Goff’s u-turn
November 27th, 2009 at 7:50 am by David FarrarMy goodness, Phil Goff is desperate. He has actually done a full u-turn on his party’s removal of the right for Maori to test their common law property rights in court.
The Herald reports:
Labour leader Phil Goff has re-opened the political warfare over the foreshore and seabed law, saying the Government’s plan to repeal it will divide the country again.
Mr Goff yesterday changed Labour’s position on the law, saying it was working well the way it was now, and repeal would make “wounds fester”.
What an idiot. He doesn’t think there are festering wounds at the moment.
Goff is calculating (probably correctly) that he will get a short-term boost from this in the polls, which will shore up his leadership. However he is making his job of being able to form a Government after the next election harder, as the chances of Labour and the Greens by themselves achieving 62 or more seats is very remote. Maybe he is counting on Winston making it back?
No Right Turn has let loose:
Today in Palmerston North (of course), Labour leader Phil Goff gave a speech to Grey Power (of course) attacking the government for dealing with the Maori Party, “reopening” Treaty settlements, and revisiting the Foreshore and Seabed Act. While carefully caveated (of course), the underlying message was loud and clear: “National is in bed with the bloody Maaris”. …
Well, fuck him. Racism has no place in our society, and a proper left-wing party would be fighting against it, not engendering and exploiting it for political gain. Our defining belief is equality, and that means equality for all, not just Pakeha. If Labour doesn’t understand that, and wants to go down this path, then its just another reason for me to vote Green.
I think it is quite legitimate for Labour to say they have problems with the ETS and associated deals on Treaty settlements. Also legitimate to say they support the Foreshore & Seabed Act. But when Goff starts chucking in stuff about how John Key didn’t condemn Hone Harawira badly enough (which is hilarious when you consider Goff voted against the privileges committee report into Winston Peters), it is a pretty blatant attempt to do you know what.
The recent Marae-Digipoll showed Labour’s support amongst Maori had collapsed massively since the election. I guess they have decided not to try and change that, and hope they pick up enough Grey Power votes in exchange.
Related posts:
- Little has personal concerns over Goff speech
- Phil Gaffe goffs again
- Harawira on FSA
- Labour flip-flops again
November 27th, 2009 at 7:56 am
“Maybe he [Goff] is counting on Winston making it back?”
By grabbing Winston’s racist platform out from under him?
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 8:14 am
Goff is a fool. 96% of the country understand this. While this clown with his feigned anger continues to lead the Labour Party (and long may that last), the fool is going to beat Bill English’s infamous 2002 result.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Absolutely disgraceful behaviour by Goff. I had hoped that with the political demise of Don Brash and Winston Peters we had seen the last of politicians cynically exploiting racism and bigoty for political gain.
I suspect there may be a good number of long-term Labour supporters and activists very unhappy with their Party leadership at the moment. If there is an up-side to this sordid exercise in racism by Goff, it may be that the Greens will pick up support at Labour’s expense. But I’d still prefer he hadn’t descended into the sewer as he has.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 8:17 am
It would be a gaff to say I agree with the lying lickspittle, however I am pleased toady is upset.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Goff consulted Jones and Cunliffe before his outburst makes you wonder if there is an ulterior motive. Jones for leader?
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Agree that Goff’s behaviour is hypocritical at best, and a Winston-like dog-whistle if you are less charitable. But Peters could get away with it because, love him or loathe him, he had charisma. Goff has the charisma of last week’s cut lunch.
What though of the role of the media? Where are the live crosses to Fran Mold or Duncan Garner breathlessly asking Goff why he has flip-flopped? After all, what Goff is now articulating is poles apart from the position which Labour has previously taking. And will Phillip Ure, who says that he “loathes racists with an intensity that is visceral” denounce the Labour leader?
