Looking at the aftermath of their recent conference, you must wonder what makes the Labour Party tick if what was achieved is anything to go by. You’d be forgiven for thinking it was 10 years to the next election rather than two. It was an underwhelming event.
At the conference, as in government and now in opposition, they present themselves as the same old, same old: nothing new or innovative. Just like cows chewing their cuds, there they were ruminating over the same old done-to-death topics. Should it be a capital gains tax or a wealth tax? There always has to be a tax of some sort.
That little three-letter word is their whole world: to them, that is how you grow the economy. Tax the so-called ‘rich pricks’. It’s simple. Where they come unstuck is they have a habit, as I pointed out in a recent previous post, of ignoring the elephant in the room. In this case it is, as Margaret Thatcher said nigh on 50 years ago, that you “eventually run out of other people’s money”.
This dilemma does not seem to have occurred to them. Politicians on the left don’t think through the long-term consequences of their actions. They have little understanding of economics and, for evidence of this, you need look no further than UK Chancellor, Rachel Reeves.
At Labour’s recent conference, it looks like the CGT won the day on the basis that it is less onerous. This did not go down well with David Parker and his friends, who presented the wealth-tax idea.
It also appears obvious from the conference that they intend to continue to back their brothers and sisters in the Māori Party and support their version of the Treaty, co-governance and Māori wards. They were so keen to highlight this policy that they gave a prominent speaking slot to Willie Jackson.
How they think they can win an election by supporting a major issue that is at odds with the majority of voters is beyond me. Even Thomas Coughlan from the Herald was astute enough to point this out. So, long may they continue down this path.
The more centrist wing of the party seems keen on the idea of public-private partnerships when it comes to infrastructure, including involving iwi businesses. I suppose that’s one way of getting some of our money back, but the policy itself is simply a copy of what the current government is implementing.
As Bryce Edwards pointed out in an extensive article on the conference, Labour personified a lackadaisical approach, thereby missing an opportunity to show urgency and promote a real difference from the incumbent government.
Again this was true of their time in government where, apart from Ardern’s reign of terror, hard work was a step too far, although they did inflict it on others through excessive red tape and paperwork. They proved incapable of taking the country forward and achieved little of consequence.
Instead, they became mired in the very nonsense they still to support, i.e., the policies of race that are an anathema to most of us. They have lost touch with the working class: the very people they are supposed to represent. In the recent American election these people largely voted for Donald Trump.
Chris Hipkins is as much to blame for this state of affairs as anybody. It would appear from reading Bryce’s article that he was there for the sole purpose of protecting his own backside and shoring up support to remain as leader. Evidently playing nice to his Māori caucus is pivotal to this outcome.
Policies of division are the order of the day and no coherent economic policies: this was a Kamala Harris type event, a talkfest totally bereft of anything that might have appeal to the electorate at large.
