Labour / NZ First Government

[Zaphod]

As a swinging voter, I look for/need both. Policy I believe in, that aligns with my personal values, and a party leader I like and trust (as much as one can ever trust any politician). National has not been able to provide me with any of that, for at least the last 10 years. Labour has not been perfect (who is?) but in a two party system, they have been the better option, for me.

I am always open to change, but at this point in time I see nothing ​in National’s policy or leadership that would earn my vote.

It’s pleasing to hear people are thinking about the substantive issues, and not just the fluff that gets jammed down our throat 24x7.
The NZ political scene has, at least in my view, been rendered very centrist over the last few decades, and rather boring compared to other democracies. That latter point may be a good thing!

[RupertBear]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122344543/sketch-by-prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-to-raise-money-for-charity-up-for-auction

WOW up to $14,000 already! Thats awesome

[iceman]

It's now official from the Auditor General that the PGF is nothing but a political slush fund. In most countries this would be called corruption:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...a-fund-to-task

[Bjauck]

It's now official from the Auditor General that the PGF is nothing but a political slush fund. In most countries this would be called corruption:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...a-fund-to-task

Yep. It should be renamed as the Shameless PBF - Pork Barrel Fund

https://cup.columbia.edu/book/pork-b.../9780231193597

[dobby41]

Yep. It should be renamed as the Shameless PBF - Pork Barrel Fund

Always was a bit of a PBF - not all bad but not all good either.

[fungus pudding]

Always was a bit of a PBF - not all bad but not all good either.

Not so. It is all bad.

[dobby41]

Not so. It is all bad.

We'll just have to disagree.

[dobby41]

It has been suggested by many that Labour is installing fear of covid to get them across the line.
It seems that Dr Skegg agrees that we should be less complacent.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/hea...e-experts-warn

A large Covid-19 outbreak would overwhelm contact tracing systems and force the country into lockdown, experts warn.

Epidemiologist Sir David Skegg says it is “almost inevitable” Covid-19 will reappear in the community, while a failure to act quickly could see New Zealand in the same situation as the Australian state of Victoria.

[iceman]

It has been suggested by many that Labour is installing fear of covid to get them across the line.
It seems that Dr Skegg agrees that we should be less complacent.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/hea...e-experts-warn

But suggesting Labour wants to run an election campaign on fear mongering only, doesn't mean people are suggesting complacency. Only that there should be more issues to consider during the election campaign than COVID.

[dobby41]

But suggesting Labour wants to run an election campaign on fear mongering only, doesn't mean people are suggesting complacency. Only that there should be more issues to consider during the election campaign than COVID.

What I was saying was Labour pointing out that there is still a pandemic out there isn't trying to campaign on fear - it is a reality.
And, yes, there are more issues out there but the main one, for the moment, is our economic recovery.

Unemployment down to 4.0%?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/122...n-june-quarter
This bit may be closer to the mark (and the subsidies haven't all come off yet)

Stats NZ estimated unemployment had risen to 6.2 per cent during the final week of June, but it said that weekly figure was based on a small interview sample of just 500 people.
The drop in official unemployment for the quarter also resulted from a larger decline in the number of New Zealanders looking for work.