NZ Politics Daily: 2012 predictions begin

The Labour Party's silence on the Ports of Auckland dispute is getting louder.

That’s what political and media commentator Denis Welch argues in a blog post that excoriates Labour for failing to show support for the workers, and suggests that the party are re-running its 1951 waterfront line of being ‘neither for nor against the watersiders’ (Neither um nor ah http://bit.ly/xNoPf9).

The insightful and cleverly written missive from Welch goes on to express concern that Labour’s rebuilding and redirection under David Shearer is akin to Richard Pearse’s doomed convertiplane: ‘Never mind that most of the electorate no longer has any idea what Labour stands for: party strategists are convinced that with Kiwi ingenuity, No 8 wire and lashings of aviation glue they can design a convertiparty capable of soaring into the political firmament. Unlike the old model, this baby will fly!’

According to Welch, Labour’s ‘fiendishly cunning plan’ is to create a political party that will be ‘all things to all people’.

Of course, a century ago Pearse was able to beaver away in his workshop with only the occasional snooping neighbour, but modern political parties have no such luxury. The advent of the political blog means that supporters, independents and political enemies have unprecedented opportunity to publicly comment on every facet of what parties do.

This issue of political communication continues to exercise Labour, particularly with its experimental MP’s blog Red Alert which has proved problematic for the party, and which the MPs are currently reviewing - see: Re-thinking Red Alert http://bit.ly/yZPDbV.

Trevor Mallard has bristled at suggestions on The Standard http://bit.ly/wIkFh0 that he and Clare Curran have dominated Red Alert – often with embarrassing results – and used it to promote policies they can’t get wider support for in caucus – see: Become an MP – lose your right to comment on policy http://bit.ly/yMTU7f.

Political blogging offers up a fascinating dilemma for parliamentary parties. On the one hand it provides a useful tool for discussing policy and gives party activists a public voice they previously didn’t have. On the other hand, the loudest voices are not necessarily those with the most to contribute. And of course it also opens policy discussions up to your political enemies, who are always quick to stir the pot – see, for example, Cathy Odgers': The Stranded Jumping The Shark http://bit.ly/xypcUv.

In Christchurch it seems to be a case of ‘do as I say, not as I do’, with the Government defending the decision of several of its departments to relocate outside the Christchurch CBD (at least for the medium-term). Ben Heather reports that Gerry Brownlie is dismissing criticism as political opportunism from Labour – see: Leases defy Christchurch CBD plan, Labour says http://bit.ly/wKWmIg . In fact, both the Central City Business Association manager Paul Lonsdale and the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce have also criticised the decision – see: Ben Heather’s Government agencies head to outskirts http://bit.ly/zUKiJp and RNZ’s Call for agencies to stay in Christchurch CBD http://bit.ly/zxp26Y.

In a city where constant aftershocks are threatening confidence more than buildings, the population of Christchurch would surely have expected the Government to lead by example. Either the Government departments are acting on an unacknowledged reality, which the Government hasn’t been honest enough to admit, or they are failing in their basic duty to lead the recovery where pure market forces will fail.

Elsewhere of interest, Vernon Small reveals some details about the cost of judicial travel (Millions spent on travel for judges and spouses http://bit.ly/zHjF3l), Bernard Orsman provides the latest update on the waterfront industrial dispute (Port begins moves to lay off workers http://bit.ly/A7Vxp6), leftwing blogger Scott Yorke playfully says he’s Looking Forward To That Blogging Money http://bit.ly/z1VJFO), and TV3’s James Murray blogs about yesterday’s article from Keith Ng, praising his innovative ‘Givealittle’ funding scheme for his freelance journalism (Keith Ng succeeds with a new form of 'user pays http://bit.ly/wcbqrQ).

Finally, to complement yesterday’s reviews of 2011, there are a raft of political predictions for this year – among the best are Gordon Campbell’s Mr Right or just a rebound fling? http://bit.ly/wsqF8F, the Fairfax team’s 20 political predictions for 2012 http://bit.ly/wnotYd, The Standard’s The political year ahead http://bit.ly/ABfpsz, and particularly Claire Robinson’s My political media picks for 2012 http://bit.ly/zKa5aV.

Today’s content

Ports of Auckland dispute
Denis Welch (Opposable thumb): Neither um nor ah http://bit.ly/xNoPf9
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Don’t do it David http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/01/dont_do_it_david.html
Robert Winter (Idle Thoughts): POAL, the Right and Mr Shearer http://robertwinter.blogspot.com/2012/01/poal-right-and-mr-shearer.html
No Right Turn: “The national interest” http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2012/01/national-interest.html
Robert Winter (Idle Thoughts): Ports: in the background http://robertwinter.blogspot.com/2012/01/ports-in-background.html
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Port begins moves to lay off workers http://bit.ly/A7Vxp6
TVNZ/Newstalk ZB: Ports of Auckland head into mediation talks http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/ports-auckland-head-into-mediation-talks-4683879

Labour Party blogging
Trevor Mallard (Red Alert): Become an MP – lose your right to comment on policy http://bit.ly/yMTU7f
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Comment of the day http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2012/01/comment-of-the-day-7/
Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): Looking Forward To That Blogging Money http://bit.ly/z1VJFO
Cathy Odgers (Cactus Kate): The Stranded Jumping The Shark http://bit.ly/xypcUv

Govt departments leave Christchurch CBD
RNZ: Govt departments move from Christchurch CBD http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/canterbury-earthquake/95705/govt-departments-move-from-christchurch-cbd
Ben Heather (Press): Leases defy Christchurch CBD plan, Labour says http://bit.ly/wKWmIg
Ben Heather (Stuff): Government agencies head to outskirts http://bit.ly/zUKiJp
Ben Heather (Stuff): Enticing business back to the central city http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/rebuilding-christchurch/6241354/Enticing-business-back-to-the-central-city
Herald: Labour questions Govt commitment to Christchurch rebuild plan http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10778046
RNZ: Call for agencies to stay in Christchurch CBD http://bit.ly/zxp26Y

Political predictions for 2012
Gordon Campbell (Stuff): Mr Right or just a rebound fling? http://bit.ly/wsqF8F
Fairfax: 20 political predictions for 2012 http://bit.ly/wnotYd
Claire Robinson (Spinprofessor): My political media picks for 2012 http://bit.ly/zKa5aV)
David Farrar (Stuff): Some 2012 political predictions http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/blogs/david-farrar-by-the-numbers/6171106/Some-2012-political-predictions
The Standard: The political year ahead http://bit.ly/ABfpsz
Whaleoil: Some predictions for 2010 http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2012/01/some-predictions-for-2012/
Herald: Editorial: 2012- what you can be sure of http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10776170

Ross sea rescue
Adam Bennett (Herald): Toothfish scramble 'too risky' http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10778122
Herald: Korean ship fire a wake up call to Govt – Greens http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10778106

Rena
Shane Cowlishaw (Stuff): Bill for Rena grounding now $25m http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/rena-crisis/6243297/Bill-for-Rena-grounding-now-25m
Jamie Morton (Herald): Clean-up eats into $25 million Govt kitty http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10778164
Warwick Rasmussen (Manawatu Standard): Editorial - Greenpeace makes meal out of the Rena http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/opinion/6246277/Editorial-Greenpeace-makes-meal-out-of-the-Rena

Food regulation
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): Fat study accuses fast food sponsors http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10778171
Jon Morgan (The Press): Should farmers be licensed to operate? http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/6239258/Should-farmers-be-licensed-to-operate

Fonterra
Stuff: Fonterra to cut wholesale milk prices http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/6241161/Fonterra-to-cut-wholesale-milk-prices
TVNZ/Newstalk ZB: Foodstuffs says milk price cut will be passed on http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/foodstuffs-says-milk-price-cut-passed-4683157
Herald: Editorial - Let market set what we pay for milk http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10778107

Other
Vernon Small (Stuff): Millions spent on travel for judges and spouses http://bit.ly/zHjF3l
Mike Smith (Standard): Cheques and Balances http://thestandard.org.nz/cheques-and-balances/
James Murray (TV3): Keith Ng succeeds with a new form of 'user pays' http://bit.ly/wcbqrQ
Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Memory in journalism http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/2012/01/memory-in-journalism.html
Stacey Wood and Paul Easton (Stuff): Secrecy bid over Hobbit studio mishap http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6245239/Secrecy-bid-over-Hobbit-studio-mishap
Patrick Leyland (The Progress Report): Early votes – the numbers http://theprogressreport.co.nz/2012/01/11/early-votes-the-numbers/
Gordon Campbell (Wellingtonian): Logie learning how to be an MP http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/opinion/6241407/Logie-learning-how-to-be-an-MP
Maria Slade (Stuff): Workers 'too pessimistic' about job market http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/6242593/Workers-too-pessimistic-about-job-market