clever Trevor? Or maybe he caught them when he kissed that terrorist lizzard faced fuckwit.
May 6th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
‘Towed the line?’ Its ‘toe-ed the line’, David, as in lining up at the start of a running race.
The competitors put their toes on the starting line!
More written/spelling/contextual accuracy please.
Vote:May 6th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I didn’t know that. Heh, you learn something every today.
How does “toe-ed the line” fit in with the context it’s normally used in. I.e. propagating someone’s agenda whether you like it or not…?
Towed the line at least makes sense because you are spinning someone else’s line.
Vote:May 6th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Goff may be shifting the party to be more centrist, straight and white. But he does not have full control over his party. And the left are quite capable of being a pest especially if Goff fails to connect with the public. If the Greens take a lot off Labour votes in the forthcoming by-election then the Labour Party is heading for very choppy waters.
Vote:May 6th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Re-the comment by NX at 1.31pm
‘Toe-ed the line’ makes equal, or even more, sense.
The subject of the comment – Goff – was indeed toe-ing (or conforming to) the line; i.e. the Clark party line.
Vote:May 6th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
What, are some of these clowns finally finding their gonads, all this time they were closet capitalists and they hid it so well. I do hope the rainbow section of the Liarbore Party throw some coming out parties but I wouldn’t put any money on it. Perhaps news of these happy events will make it as far as New York, oh I do hope so.
Vote:May 6th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
“Jones is also no socialist. Quite the contrary. He has spoken to many business audiences, and generally leaves them impressed with his ideas and analysis. He also has a successful business background.”
If Jones (or any of these people are not socialists – bar Goff who is colourless in every way) WTF are they doing in a socialist party? Sorry, but having a right wing/business faction in a socialist party is 1) daft, 2) inexplicable (forget shades of grey and bell curves) and 3) cowardly. Either you are a socialist and nail your colours to the mast or not. You don’t have a foot in both camps, so you can play all angles for your own interests. (and yes politicians are born of self-interest I know) Same goes for all sides.
Mr. Jones has had an interesting history. But I’m not up for a libel/slander case so I’ll leave it there.
Vote:May 6th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Well Sarkozygroupie, Labour did have Prebs and Douglas and they did more good for Labour and NZ than any other Labour poltician. Imagine if they were allowed to finish the deed? We wouldn’t even need National
A lot of people, myself included, knew Goff had it in him – many of us were hoping that he would be leader a long time ago. But with the rest of his party dragging him down, and his mad as hatter party president putting his foot in both camps, I don’t see this “lurch” to the centre lasting too long. If it did then National would have to rebrand itself and move to the right and frankly I don’t think they could do it.
Vote: