NZ POLITICS DAILY: Labour forces video surveillance bill backdown

The Labour Party seems to have turned a very electorally-dangerous issue into a victory with its compromise agreement with National over the Police covert video surveillance fixit legislation.

As Andrea Vance reports, "Labour has forced the government to back down over controversial video surveillance laws. After insisting the legislation go before a select committee before agreeing to support it, Labour has secured changes to more contentious aspects of the proposed law" – see: Labour gains changes to surveillance bill.

On the whole, National comes out of the whole saga looking weaker and less principled. Andrea Vance also covers this well in her opinion piece, Has Finlayson flunked?. But at what cost has Labour achieved this tactical victory?

Supposedly, the issue has fractured the party – see: Derek Cheng’s Labour split over hidden camera bill – Govt – but more importantly, Labour will have disillusioned some of it’s core supporters and activists with what Gordon Campbell calls a ‘cosy deal’ with National – see: On why the deal on Police covert video surveillance is a travesty. So has Labour compromised on what it said were the key points a week ago or was it about easy point scoring and political management?

The election campaign continues to heat up with all sorts of aggressive tactics and allegations being thrown around.

The Prime Minister’s unusual hosting of a Radio Live show is at the centre of current controversy – see: Labour complains over PM's radio show.

Smog (social media own-goals)

The issues were dealt with well yesterday by Graeme Edgeler’s On Cats and Coro, and today by Russell Brown’s The Politics of Absence. Interestingly, No Right Turn has labelled the affair as Labour's hypocritical complaint. The whole issue of online attacks and smog (social media own goals) is also dealt with by ODT political editor, Dene Mackenzie’s Social media force in elections. And Derek Cheng reports on the latest election billboards in Labour offers a bit of black humour.

Other important NZ politics reads for today include Susan Guthrie and Gareth Morgan’s Why the world wants to tax the rich, Chris Barton’s The death of public service television, Simon Collins’ Amnesty International criticises NZ Afghan detainee policy, Audrey Young’s Forces to 'talk, think and breathe' as one, and two items by Colin James: Partying is more important than policy and The Maori party's hard choice.

Bryce Edwards, NZPD Editor (bryce.edwards@otago.ac.nz)

Today’s content:

Police covert video surveillance

Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On why the deal on Police covert video surveillance is a travesty

Derek Cheng (NZH): Labour split over hidden camera bill – Govt

TVNZ: Goff hails victory in surveillance bill debate

Derek Cheng (NZH): Govt waters down hidden camera bill

Andrea Vance (Stuff): Labour gains changes to surveillance bill

Andrea Vance (Stuff): Has Finlayson flunked?

Economy

Susan Guthrie and Gareth Morgan (NZH): Why the world wants to tax the rich