Hold on – lets keep the monarchy for a while until we see how this plays out.

He’s a guy who has the ability to do a lot for New Zealand. Never mind all this piffling Labour party skull-duggery and shadow boxing – the sooner Cunliffe sees the light, crosses the floor, and switches his allegience to National the better!!
…………………………………………..
Yes he’s the property investors pigeon:

“The big adverse gap in productivity between New Zealand and other countries opened up from the 1970s to the early 1990s. The policy choice that increased immigration – given the number of employers increasingly unable to pay First-World wages to the existing population and all the capital requirements that increasing populations involve – looks likely to have worked almost directly against the adjustment New Zealand needed to make and it might have been better off with a lower rate of net immigration. This adjustment would have involved a lower real interest rate (and cost of capital) and a lower real exchange rate, meaning a more favourable environment for raising the low level of productive capital per worker and labour productivity. The low level of capital per worker is a striking symptom of New Zealand’s economic challenge.
”
http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/reviews-consultation/savingsworkinggroup/pdfs/swg-report-jan11.pdf

Government policies blamed for house prices

Immigration and tax breaks for investment in residential property are being cited as the underlying causes of steep increases in the cost of housing over the past decade.
New Zealand now boasts one of the highest rates of home unaffordability in the world as a result of prices rising far faster than incomes, and the government’s Savings Working Group blames that squarely on the policies of successive governments.
Although “the favourable tax treatment of property investment” accounted for about 50% of house price increases between 2001 and 2007, the working group said, there was also strong evidence that rapid swings in immigration brought about price-rise “shocks”.
There was a sharp spike in immigration in 2001, 2002 and 2003 and, said working group committee member Dr Andrew Coleman, it appeared that property prices did not fall anywhere near as greatly when immigration fell again.
The report added that there was little evidence that immigration boosted local incomes. In fact, the need to build roads and schools meant that net migration contributed to the national deficit.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/4622459/Government-policies-blamed-for-house-prices

Migrant benefit ‘overstated’ By DAN EATON – The Press | Saturday, 7 April 2007 Immigration does not benefit New Zealand as much as the Government claims, according to new research. Current policies are also hitting Kiwi families in the pocket and the number of new immigrants should be slashed, says its author, a Massey University economist. The research, by Greg Clydesdale, who teaches at the university’s department of management and international business in Auckland, drew a rapid response yesterday from the Government. Immigration Minister David Cunliffe said attracting skilled migrants was “a must” for economic growth. He said links drawn in the research between soaring house prices, mortgage rates and immigration were too simplistic. Clydesdale said New Zealanders were not being given an accurate assessment of how immigration was affecting the economy and that most previous research on the subject resembled a “wish list”, with little hard data showing economic benefits.
http://www.nnnforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-100635.html

This country deserves a robust opposition, filled with COMPETANT MPs.

I have railed against the rainbow faction, the introduction of MP,S with no life skills, setting themselves up for life at our expense, (see chippy) .

I left the fold when my party embraced PC and sycophantic nonsense.

I am unlikely To go back now even though deep down I would rather.

My party has been destroyed and I have vented my spleen here and in other forums, to no avail, self destruction is the order of the day.

I see commenters here who defend the Labour Party come hell or high water, but obviously have little age on them, and the recent history is lost already.

I have been in the loop for so long and I know how it has all fallen apart.

I see no one including Cunniliffe who has any ability.

Ah well I will carry on supplying employment and income, enabling our employees to pay the mortgage, school fees, groceries etc.

Politicians now leave me cold…

Labour has nothing.

The Green Party functions quite well with this sort of arrangement.

If those who support National as members are happy to cede leadership selection to caucus then fine, but don’t expect other parties to do so.

Why people in the media would be concerned about the impact of democracy in the Labour party on caucus I do not know – might it reduce their influence in managing the political process (where MP’s and media inter-act in a special relationship).

The more pertinent detail is party input on policy formulation – that means less influence of media/established itnerests on MP’s as they are mere conduits for party policy implementation.

The people concerned about union votes are not members of the Labour Party. Those who do not want Labour to represent the interests of workers are not members of the Labour Party (though some were once – such as Peter Dunne, Richard Prebble, Roger Douglas etc).

The next Prime Minister of the Left (well, more left than Key), will be Russell Norman.

He’s clearly quite a guy! Smart, clever, infinitely well-qualified educationally. A proven Government minister. No wonder the mainstream Labour troglodites don’t care much for him. Tall poppy syndrome at work there methinks!!

He’s a guy who has the ability to do a lot for New Zealand. Never mind all this piffling Labour party skull-duggery and shadow boxing – the sooner Cunliffe sees the light, crosses the floor, and switches his allegience to National the better!!

I think Labour will have taken a hit as a result of the mess. A bit to go to the Greens and a bit to National. (if they have caught a chunk of Cunliffe supporters, the Greens will lift by more than National.)

http://conzervative.wordpress.com/2012/11/24/labours-woefulness/