Labour’s review
February 28th, 2012 at 10:55 am by David FarrarDanya Levy at Stuff reports:
Labour will begin a series of nationwide meetings next week as part of an organisational review into the party’s election trouncing.
The party will hold 18 meetings for members and the wider public to have their say on how Labour can enhance its campaigning, communications, policy process and fundraising.
It has also established an advisory group containing what it calls “critical friends” such as technology entrepreneur and party donor Selwyn Pellet, who last year called for former leader Phil Goff to stand down, political scientist Rob Salmond, and former Waikato University vice-chancellor and United Kingdom Labour MP Bryan Gould.
An advisory group is a good idea. Those who were inside the tent don’t always see the failings the way others do.
Coatsworth said Labour expected there would be calls for party members to have a say on who led the party and there was likely to be some opinions on how Labour set its list.
Labour’s list at the election was criticised for placing fresh talent too low and returning the same old faces when its MPs where slashed from 43 to 34.
It is understood Labour is not overly concerned about its finances because donations last year were similar to those in recent elections and there has been no major dent in its 55,000-strong membership.
Ha the vast majority being union affiliates, where the union pays a small fee on their behalf. The actual number of people who have positiviely said “Yes I wish to be a member of the Labour Party” and paid a membership fee is understood to be well below 10,000.
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February 28th, 2012 at 11:19 am
The list of ‘critical friends’ published in this morning’s Herald looks like a delegation from the rainbow coalition. If Shearer really had the courage of his convictions, he would have drafted people like John Tamihere, Damien O’Connor, Kelvin Davis and Mike Moore. All they have done is recycle a gaggle of yeaterday’s men and women.
Vote:February 28th, 2012 at 11:20 am
The 45,000 ‘members’ by virtue of union affiliation seem to have very little say anyway. The unions use their numbers and card votes to make decisions on their behalf. One reason National got away with the ‘Employment Contracts Act’ in the early 1990′s was because many union members had had a gutsful of their unions and were delighted to be liberated from unions.
Vote:February 28th, 2012 at 11:23 am
* yawn *…same ole same..busload of has-beens singing dittys like take me home country road and kumbuya trying to reconnect with joe public. Trouble is JP can see right through the charade.
” Critical friends ” ? FFS.
Vote:February 28th, 2012 at 11:43 am
Helen Clark is solely to blame.
The lack of ethics (see winston peters, Philip Fields etc..) permeated the labour party organisation.
And, on top of that you get Cullen coining phrases like rich pricks, and you have a very nasty organisation.
Then, she dumped poor old Goff right in the poo by resigning on election night.
People have not forgotten.
Vote:February 28th, 2012 at 11:57 am
@Adolf Fiinkensein
Vote:Exactly, couldn’t agree with you more. Labour ignorantly stuck to the failed Goff/King combination despite criticism internally from Labour and paid the price at the polls.
The biggest requirement of Labour’s new leader David Shearer is to listen, have ears, and I suspect he will because he is that type of man.
February 28th, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Even Chris Trotter concedes the LP individual membership is hovering between 5,000 and 10,000 and either on the verge of a renaissance or total collapse. http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/
Vote:February 28th, 2012 at 12:57 pm
“Lairbore will begin a serries of nationwide meetings next week , in 18 different parts of the country”. I’m quite surprised, I never realised there were still 18 phone boxes left in the country.
Vote:February 28th, 2012 at 1:19 pm
The inclusion of Bryan Gould is not a good sign. Gould is one of those head in the sand hardcore Socialists who believes that the answer to every concievable human problem or difficulty is more government power and control. Back when British Labour was still in favour of nationalising most of the economy he was considered too far left for the leadership!
I agree with Adolf. If they were serious about winning the next election they would have chosen Labour people who had at least some respect for markets and were prepared to stand up to the “gaggle of gays and unionists”.
Vote:February 28th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
What’s bad for Labour is good for New-Zealand.
cheers
David Prosser
Vote:February 28th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
Ha the vast majority being union affiliates, where the union pays a small fee on their behalf.
The only people allowed to belong to or donate to or support a political party in any way whatsoever should be natural persons.
If only Key had the guts to pass that law, in this term, Liarbore would be no more after a few terms.
Vote:February 28th, 2012 at 7:38 pm
Would it be too much to suggest that it might help if those at the top who run the party, have actually been ‘real’ workers (‘Labourers’ if you will) and have practical experience of actual ‘work’, rather than being merely graduates from universities?
Vote: