Missing Helen? Really?
“I miss Helen” badges are on sale at the counter of Wellington’s Unity Books. One wonders if any badges were sold to members of Labour’s caucus.
Unity is one of the country’s most successful retailers and I’m not getting at them.
They know their client base is a fairly large patch of the bookish Left (although its owners might be surprised at how many of the bookish Right also use the shop) and having those little trinkets displayed so prominently – next to Denis Welch’s book lamenting why Clark was not more left-wing in government – is a piece of good branding for the business.
But the badges’ message underlines the level of backward-looking denial which still runs deeply through Labour and its support base.
So, for that support base: here is a heretical thought.
Helen Clark was a disastrous leader for Labour and until the party realises this it will remain mired in low polling nostalgia-land.
The most significant political event of Clark’s time leading Labour was the party’s loss of the Maori vote. A large chunk of it vamoosed to New Zealand First in the first election Clark fought as Labour leader.
Labour had been able to count on that vote since the early 1930s. Although it came back in 1999 and 2002, the bond was broken.
That poses a double threat to Labour next election. The risk for Labour was always that the 2011 election will be for Labour what 2002 was for National.
New Zealanders do not normally do one-term governments. We have only ever had two of them since the rise of organised political parties post-1890.
Even a new government should, given the current economic recession, be taking some big hits in the polls right now. The fact it is not suggests National is high favourite to win a second term.
The risk for Labour – and this is one reason why the party’s MPs are so frantically marketing to their base and not any further – is that a considerable proportion of its voters will do what a considerable proportion of National voters did in 2002.
They split in two directions.
Some went to Act, to give National ‘backbone’.
Others went to United Future, as a way of moderating what was seen as an inevitable Labour government.
A likely replay next time is Labour voters splitting towards the Greens on the one hand and the Maori Party on the other.
That could easily see Labour dip below National’s disastrous 22% of the vote in 2002 – and make at least two more terms in opposition inevitable.
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Comments and questions45
Helen Clark was never in politics for any other reason than herself. For the same reason she's with the UN. The difference between her and John Key is that he doesn't do the job for the money (he could make far more elsewhere) he does it because he believes in doing something for New Zealand.
I think John Key was foisted on New Zealand by US interests who wanted a reliably pro Israel foreign policy here. Who better than John with his Jewish background and his career at Goldman Sax. This is usually what happens when the US takes over a country. Surely there are some uncomfortable echoes of Hamid Karsi, an expat with a long history in a US multi-national. Think about it.
Key worked for Merrill Lynch
Hard bunch to please us kiwis! I voted National for the first time ever and still happy with the decision. Give the man some room...
Clark's only piece of community friendly and usefull legislation was the 'dog leash law'; otherwise she was an absolute disaster.
The country wont miss her , simply because of the hole that she has made in the future economic viability for NZ with her misguided policies
Bob - the dog leash law is useless as well, because all it does is add costs to the law-abiding dog owners whose dogs were already locked up/properly controlled/trained etc. anyway - the people with the dangerous poorly controlled dogs take no notice, just as they ignored the previous legislation
I will never forget Whats her name.
She was good for me ,when she lobbied for us girls to make it legal for us to sell our bodies on street corners, and main street brothels.
I can't believe that John Key and his National party is good for the country. His record for lining his own pocket through knowledge of government business is well established. In the mean time, as the largest employer in the country, he cuts into the consumer confidence of the nation by threatening every civil servant's job and reneging on previous government promises to give a pay jolt to really underpaid government staff such as teacher aides. This recession is longer and deeper than it needs to be because a government led by businessmen inexperienced in the business of government is exactly what we don't need. We need consumer confidence to lift us out of the doldrums and John Key, while inspiring electorate confidence, is sorely lacking when it comes to engendering consumer confidence. The retail, housing and GDP numbers don't lie!
Helen who???
The best thing we ever did was to vote her out, she was an absolute disaster for this country, only there to feather her own nest for her future, feminised her male counterparts, so that the labour party is now void of real blokes, just a lot of dithering old men.
The hard core that has taken over don't represent the labour party of old , they, like aunty Helen are only in for their own agendas.
It has nothing to do with what is good for this country, only to do with accademic power, and lets be honest they are the worst kind of people to run a country (something we've just experienced in the last nine years) and touch the finances, they haven't got a clue, they've never been in a proper job to earn wages and pay taxes, just bludged their way along.
For a book shop to now be selling "I miss Helen" buttons, how pathetic! But then again what else can you expect from accademics they just don't live in the real world.
For Gods sake(and ours) GROW UP!!!
There are still people in NZ who in denial of what Helens personal agenda was.
It was always about her and she used NZ as a personnel experiment to test her years of political studying. Shamefully there were plenty who took the opportunity to jump in the trough with her.
So why is she not living in the utopia she engineered….because it was all about Helen. Shame, shame, shame New Zealand you let this happen!
Spoken like a true Civil servant aye Bruce, frightened that you just might have to go out and find a real job.
Boohoo!
Welcome to the real world, you know, the one where redundencies are a fact of life, there's no job for life for the rest of us, we just slog our guts out to pay for the almighty civil servant, while he/she fritter away our hard earned taxes on any little brainstorming whim that they think up over their coffee, paid for by us mugs the tax payer.
Latest polls Bruce E ,YOU MUST HAVE MISSED THEM,or what planet are you from.
Helen did many good things for our country and the people who need it the most. Working for families, interest-free student loans, vastly improved health outcomes like nearly halving our shameful suicide rate, big budget surpluses... As long as NZ has a sizeable portion of the population who are not reaching their potential, they will be a drain on health and social services, they can't contribute to the economy or communities and it makes NZ a less attractive place to live - we will all benefit by doing something about this. Sure, individual responsibility is part of the solution, but as a society we can and have to take steps to promote the changes.
Business did well under Labour - from an objective perspective, I've yet to understand why National voters think National is good for them - what do they actually do that's good for business? The main thing that Labour didn't do well was really promote their achievements.
Helen was also involed in many community activities for years (rugby league etc), unlike John Key who came to government with no history whatsoever of community involvement. His job is to serve the country, but without any history of this, you really have to question his intentions. Currency trading is a job for boring, selfish people. I have yet to see him show what he stands for, his values, his vision and to translate that into action that is supported by the evidence. He can't even remember if he was for or against the Springbok tour! As this government cuts anything and everything that has a long-term, strategic focus, in favour of short-term vote-winners, its obvious what their priorities are pulling the wool over the eyes of the uninformed at great cost to this country in the long term just to get another term so they can start selling our assets etc.
Unity Books obviously has some tie up with Tui Bewerry.
Any shop selling em up here in Auckland?
Absolute gold. I know so many people who would find one of these absolutely hilarious.
I know... how about a Labour fundraiser... selling Bring Back Helen buttons.
I would buy hundreds of them.
LONGEST waffle post comes from a Govt employee..I'm s/employed , short post. .Helen never experienced a real job therefore no vision....Wanna a Helen badge too...would pin it on my dogs name tag...
Is this yet another example of poor reporting in NZ?. The badge actually reads "I missed Helen".
Rob Muldoon is remembered for Reds under the bed, go him in power, and Think Big got him kicked out.
Helen Clarke is, aaaaaaah who is she, oh I remember Government Knows Best, GKB. sounds alot like KGB but twisted.
Labour destroyed the work ethic of hundreds of thousands of NZs by making them believe they didnt have to work for survival,just look at the social welfare dependents Clark, King, and of course too sweet to be wholesome Cullen rained on the gullible,the country is now a nation of beneficiares,still believing in the outdated Clark Culture.Miss Helen?yeah right,just like her partners Simpson and Wilson,who have now hopefully rented themselves out to Burma to teach them some new tricks,or even the United clark Nations
Sorry Mignin, teh reason Labour didn't promote their achievements, is because they didn't have any 'real world' achievements.
Working for families, interst free student loans, 20 hours Free(/) early childhood,and blown-out Health expense with no visible improvements are not sustainable, no matter how may bureaucrats and administers they may occupy.
These excesses are going to have to go, as the country can't afford them, people will ahve to be weaned of the idea of someone else paying for their 'life-style.
Clark never generated the income that Cullen heavily taxed, this income came from the ptrvious governments development of sustainable infrustructure and employment freindly economic policies. That the Bruces, and Mignons of the country can't recognize this is going to make their person readjustment to the future very painfull.
I sugest thta they start rethinking their attitudes to 'Income' and its source.
