representing us

It could be argued that Hone Harawira, Mana Party leader ripping into Phil Goff the labour leader is a bit of a waste of time, but when Labour are contesting seats against Mana, it is fair and necessary and the points Hone has raised are the same ones I have wondered about.

NZH

"... many people remembered Phil Goff being a willing participant in the days when Labour was selling state assets and introducing GST "and I think that lack of credibility is coming back to haunt him now"

I know that goff has said he made a mistake dah dee dah - he did and it was a very, very big one IMO - selling those assets - apology and all made up now? - no! because the tenor of goff has not changed. Sure he may have regrets about this issue but he is still of the same mindset regarding many things. Hone relates it like this

"An old lady from down south told me that 'MANA is where Labour should be'" said Mr Harawira "and a lot of Labour voters are coming to MANA now because they don't see Phil Goff as the one to stand up to National"

Yep - look at the Mana lineup

"Annette Sykes - the best Maori rights lawyer in the country, John Minto - the 1981 anti-apartheid leader and worker's rights advocate, and Sue Bradford - the country's most well-known beneficiaries activist" "I'd put my crew up against any other team in the house, especially on the issues of Maori rights, human rights, workers rights and the rights of the poor"

and Hone sums up well with

Mr Harawira said that the choice was simple "the Labour leader who is leaving town or the MANA team, fresh for the battle and with the experience and the courage to do the business"

The courage to do the business and what is the business?

to oppose the National / Act / Maori Party government selling off state assets, and slashing funding in health, education and welfare.

It's a family business, a whānau business - everyone's welcome - join the waka.

the keycup runneth over

I thought the teacup incident would die down as the spin merchants made it about privacy rights but I was wrong - this is now the big election angle for the left. The latest walkout by key will not go down well I think, his smarmy lies are not believed as easily, he has lost some of his political lustre as his true qualities come to the fore. key apparently said some smartarse comments about brash and the elderly and all of the opposition parties sense blood. They sense it because it is there - they hung everything on key but the forgot one thing - the man himself.

goff has a real opportunity now to assist key in losing it on camera at the last leaders debate. Forget economics and all of the bullshit and focus on credibility, needle him, provoke him and laugh at him and then watch the fireworks - they may not come but it will be fun anyway and what have you got to lose goff - not much.

comfortably numbers

I watched the 'leaders' debate last night with four friends aged 16, 25, 36 and 41. Unsurprisingly there was some humour but we all came away saying - "what about the real issues" What about the environment, what about clean water and air, what about people. Key and Goff are deep within the dominant paradigm of 'economic growth', economic this and that and they concentrate around this area because it is safe for them, it is numbers - they don't want to talk about real issues - hell that might make the debate messy. So goff got the hits in and key got the hits in and the adversial system was the winner on the day. You a liar! No, you a liar! - guess what - they are both liars and one of them will be the figurehead for this country, the so-called leader and that made us all wish for a better world. 

If we don't stand up and fight for a better world, for people, then we are doomed to more of their useless lines and dismal future.


Time to go in a different direction.



Hat tip for video - Tumeke

hey - what about us?

A lot has been said about the respective approaches that National and Labour have taken to their opening addresses and I agree with it. I listened to them both on the radio and they were a stark contrast indeed. What a bunch of overconfident gnats we have, resting everything on the key. He hasn't got it, he never had it and it is all starting to go crock for them. Good on labour for making a go of it with their historical approach - hell it may even snag some of those 'middle' voters both partys crave so much. It was glaring obvious from them both that tangata whenua were invisible. I have posted about the retirement age inequality and labour have shown their true colours over that - they don't care about the inequality. Well frankly i don't care about them, or the gnats. They are interchangable and the problem. The promises are coming thick and fast now and tangata whenua have heard it all before, as have many thinking people. The minor parties are where I am focused. The Mana Party is where my votes, support and energy are going. 

I agree with everything Andrew Geddis says in this post on Pundit.

That point is "John Key is National, and National is John Key". I can't recall him once mentioning anyone else in his Government in the entire 20 minutes. But I guess when you've got such a winner on your hands,

I also agree with QoT on this guestpost on The Standard

those of us clinging to a phantom hope of a Labour/Green/Mana-or-Maori coalition actually delivering good outcomes for women, non-whites, queers et al can surely, at this point, take it as read that your party gives not a shit for us if we’re in the way of taking power.

The whole goff 'we've got the balls' line is foul and deliberately contrived - you can bet Māori will be used too, if they think they can get votes from it. The election is on and heating up.

going to a happy place

Hone said he would resign from parliment and force a by-election and he has. That is integrity and bodes well for the Mana Party. They have the numbers and all the naysayers and poo-pooers are wrong - the support is there. It's time to get off the fence and get involved - here is the membership form - come and be a part of history.

For the record i think Hone will win big in the by-election because he is back to what he does best - talking and connecting with people. He will really shine in this campaign and as he does, his enemies will get more and more desperate - expect some real slime to come out - all to no avail though. Hone represents the people and they know it. 

Labour's Kelvin Davis will come a long way second and whatever his vote, his team will talk it up as some victory - probably because of the close win over the maori party candidate. Yes they will split the opposition to Hone vote and cancel each other out. I would have prefered labour to not stand a candidate for similar reasons to Eddie's excellent post on The Standard. 

The maori party must be really concerned and they have good reason - they have had so many chances to listen but they stubbornly refuse to conceed, that is now set in play and their fate is sealed.They also have something else very serious for them to consider - their big friend mr key is starting to hit some very soft sand and he has a lot more to get through before the election. Brash will irritate him and ACT will start polling and labour will get some hits in. His thin persona will crack as the brand is eroded piece by piece - we have already seen how vacuous he is in this excerpt from a BBC interview  - watch it and cringe (thanks irishbill and danyl). As things get tougher for mr key he will lose interest in his mates in the maori party - ACT will give him the numbers and the maori party will feel like a liability, a distraction, another irritant. 

Especially as in their desperation to show their independence, they will oppose him, and argue with him and not vote with the right team - after all he's given them - bloody cheek, let them save themselves I've got bigger problems to worry about. Another aspect of key is that he is a short timer - a wheeler dealer - not interested in going for a second term especially if the going gets really tough and his nice guy image takes a bashing - which it will as they introduce more and more pain and suffering for those who need support and protection, those who are disadvantaged in our society. The next leader of the gnats might not be so fussed on the maori party.


Can the left stop the right getting back in - maybe, but not with labour the way it is and not with goff there. Imagine this scenario - 

Hone announces a new political party that will focus on social justice and the disadvantaged in society. Values such as protecting the environment and equality are also there as well as a belief in maori self determination. Labour leader Phil Goff issues a statement welcoming this new political initiative that aligns with his party's beliefs and whilst he recognises that there are differences he fully supports and looks forward to his team working with the Mana Party team to fight the injustices and inequality initiated by the current national coalition government.

 Oh wouldn't that have been great, wouldn't that have shown courage and leadership - goff would have gone up in the polls and peoples estimation but no - we did not see that fictional scenario and that is why I only say maybe. I believe labour are going to get decimated this election and the Mana and the Greens will hold the balance of power and temper the worst excesses of the right coalition. Act will be there with the residue of the maori party and Winston will be nipping at their heels, back in the house.


The by-election is important but not as important as the General Election and the Party Vote - that is where the the power is wrestled. Join Mana and let's get the power back for the people.

the worse he calls it the better it is

It is generally acknowledged now that the labour leader phil goff has poor political radar or nous or as Idiot/Savant puts it, "Phil Goff has no virtù." I am sure goff disagrees but it is pretty obvious after the continued and consistent mistakes he has made, anyway we should consider carefully what Phil says because the opposite is likely to be true. Phil is saying this

NZH

He doubted Mr Harawira's party would have as much of an impact as Mr Harawira believed. "Will [Maori voters] go for an extreme option - Hone Harawira and the people he's got around him? "It's not my impression Maori will go for an extreme option."

Extreme - that is the joke of it all - policies that pander to a mythical middle, based on the latest polling, that play lip service to the disadvantaged are extreme not the Mana Party's kaupapa. That is a wonderful endorsement from goff really - the worse he calls it, the better it is.

Meanwhile Brash has taken offence at being called racist by Hone

"I find that grossly offensive. I think being called racist is almost the worst kind of insult," Dr Brash said. "To me a racist is someone who wants to discriminate against particular people. Well, my concern is that the Maori Party actually wants to create a privileged group of New Zealanders.

The Mana Party Don, not the maori party

I want all New Zealanders to have exactly the same rights under the law. He [Hone] wants to give a preference to Maori."

We are going to hear that one quite a bit. It dismisses the indigenous rights of maori, it ignores the Treaty of Waitangi, it disappears the statistics around maori which shows the truth not the 'privilege' and it is based on self interest, cowardness and racism. There are no 'same rights' Don - didn't you check out the latest replacement to the foreshore and seabed act? No equality there - the rights of maori are lessor than private owners. But this battle is not over facts but rather over ideologies and the cycloptic brash knows it all already.

wind-vain

You have to wonder about phil goff - languishing leader of the labour party. He has stated in the past that he wouldn't even talk with Hone after the election. Then he changed his story to a principled "let the people speak first" and now he has stated once again that - No! working with Hone or any party he may form. Grow up goff you are fooling no one. As Hone says, (NZH)

Mr Harawira said he doubted Mr Goff would hold his resolve if Labour found itself in a position to govern. "I absolutely guarantee you that if I form a new party and we have the seats to make a difference, he'll be ringing me as fast as he possibly can."

I feel a bit sorry for goff - he is out of his depth and floundering and the polls keep going down...

Good to see a poll showing strong support for Hone to set up a new maori party.

now what said I then

I have been looking for the quote from goff saying that he wouldn't work with Hone and Kiwiblog has just put it up - along with the current goff statement which says he would not rule out working with anyone, including Hone. As DPF states - it has only been two weeks between the two, opposite statements.

Come on goff get it together.

How about this scenario

Hone expelled
Goff rolled
Jones elected leader
Hone joins labour
Maori vote for labour
labour govern again with greens

I know, I know,  ... look, I can't stand labour but things are going to get very difficult with another 3 years of the gnats.

Hat tip - Kiwiblog

lay-goff-bore

Labour - what a joke. They are now not supporting the repeal of their Foreshore and Seabed legislation - it has become a farce goff says, let maori go to the courts he implores. Does he actually believe in anything apart from the frenetic desire to get power back?

My comment on The Standard is this

Well I spose at least the maori labour MP’s will maybe feel better about following their voting instructions now – it always seems weird that they and their team were supporting the repeal of labours own act. And if it becomes a festering sore for labour to inherit they can always do what they did before, can’t they – but it will depend on how many votes they think they will get or lose, as per usual.

But Tariana says it all with this comment from Stuff

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia mocked the change of heart from Labour.

"I would say they've been watching all the representations that have come to the committee. They think that every Maori in the country is against it, but what they don't realise is that there's not one Maori in the country that's forgotten what they did.''

I am against the Bill because I believe it doesn't empower maori. labour and goff are opposed because they might lose votes and that is why I won't vote for that party or that fake.

is that a swallow?

Well goff and his mates will be smiling.

As reported by TV3

'Labour is up in our latest 3 News Reid Research Poll – and the news for Goff personally is much better too.

Labour has jumped 3.6 percent to 30.8 percent – the highest the party has been at this year.

John Key has dropped almost six points to 49.9 percent as preferred Prime Minister – under 50 percent for the first time this year.

Phil Goff has finally made it past Helen Clark as the preferred Prime Minister; up 3.3 percent to 8.0"

Perhaps these comments from the TV3 website tell a story

"Kim @ 13 Dec 2009 7:01p.m.

I see the maori party hardly rate a mention in this survey. What a surprise ;)

"C @ 13 Dec 2009 6:46p.m.

I hardly think an uplift of less than 4 percent is a sign that the public is falling behind Phil Gaffe and his incompetent bunch of goonies. That's within the margin of error, and likely shows that this particular sample had a slight skew towards Labour supporters. Given his own people disagree with his speech, your tabloid style headlines suggesting Labour and Goff have made an impact is ludicrous.

