NZ Politics Daily: Labour under attack

David Shearer has officially resurfaced from his holiday break today only to face a blistering critique from leftwing commentator Chris Trotter in the form of An Open Letter to David Shearer http://bit.ly/wLs6qG.

Trotter excoriates the new Labour leader for his attempt to stay neutral in the Ports of Auckland industrial dispute, suggesting that Shearer and his party are just as ‘guilty’ as the employers in the bitter class struggle on the waterfront front. But more than this, Trotter questions whether the Labour Party has simply become ‘an alternative set of political managers’ to National, without any real principles, but rather positions ‘dictated by opinion polls and focus-groups’.

Trotter is not alone – leftwing commentator Denis Welch has launched another strong attack, accusing the party of being cowardly in Lying low http://bit.ly/yGYjE7. Not all politicians are so reluctant to take sides in the dispute, however, and Jenny Keown has a very interesting report on the 28 Auckland Council local board members who are throwing their support behind the striking workers – see: Auckland board members weigh in on port dispute http://bit.ly/yTW0Q1

Meanwhile, the port workers have announced further industrial action, the CTU is escalating its involvement, and the Maritime Union’s ties to the International Transport Workers Federation are now being referred to, which raises the prospect of other ports around the world refusing to unload cargo from the Ports of Auckland – see: Port says strike strengthens resolve http://bit.ly/zHHRmu.

Although David Shearer has been assumed to be on holiday until now, Audrey Young’s report, Time on the board has Shearer raring to go http://bit.ly/zc2qTi, reveals that the leader returned to work at Parliament last week and is organising quietly to re-orientate and rebuild the party.

John Hartevelt also reports on the ‘in-depth thinking’ that has been going on in Labour over the break and gives his opinion on the future of Red Alert, pondering the peculiar ‘staccato style’ that Clare Curran and Trevor Mallard employ in their posts – see: A new year's resolution for Labour? http://bit.ly/zIRiA3

Colin James’ ODT column today is superb – see: Why inequalities have come back into politics http://bit.ly/w9L0jH. It outlines how issues of unequal wealth and income are becoming politicised on a significant scale, and that this is reflected in not only the global Occupy movement, but also among the Establishment and the political right. He forecasts that the politics of inequality ‘will be this year's most serious political show’.

Further signs that issues around mining and drilling will play an important part in domestic politics can be seen in a number of items today. Most interestingly, Phil O’Reilly (of BusinessNZ) makes a good case for an open debate on the issues in his NZ Herald opinion piece, Let’s talk about using our resources http://bit.ly/xVRGd7 .

Clearly the energy and extractive industry is preparing itself for the political struggle, as can be seen in TVNZ’s report, Oil industry to fight harder with new CEO, new budget http://bit.ly/z3DL0I. More details of the reality of oil prospects on the East Coast are to be found in Matthew Backhouse’s East Coast not 'the Texas of the south' - NZ oil expert http://bit.ly/ydcATP. And the Labour Party signals its opposition to such developments in TV3’s NZ future not as 'Texas of the South' – Labour http://bit.ly/Av1HZP.

The politics of the earthquake rebuild continue to be battled out in Christchurch, especially with the Eastside of Christchurch continuing to be neglected. Related to this, there is a protest planned outside the City Council office for February 1 – which is explained in Steven Cowan’s blog post, Somewhere over the rainbow http://bit.ly/xDgLlT. A Press editorial picks up on the problems, too, but suggests a more moderate solution – see: Reach out to the East http://bit.ly/xl8WYo.

Finally, Matthew Grocott of the Manawatu Standard provides a critical update on what’s happening on university campuses this year following on from voluntary student membership legislation (Students the losers in new legislation http://bit.ly/xzJvqZ) and Radio NZ covers the operations of iPredict (listen here http://bit.ly/xdJNRV). 

Today’s content

Ports of Auckland dispute
Chris Trotter (The Press): The Auckland Ports Dispute: An Open Letter To David Shearer http://bit.ly/wLs6qG
Denis Welch (Opposable thumb): Lying low http://bit.ly/yGYjE7
Jenny Keown (Stuff): Auckland board members weigh in on port dispute http://bit.ly/yTW0Q1
Robert Winter (Idle Thoughts): Wrong: Eddie at "The Standard" http://robertwinter.blogspot.com/2012/01/wrong-eddie-at-standard.html
Waikato Times: Editorial - Shearer's first challenge http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/opinion/editorials/6267684/Editorial-Shearers-first-challenge
TVNZ: Wharfies gain more support, prepare for sixth strike http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/ports-auckland-s-wharfies-prepare-sixth-strike-4690245
28 Auckland Council Local Board Members: Position on Ports of Auckland dispute http://roskillcommunityvoice.blogspot.com/2012/01/position-on-ports-of-auckland-dispute.html
Jenny Keown (Stuff): Ports dispute 'top CTU priority' http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/6264117/Ports-dispute-top-CTU-priority
Jenny Keown (Stuff): Port says strike strengthens resolve http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/6266301/Port-says-strike-strengthens-resolve
Murray Sherwin (Herald): Councils' role key in our vital ports http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10778923

Mining and oil
TVNZ: Oil industry to fight harder with new CEO, new budget http://bit.ly/z3DL0I
Matthew Backhouse (Herald): East Coast not 'the Texas of the south' - NZ oil expert http://bit.ly/ydcATP
TV3: NZ future not as 'Texas of the South' – Labour http://bit.ly/Av1HZP
James Henderson (The Standard): Texas of the South Seas? http://thestandard.org.nz/texas-of-the-south-seas/
Jeanette Fitzsimons (Dom Post): The high cost of lignite projects http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/6262007/The-high-cost-of-lignite-projects
Phil O’Reilly (Herald): Let’s talk about using our resources http://bit.ly/xVRGd7
Claire Browning (Forest & Bird): The Exclusive Economic Zone: for sale http://blog.forestandbird.org.nz/the-exclusive-economic-zone-for-sale/
Mike Britton (Press): Mine plan adds to plateau's struggle http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/perspective/6267171/Mine-plan-adds-to-plateaus-struggle

Labour Party
Audrey Young (Herald): Time on the board has Shearer raring to go http://bit.ly/zc2qTi
John Hartevelt (Stuff): A new year's resolution for Labour? http://bit.ly/zIRiA3
Dene Mackenzie (ODT): Robertson relishing new responsibilities http://www.odt.co.nz/news/politics/194506/robertson-relishing-new-responsibilities

Inequality
Colin James (ODT): Why inequalities have come back into politics
http://bit.ly/w9L0jH
Cathy Odgers (Cactus Kate): Inequality and Poverty Debate - Winging It Like The Left http://asianinvasion2006.blogspot.com/2012/01/inequality-and-poverty-debate-winging.html

Christchurch
Steven Cowan (Against the Current): Somewhere over the rainbow http://bit.ly/xDgLlT
The Press: Editorial – Reach out to the east http://bit.ly/xl8WYo

Other
Audrey Young (Herald): McCully vows to scrutinise Foreign Affairs cuts http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10779181
RNZ: Online prediction service seen as more accurate than polls http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/96143/online-prediction-service-seen-as-more-accurate-than-polls
Richard Cornes (Dom Post): Judicial transparency needs rethink http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/6266194/Judicial-transparency-needs-rethink
Amelia Romanos (Herald): Labour repeats call for abuse group after baby's death http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10779069
Gareth Hughes (Frogblog): Southern Ocean whaling, send in the navy! http://blog.greens.org.nz/2012/01/16/22134/
The Press: Editorial - Food fears http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/editorials/6266260/Editorial-Food-fears
Kate Wilkinson (Dom Post): Food deserves better scrutiny http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/6266193/Food-deserves-better-scrutiny
Jared Savage (Herald): Foreign crooks exploit weak NZ laws http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10779202
Anna Leask (Herald): Armed offenders callouts soar http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10779205
Matthew Grocott (Manawatu Standard): Editorial: Students the losers in new legislation http://bit.ly/xzJvqZ