This is edition 2025/215 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Hi all,
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. Democratic Detonations.
Chris Trotter
- 🏛️ Winston Peters targets Labour voters: Peters sees an opportunity to attract Labour's voters, particularly older, Pakeha male supporters, to NZ First.
- 💥 Potential defections: Peters aims to spark defections from Labour to NZ First, using political detonations to shift support from left to right.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Labour's changing base: Labour's traditional supporters no longer feel at home in the party, especially with its progressive cultural shift.
- 🔴 Ideological discomfort: Many Labour voters are uncomfortable with the party’s stances on issues like gender identity and social conservatism.
- 🎤 Labour's shrinking membership: Labour has moved from a mass party to a cadre party, reducing democratic participation and leadership selection.
- 🏙️ Mt Roskill's uncontested nomination: Michael Wood’s uncontested nomination in Mt Roskill shows the lack of internal democracy within Labour.
- 📉 National’s similar shift: Like Labour, National has moved towards a cadre structure, limiting member participation at their conferences.
- 🔒 The power of debate: NZ First's old-style conferences provide a space for debate, attracting members who value democratic engagement and free speech.
- 💥 The detonator of democracy: Peters’ ability to create meaningful debate and engagement may be key in capturing disillusioned Labour voters.