Notwithstanding this perceptive comment, Team goff will be bolstered by this, so expect more of the same... sadly.

turn up the heat

goff to get grilling - nice. From wikipedia

"Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat from above or below. Heat transfer to the food when using a grill is primarily via thermal radiation. Heat transfer when using a grill pan or griddle is by direct conduction.

Direct heat grilling can expose food to temperatures often in excess of 260°C (500°F). Grilled meat acquires a distinctive roast aroma from a chemical process called the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction only occurs when foods reach temperatures in excess of 155°C (310°F).

So close... I wonder if mallard will be poking his beak in - can't imagine it.

Feel the heat goff and reflect on your divisive ways.

some left blogs on goff

watch my poll ratings

This story has a wee way to go but inital reactions are interesting. Thank you.

Good post by Lew at Kiwipolitico on goff here and here

Good post by Danyl at The Dim-post on goff here

Good post by toad at g.blog on goff here

Good post by Idiot/Savant at No Right Turn on goff here and here and here

And when you get to the point of asking "What the hell are we going to do about this?" Go and visit Maps at Reading the Maps - he discusses mr trotter and his likening of the maori party to the nazi party.

Maps shows a way forward instead of the sad old retoric of mr trotter and brash and goff. I cannot recommend Maps's article highly enough - it should be compusory reading for all people of this country.

brownlee into coromandel mining

Don't do it gerry.

"Some conservation land in the Coromandel could be used for mining, Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee says."

Mr Brownlee told Radio New Zealand today that there were areas of interest in the Coromandel.

"There are interesting areas in the Coromandel, and it will be controversial me even saying it, where there could be -- and I stress could be -- further gold mining activity," he said.

"I doubt it would be above ground, where those areas deemed to have relatively low conservation values but are currently locked up because they are deemed to have high values."

Once agin brownlee uses the 'could ' approach - gerry we are not stupid. And just read his last sentence again - what do you think he means?

"Coromandel Watchdog was involved in ending mining on the peninsular 20 years ago. Spokesman Denis Tegg told Radio New Zealand his group would fight the move. Land now considered lower value was regenerating and becoming more special as it was allowed to recover."

Mining would be devastating, he said.

"The experience we have from overseas and in some cases in New Zealand is that those tailings (toxic waste) cannot be contained forever."

The Greens say the value of the land for recreation and tourism was far greater than income from mining.

The party previously released figures showing there were 21 current mineral permits for prospecting and exploration, affecting 42 protected areas.

We will create more wealth and better lives for everyone by not mining. Mining is short-termism - it is designed to make a quick buck and leave the mess for future generations to sort out - it is yesterdays thinking.
 
What fossils and historic material will be destroyed. How many ecosystems will be disrupted.
 
What a godsend goff is to national at the moment - providing idiotic distraction from these mining and destruction plans - thanks for nothing goff.
 

Coromandel Bush

goff meet the reid boys

I am very angry with goff

Song for goff

Jesus and Mary Chain - In my hole from the album Psychocandy

Lyrics

Grass grows greener

On the other side
Corn grows sweeter
On the other side
And I watch, And I watch, And I watch
And I see too much
And I broke my face
And my head grows too much
God spits
On my soul
There's something dead inside my hole

In my hole
In my hole
In my hole

I step crueller
But less defined
Striped cats cooler
But so is mine
And I want to see
What I want to be
And I see me on a touching screen
And I'm dancing to a scream

God spits
On my soul
There's something dead inside my hole

In my hole
In my hole
In my hole

How can something crawl within
My rubber holy baked bean tin
It's god to me, it's god to me
It is heart and soul

Oh, heart and soul

This song is whitenoise with feedback - but it is bloody brillant - be warned though - it is full-on!
 

goff - knee jerk without the knee

I watched goff over the last few days and i agree with met.

"Green Party co-leader Meteria Turei has accused Labour's Phil Goff of playing the race card on changes to the emissions trading scheme.

Mr Goff claims the Government's negotiations to win support from the Maori Party for its plans means race-based legislation is in the offing."

goff has found a rich seam, as many have before him, and he is mining away. The sad aspect is that while he gets the hanky out because he is so offended and upset  - the opportunities for him to create a statesman-like presence and grasp the high ground for all people of this country are lost. But you have to be a stateman to take on that mantle and goff isn't. Not even close. He is an opportunist.

"The idea is some iwi who received forests in their treaty settlements would be given the right to plant trees on parts of the conservation estate and collect the carbon credits.

But Ms Turei says the there could be some merit in the proposal.

“It's not about being race based. It‘s about the value of those settlements and Labour can take some responsibility for issues around the valuation of settlements and themselves when they were in government. It’s a silly comment from Phil Goff and playing to the worst kind of politics,” Ms Turei says."

I agree - the WORST kind of politics and goff has been around since he used to ride his trike into the chamber, so he knows exactly what he is doing. No vision and no future goff.

"She says the forestry deal should have been part of the scheme anyway, and the Maori Party is selling its support cheaply and ignoring the long term interests of ordinary Maori."

Exactly! well said met - this is good leadership and a good model for goff - much better than the brash model he is using now.

phil whatshisname upset by hone

Hone has responded to goff - oh dear

"Near the end of his interview with Maori broadcaster Willie Jackson on Radio Waatea this morning, Harawira said Goff should be "lined up against the wall and shot".

Harawira: "I'm about to hammer Labour again, over Phil Goff saying I should be suspended, you know, from politics – the cheek of the bastard..."

Jackson: "Careful."

Harawira: "Him and his mates, no seriously, him and his mates are responsible for the passing of a piece of legislation described as the single largest land nationalization statute in the history of Aotearoa. Now if I should be suspended for swearing, him and his mates should be lined up against the wall and shot," Harawira said.

Harawira was referring to the passage of the Foreshore and Seabed Act, which National and the Maori Party are in the process of repealing.

Goff's office said the Labour leader would be holding a press conference early this afternoon to respond to Harawira's latest outburst."

Well you can't say that hone isn't consistant. i agree that phil whatshisname should stick to his knitting - he has no credibility.

This was my response to phil whatshisname earlier this week

"One standard for all phil? - then how come maori are in the bottom of so many statistics - how come you legislated against maori via the foreshore and seabed act. What happened to closing the gaps?

many maori aren't appalled by what he said - it's not news to anyone with a brain. But generally it is not starkly stated in the way that hone stated it - but don't think it isn't true goff.

perhaps phil you should concentrate on trying to get on Q & A instead of helen.

but at least you didn't get jones to deliver your lines."

Not much different to hone really.

Footnote
Well things have hotted up. phil is saying hone should go but i think that once again he has missed the boat. this from Pascal's bookie comment at the standard says it all.

"Should’ve used it as an opportunity to say Hone was right. Labour panicked and fucked up, he personally is sorry, the FSA was shit and that labour looks forward to a multi partisan resolution of the issue now that all the scaremongering about beaches and iwi/kiwi has been dustbinned." and

"I just don’t think Phil’s passive aggressive approach helps either.  If he’d said Hone was right and included in the sound bite in what way he meant he was right, he’d have been talking about an issue rather than the horse race, taking his lumps for labour’s failings, pointing to a new direction, starting to mend bridges with the mP, (who are under some stress at the mo), and putting pressure on the Nats to get this issue sorted in a progressive way. Which wouldn’t have been bad for an afternoons work. IMV"

I agree - imagine the kudos phil might have got from saying that - instead he just becomes another nobody.

goff has a go at hone

phil goff has a go at hone

"Labour leader Phil Goff says if one of his MPs made the sort of comments, they would be suspended from the party. He says New Zealand is a country where there is one standard for all and Mr Harawira's breach of that standard has appalled all New Zealanders including Maori. Mr Goff says he cannot recall another situation where an MP has made deeply offensive statements towards another ethnic group in the community."

ho hum - phil who?

One standard for all phil? - then how come maori are in the bottom of so many statistics - how come you legislated against maori via the foreshore and seabed act. What happened to closing the gaps?

many maori aren't appalled by what he said - it's not news to anyone with a brain. But generally it is not starkly stated in the way that hone stated it - but don't think it isn't true goff.

perhaps phil you should concentrate on trying to get on Q & A instead of helen.

but at least you didn't get jones to deliver your lines.

This is for both phil and hone.