Labour congratulates itself for law breaking
September 26th, 2011 at 1:00 pm by David FarrarI saw a headline at Pundit, which was “The election campaign so far: Trevor one, Steven nil”.
I wondered which commentator there had just suffered a breakdown, and was so keen to kill off their credibility by alleging that Trevor Mallard is running a better campaign than Steven Joyce. The best campaign managers I note are those who do not constantly make negative stories for their own party.
So who was it, that had gone bonkers? Surely not that nice Tim Watkin? No. Likewise Jane Young and David Beatson care far too much about their reputations to be so preposterous. Maybe it could be Deborah Coddington as some sort of sarcastic joke. Even Sue Bradford would avoid being so ridiculous.
So I went to have a look, and found out it was former Labour Party President, Mike Williams. Suddenly the mystery is no more.
But I was curious, what was this strategic victory that Mallard had pulled off, over Joyce? It takes a while to find it. First Williams bleats about national standards. Then in the very last paragraph Williams says:
Back to the campaign count-downs, and in the marginal seat of Te Atatu, its one nil to Trevor Mallard over Steven Joyce. Labour candidates, Phil Twyford and Kelvin Davies got their hoardings up at the first opportunity.
We’re still waiting for National’s Tau Henare to get motivated.
Give him a call, Steven. Not a good look.
Only could a former Labour Party President regard obeying the law as “not a good look”.
As readers will know, Labour MPs en masse (and a couple of National MPs) ignored the Auckland Council bylaw and instructions and stuck their hoardings up early, and illegally. In the culture that is the Labour Party, this is to be applauded as utilising the first opportunity. Others would compare it to cheating, and starting the race before the gun goes off.
This is what I mean about the culture of being above the law that permeates Labour. It’s not one or two isolated MPs.
Anyway there was one interesting aspect to the blog by Williams. He called Te Atatu a marginal seat, despite a 5,298 majority in 2008.
Now I am not disputing that Te Atatu may well indeed be a marginal seat. Just how extraordinary it is for an opposition party to label a seat with a majority over 5,000 as marginal. It shows they realise how much trouble they may be in. Here’s the general seats Labour holds with a smaller than 5,298 majority.
- Christchurch Central
- Hutt South
- New Lynn
- Palmerston North
- Port Hills
- Rimutaka
- Waimakariri
- Wellington Central
September 26th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Well, of course they’d call it marginal. That way if they win comfortably they can start shouting that everyone is demanding change.
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 1:19 pm
It’s still not clear to me that if fines are imposed for a bylaw breach, that those fines wouldn’t be election expenses.
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 1:28 pm
Am I allowed to encourage people to remove the illegal signs or rather modify them so they are no longer readable?
[DPF: No, as they are now all legal]
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Good one, David! Shouldn’t we add Mana to the now-marginal electorate list?
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
Quaint, the race to get hoardings up is a bit of an inter-party contest? Is there any actual benefit? There’s no vote for the first hoarding is there?
And is putting up hoardings a bit like putting up a Christmas tree – looks the part but doesn’t persuade anyone to believe in Santa?
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
Williams writes:
“According to the Economist, four themes for success emerge from the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) study.
Decentralisation (handing power back to the schools) is the top of the list which includes a focus on underachieving kids, a choice of different schools, and high standards for teachers. National standards are the antithesis of decentralisation.
The primary teachers are dead right to resist. Schools must have the freedom to devise a path to accepted goals that suit the communities they serve. This is what works.”
An argument in favour of de-unionising teachers if ever I read one.
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Labour Party Rule 1 Labour exists to ensure Labour exists.
Thus Labour feel free to lie or cheat or steal or bribe. They have done so in 2005 and 2008 and are doing so again in 2011.
Vote:Laws, rules and decency do not apply to Labour if they contradict Rule 1 above.
Labour serves only Labour.
They will try to get away with anything and everything. They do not care about rules and law. They only care about what is good for Labour.
September 26th, 2011 at 1:43 pm
Wake up Pete
Oh sorry you’re obfuscating again!
Quaint that the race to get hoardings up seems to be a bit of an inter-party contest. Is there any actual benefit? There’s no vote for the first hoarding is there?
Sorry forgot you were a leftie treftie.
Yeah it does matter as first impressions count.
1. first up therefore on the ball.
2. best spots get taken and therefore space denied the competitors.
But this is what we expect from Labour, it’s another reason why they shouldn’t qualify for parliament ever again.
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Right I’m getting my christmas tree up now!
Ha ha take that suckers!
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Ha ha Pete. You a leftie treftie?
Vote:I had imagined it would be a matter of getting there at midnight last night and everyone eyeballing each other; staunching each other out. The reality is that it is a bit of a snore. Hoardings are visual junk mail in a way. You take a glance and unless it’s advertising the product you are looking for you toss it. Everybody puts up hoardings though so needs must.
Nice to see Wellington Central recognised as marginal. You’d think Robertson was in the opening throes of a 100 year reign according to some.
September 26th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Nice to see Wellington Central recognised as marginal.
I noticed that. Grant had been touted as a hot prospect but he seems dazed by the Labour desperation.
I think that all Labour held seats are potentially marginal, more so as time goes on despite Brash trying to spare them some of the spotlight.
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
I’d rather have a debate about why we have such a stupid law. Put your hoardings up all year long, is anyone really being hurt? I blame National and Labour equally for eroding our rights in this area.
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
I wondered why Labour had their boards up in Hamilton and Huntly, yet National did not….. though its nice to know that I am not yet cynical enough to immediately jump to the conclusion they were law breaking. Could these potential politicians get fined for putting them up to early?
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
Everyone that has to look at them?
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
good taste dies a death every time the sun hits them too.
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 4:32 pm
stickshark
Could they … yes – will they – “not in the public interest to prosecute” seems to be the normal line.
Gramem Edgeler
So the law is confusing then…. Where have we heard that before – oh that’s right – from the people who passed the law then didn’t want to be bound by it.
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
Signs up at the end of our street on Sunday morning, Labour. I took photos and phoned the council who said they would log it with the electoral commission.
In 2005 election, I remember Labour holding back announcing th election date as long as possible and then immediately erecting signs in prime spots around Auckland.
National announcing the date of the 2011 election well in advance and still Labour tries to crimp it.
On that note, just a word of thanks to you DPF, that’s about how long I’ve been visiting kiwiblog and in the haze of rampant socialism, this blog helped me to focus on the alternative.
Vote:September 26th, 2011 at 9:16 pm
At least Grant Robertson has abided by the law. AFAIK none of his hoardings are up yet.
Vote:September 27th, 2011 at 10:19 am
A red plague of Typhoid crept through our neighbourhood in Massey East yesterday. There are billboards on strategic corners, a true Monty Python blot on the landscape. This guy is asking for trouble from the locals and maybe what Mike Williams is alluding to
Vote:September 27th, 2011 at 10:36 am
Greens and Labour have put signs up in Dunedin now – after the weekend. DCC regulations are for 6 weeks prior to the election but I think the 2 months from the electoral rules overrides that.
Vote: