Civil Society in Pakuranga
It's been a busy week both at work, and on the campaign trail - hence the scarcity of blog entries.
The campaign is moving up a notch this month, and we are moving on from strictly "on the ground" campaigning, and we're now beginning to get out and about meeting the people and groups that make up Pakuranga's civil society.
On Tuesday night I spoke at the Howick Rotary, and this went very well. It was an extremely pleasant evening and I couldn't have asked for better hosts. On arrival I was immediately led to the bar by my guide for the evening and shouted a beer, and this was followed up by a hearty roast dinner - a fellah couldn't really ask for much more on a cold Tuesday night. Around 50 people were in attendance from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Anyway, we then proceeded to my speech, which focussed on the differences between running a purisst free-market economic policy, and an economic policy that emphasises the need for co-operation, collaboration, and planning. It wasn't a party-political speech, and some interesting discussion followed. A big thanks to Howick Rotary for the opportunity to speak.
This Saturday it is Howick Residents and Ratepayers where I will be speaking on Labour's transport policy up against Maurice - the first head to head clash of the campaign!
10 comments:
So we have a campaign now do we...when is the election? or is only Labour supposed to know that.
Yeah, c'mon Michael... I mean, when they were in government, National always gave the opposition 6 months notice of an upcoming election date didn't they?
Erm, didn't they?
That’s rubbish. No one knew when an election was going to be under National. It always looked like things were going to fall to bits. Otherwise they just scrapped through by nabbing some of Winston's mates.
July 25th is a Monday spooksie.
In terms of the dates being leaked and then changed - everyone BUT Labour was talking about an early election (ie July) for months and months, and then Audrey Young had some out there idea about August 20th which no one else picked up on and now it's died a death. I really think you are far too keen to see conspiracy when there is none.
The election date is not the only thing that matters about an election campaign, far from it, and some on the right are going on and on and on about it as if it really was the most important thing in the world.
I think it is far more important that we start to find out parties' policies (not just National's tax stuff but also anything at all except tax and the foreshore and seabed from the Maori party).
We know the election is going to be in the next two and a half months, which is all we usually know at this time of the cycle.
What a non-issue. If Helen Clark is behaving "callously" by not yet naming the election date, then you'll have to concede that every New Zealand Prime Minister in living memory has been equally callous.
It's politics - everyone does it so it's a bit hard to be holier than thou about the matter!
Incidentally, I've yet to meet a single person outside the buzz of the blogs and media who cares!
fair enough spooky, you did say June.
i am not a member of the Labour party and never have been. in fact i stoke quite a fair dislike for it in my socialist belly, as you can see from many of the posts on my own blog. i am certainly not toeing the party line for them at all.
why do you have to be so nasty? i don't refer to right wing politicians by stupid demeaning nicknames, so why do you? it lowers the debate. you come across as totally frothing at the mouth.
"New Zealanders resent success....the Labour Party .... abhors successful people"
At least, spooks, you recognise that Labour best represents mainstream New Zealand!
But do 'successful' people by definition earn more than $60 000 by any chance?
What about all those people who you might deride as a 'failure' - child rearers, for instance, or lowly paid bus-drivers - but who contribute to the economic 'success' of others?
.... "I dislike the tall poppy syndrome that New Zealand has adopted and the inferiority complex that has caused New Zealand to lose its national spirit".....
New Zealand is far more self-confident under Labour and has the fortitude to ignore stupid American Presidents.
The tall-poppy syndrome exists in New Zealand but mostly regard to intellectualism and artistic creativity. New Zealand's corporate leaders do not suffer from it, in spite of the fact that on a world scale they are not very good at their job.
Spooks said:
"New Zealanders resent success....the Labour Party .... abhors successful people".
I asked spooks to define what he means by 'successful people'. He used the term and therefore should be able to define it.
Yes, you've bowed out of that debate, haven't you?.....Successful people are important to you, but you don't know who they are. Oh dear.
But you're very fond of it nonetheless....
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