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 8:31 am
Goff is counting on the Maori party imploding, and then leaving the Nats to look very silly for pandering to them and effectively creating a Maoritocracy. By doing that he’ll align one (very small) elitist part of Maoridom to the Nats, while the remainder, including most of the gravy-train Maori will flock back to Labour where they’ve always been. End result thus 5-6% increase in labour votes. Now wait for Goff to jump on some other bandwagons.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 8:34 am
It was exactly the sort of speech Mr Peters might have delivered.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 8:35 am
And more holier-than-thou bullshit from No Right Turn too – NZ Labour Party have never been above racist (and sexist) behaviour. Shane Jones is on record calling National voters “whiteys”, David Shearer blamed high crime rates on immigrants especially Pacific Islanders, Michael Cullen’s anti-homosexual taunts in parliament etc etc.
Like all of NZ Labour party’s PC posturing, it’s only lip service.
It seems Goff is quite happy to slip into Winston Peters-style race politics (even after extensive consultation with his caucus) – in fact he is obviously quite at home there.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 8:37 am
“Phil Goff has been accused of sparking racial divisions . . .”
“In the email, Mr Harawira said “white motherf…ers have been raping our lands and ripping us off for centuries.” The MP delivered an apology of sorts today, saying sorry for his language, but not the content of the email, and stopped short of apologising for his jaunt to Paris.”
“Has anyone got a sharpened stake, a few cloves of garlic and, preferably, several silver bullets? He has arisen! [...] This, of course, will not stop Winston doing his usual rant, preying on fear and ignorance, playing the race card and generally trying to summon up the support of the dumb and bigoted.”
“one of these three, doesn’t belong here, one of these things, isn’t the same… ?”
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Interesting. Labour is all for racism when it favours them, but not when the boot is on the other foot? Didn’t they create, encourage and exploit most of the racist policies in the 1999 – 2008 period for political gain? Where was the noble Phil Goff then?
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 8:48 am
@ 3-coil – don’t forget Trevor Mallard’s “Tinkerbell” jibe at Christopher Finlayson – yet to be condemned by anyone from the Labour caucus, let alone its Rainbow stream.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Labour are engaging in base gutter race politics because they are so fucked there is no other choice.
Oh how sweet thou art.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 9:06 am
3-coil Said at 8:35 am
“It seems Goff is quite happy to slip into Winston Peters-style race politics (even after extensive consultation with his caucus) – in fact he is obviously quite at home there.”
After a lifetime in parliament, 1st class lounges and 5* hotels on the public tit Goff is as at home with his ethnically diverse electorate in Mt Roskill (1) as the BNP are in Bradford.
(1) Note allegory for modern NZ,
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Good on Mr Goff for telling it how it is.
One of the ‘secrets of success’ of the Maori party and Hone is their ability to bully critics into silence and I am pleased Mr Goff has stood up to them.
Key has acted like a whore – selling the vast majority of people down the river to buy votes from the Maoris in Parliament; good to know at least one party leader is not prepared to do so.
I shall now sit back and watch the hypocrisy from the National supporters in a – Goff says it = BAD/Brash says it = GOOD (because he is our boy) – way
http://www.nightcitytrader.blogspot.com
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Before you all get too carried away enjoying this you might want to think about WHY Goff is saying things like this, and what the National party is doing to the country in its efforts to keep and retain the Maori party vote.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Hmm……
…..Scans through comments searching for…..
Oh well. I’m sure Micky Savage will have something to say on this later today, once he’s got over the DT’s.
Remember, “tribalist” is not a racist word: Mickey wears it with pride
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Goff is baad news for Labour.. I want to see the Greens with more seats than Labour and hes certainly not helping the Labour cause at all. Maori who voted Labour should switch to Green, we respect Maori property rights.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Don Brash, 27 January 2004:
Phil Goff, 26 November 2009:
And both speeches were entitled “Nationhood”.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Excellent post Toad – this is why it will be the depths of hypocrisy for any National supporters to be critical of what Goff has said and done.
http://www.nightcitytrader.blogspot.com
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Except, Elijah, I’m suggesting they are both down in the sewer, whereas you seem to be excusing them.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Well, at least we know what Winston Peters is doing for a crust nowadays. He’s in the Opposition Leader’s office writing speeches and setting up Grey Power play dates.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 10:56 am
On U-turns, to be fair, National has made a pretty big U-turn from the Brash stand of equal treatment for all under the law to the Bro-partheid leanings of Key.