YEAH-LIKE I would cancer or open sewerage drains.
Anyone who thinks they miss that woman-like person without having read "'Absolute Power" is hiding in the rubble of Hell-in-ism. It and Cull-him are lucky to have not been charged with treason. Shows what a strange justice system we have!!
I have to agree with Kenneth - I guess the first Tui billboard with this on it will be up by Wednesday 3pm.
Anyone else for the sweepstake?
Spending money is easy - and Labour did plenty of that - Labour should be assesed on what it set out to do and all that it achieved
- be the first woman Prime Minister o NZ (oops Jenny did that)
- get a second term
- get a third term
- get Helen into a UN job
Labour achieved their goals.
Chris Pearson is clearly a Winston First supporter with his off the wall comments. One who still believes in the ''Protocols of the Elders of Zion' and the vast Jewish conspiracy. Guess he would be equally at home in Nazi Germany or Slalinist Russia.
Off you go then and daub a few synagogues to get the hate out of your system.
Meanwhile in the real world .............
I recall the NZ voter installed John Key ,we call the shots,if you need a conspiracy theory The Aussie Commie from the Greens was not installed by the NZ voter.
But my aim is improving ....
Helen WHO
Govt & Local Govt can't seam to work out they Dont generate any income to support NZ. It is buisiness that needs the support
4,3 Mill in NZ only 1,4 Mill paying Tax.
70% in NZ on some form of Bennift !!!
Ausi Turns over 180. Billion per Annum
NZ Turns over 4.3. Billion per Annum
My shoulder are broad but i cant carry YOU Bludgers for ever
Plumber Bill
You are so right Bill The Plumber----( Bob's mate ???)-All you loopy labour supporters- please read and absorb Bob's numbers and statement. People who support labour have got to be no hopers=as in having no ambition to soar-OR bludgers. Labour academics are both !!!
Plumber Bill, just amazed at some other dreadful stats that Helen, Micheal and Annette have left for us (the poor 1.4M tax payers that is)
300+ people getting more than $1000 per week on benfit.
Top ranking goes to Mr and Mrs Breader: 10 kids, $1200 per week, 15 years on the take. Tax payer wants the best for the kids Annette King is telling us, you bet we do. Don't allow Mum and Pop Breader to milk the system another day. Let Helen get funding from the UN.
Do we miss Helen? Not half as much as some of the 300+ benefit milkers will in a few years, hopefully drinking at the Govt teat is going to end.
"We need consumer confidence to lift us out of the doldrums" Brucee get real!
What we need is for the productive industries to be able to get on and produce efficiently, without the numerous back stabbing policies foisted on them by Clarke and Cullen's disastrous policies.
What a legacy that for the economy to grow it has to rely on citizens spending their savings on goods that in the main do very little to improve their lives. For so many all that happened was they ended up with unsustainable debt.
Hell no. But I ,too, hope my aim improves. i am working on it with my little pea shooter! BUT-I do hope TUI are working on those bill boards-cannot wait to see them.
I can do a better job.
Should strike fear into all politicos, including but not limited to Helen. And before some whinger complains that I'm not - I've already joined a political party to do just that.
They used to say... on election day use your cross wisely and crucify a politician! With Key we finally have a non-politico at the helm... fabulous.
With Tourism as part of his brief, Key should really have a look at Tourism New Zealand, i-Site and anyother Tourism related Agency e.g. Qualmark.
ALL of Helen's political appointees should be culled from TNZ, the AA should get the controlling interest in Qualmark (to get commercial thinking going) and drop-kick the innumerate drop-kick running it back to 'Public Service)and i-Site should be managed by those NOT connected to TNZ sinecure providers.
Then the Industry could be 100% Purely non-political.
Miss Clarke? - no
YOU mean MRS DAVIS OF COURSE-She's not miss. BUTprobably soon will be now that her marriage of convenience to the man in the blue suit is no longer an employment requisite. Will HE still qualify to be airfreighted out of U.S.A.??
Could someone please answer the above question from frank_ i am curious too.
Please use your spell check before posting your comments!
VALENTINA-Puerile!! And I do not need a spell check.I know what I meant and so do you. You Labour supporter.Could you please just answer the question.AND-these posts are riddled with spelling errors.It seems they are only commented upon when the writer cannot attack the argument and maintain integrity. YES ???
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