Wouldn’t you rather be a Maori forest owner than a non-Maori forest owner?
Toad at 9.52 defends a policy of racial separation, which begins with separate flags and treatment under the law, but ends who knows where.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Key and Co’s PR horde have mustered the lackey posters to weigh in on this issue today because they know Key’s popularity is in for a pasting on this.
It is sophistry and self-denial to lambast Don Brash for racism when he merely called for equal treatment for all under the law. If Don Brash was racist, then so was Nelson Mandela.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Foolish Boy !
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Not only is Phil Goff is desperate, Jones and Horomia have proven that they are too.
Horomia: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0911/S00447.htm
Jones: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0911/S00424.htm
John Key will be laughing all his way around Jamaica. He’s completely outflanked Labour and left Goff, Horomia and Jones looking like racist clowns.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Poor Philin, his greatest mistake was been born in the wrong country. Had he been born the US Mac Daddy may have given him a pardon the other day.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Chattering classes turning on Labour- shows Labour is not a PC collection of elistists. What not pandering to middle class guilt? Hopefully this will let them get back to concentrating on helping workers again.
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
HaHAHA, Horomia really takes the cake for that “one of my best friends is white” switcheroo on the old saying
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Good point Jack 5 –
“Wouldn’t you rather be a Maori forest owner than a non-Maori forest owner?”.
This one has slipped by all the shouters hasn’t it ?
Some Maori have been granted free access to 30000 plus ha of Crown Land to plant trees. They’ll successfully demand the government assist them to plant trees. They will thus acquire for nothing 30000ha of new land and will claim rightts over it eventually.
Meanwhile, the rest of pre-1990 exotic forest owners, both Maori and non-Maori, get nothing but 60 carbon credits (at $NZ25 per)per hectare and then pay up to $20000 per hectare as carbon tax if they cut and do not replant. ie. a forest owner of pre-1990 forests has to pay $20,000 per hectare up front tax per hectare if they wish to reuse the land for other purposes.
Mr Smith goes to Copenhagen asking for the right to plant replacement trees on other land and will undoubtedly get zip.
So who is the racist then ?
This is the rottenest thing Mr Key and co. have done, another direct attack on forest owners. Do I hear the Greens waking up ? Bet not.
When forest owners saw a new government elected last year, they hoped it would not be yet more forest haters – how wrong they were.
Vote:What a dirty deal National have struck with the Maori Party – shame on them.
November 27th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Goff’s going to Grey Power meetings now? He must think he can mop up Winston Peters’ constituency. LOLOLOLOL
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
More evidence of how desperate, and now nutty, Goff/Horomia/Jones are on this, try to work out what this statement from Jones means:
Jones: This ain’t puppy love, Maori Party http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0911/S00453.htm
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
There is a downside to Phil Goff’s inanities- in fact two downsides.
Vote:Firstly, our parliamentary system relies on the existence of an active and effective opposition to work properly, and as Labour continues drifting into irrelevancy we all will suffer in the end. yes, ACT will examine legislation, but they aren’t doing so as an opposition, and in the end are compromised by their being in government.
Secondly- and this is more of a concern to those of us who are National Party members [or supporters]- John Key looks set to break records as to the length of time that he will serve as PM. This will deaden the new blood that any party needs and after fifteen years or so the National Party will be tired.
Still, maybe then ACT will be the opposition…
November 27th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
OldNews (3:04pm) – thanks, great links.
What a pompous twat Shane Jones is, telling Maori that they’ve made an “egregious” error…at least we know now that he doesn’t just stuff his face at McDonalds – the greedy prick must have swallowed a dictionary!
Vote:November 27th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
shit .. a couple of 3 month bans on Redalert .. I wondered how long it would be before Tim got the yellow card with a threat of a Red
Vote: