NZ Politics Daily: Len Brown and the Ports of Auckland

Len Brown may well be regretting going public about the ports dispute. He is looking like the meat in the sandwich by saying he ‘supports both sides’. With a strike in progress and the ports company indicating it will push through wholesale contracting out, Brown’s position appears to be based more on wishful thinking than on the reality of this rapidly escalating dispute – listen to Brown on RNZ’s Summer Report here (http://bit.ly/x2HjUr).

Bernard Orsman points out the contradiction between Brown’s denial that the company is planning to smash the union and collective agreement, and Ports CEO Tony Gibson saying they have already started the process of finding private contractors to replace striking workers. See: Port chief ready to replace striking union workforce (http://bit.ly/zOlGhR).

Having entered the fray, Brown politically now needs it to be resolved peaceably through negotiation. His influence with the unions is somewhat limited but, as the council is the sole owner of the ports, the management is directly accountable to the council.

For a leftwing view on the dispute, see James Henderson’s What’s really going on at Ports of Auckland (http://bit.ly/zngVhS) and his second installment (http://bit.ly/x7PRlZ).

Stuff reports that the break up of the Rena may add to the disruption as there is speculation that floating containers may prevent ships entering Tauranga at night – see: Jenny Keown’s Port pushes on with redundancy plan (http://bit.ly/xe1NkD).

There’s still plenty of advice being handed out to David Shearer, especially about how he can signal a break from Labour’s past by adopting new political positions. There are increasing signs that Labour’s own version of welfare reform may be one of those. Last week Trevor Mallard recommended a Guardian article in which the British shadow welfare spokesperson Liam Byrne questioned the extent of the modern welfare state, described by Mallard as a ‘sacred cow’ – see: UK Labour rethinking welfare state (http://bit.ly/ynfuv0). Yesterday the Dominion Post recommended the same article to David Shearer – see: Wooing workers Shearer's challenge (http://bit.ly/xDeI6f).

John Pagani has a similar recommendation, drawing inspiration from a very different British political figure – see: Why you should see the Maggie Thatcher movie (http://bit.ly/yLOTAQ). His prescription for Shearer: ‘Labour will need to be trusted to reduce public debt, reform the welfare system and reward success for families in suburbs and provincial cities and towns.’

Mike Smith from The Standard and Chris Trotter in The Press are both very suspicious of such advice. Smith argues that ensuring beneficiaries have enough to live on is entirely consistent with the policies of the first Labour Government when it introduced the modern welfare state - see: Home advice better for Shearer (http://bit.ly/Ayr5Mk). Trotter argues that Shearer’s talk of ‘growing the pie’ is nothing new and actually represents the same fundamental economic policy that Clark and Cullen pursued –see: Labour's turning of the page seems to be backwards (http://bit.ly/xi0Q0h). 

Finally, Toby Manhire outs John Key’s cultural priorities in John Key puts NZ artists in their place (http://bit.ly/zAzywu), and following on from this Scott Yorke humorously speculates on future New Zealand literature awards – see: McCaw, Carter Supreme Winners At Literature Awards (http://bit.ly/weGy5q).

Today’s content:

Ports of Auckland dispute
RNZ: Mayor urges port, workers to resolve dispute http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/95613/mayor-urges-port,-workers-to-resolve-dispute
RNZ: Auckland port company sticks to plan http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/95576/auckland-port-company-sticks-to-plan
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Port chief ready to replace striking union workforce http://bit.ly/zOlGhR
TVNZ: Ports of Auckland looks to contractors to run wharves http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/ports-auckland-looks-contractors-run-wharves-4680998
Jenny Keown (Stuff): Port pushes on with redundancy plan http://bit.ly/xe1NkD
Stuff: Ports of Auckland situation 'critical' – Brown http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/6229995/Ports-of-Auckland-situation-critical-Brown
No Right Turn: Len Brown shows his true colours http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2012/01/len-brown-shows-his-true-colours.html
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Well done Len http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/01/well_done_len.html
Socialist Aotearoa: Len Brown is a scab http://socialistaotearoa.blogspot.co.nz/2012/01/len-brown-is-scab.html
James Henderson (Standard): What’s really going on at Ports of Auckland http://bit.ly/zngVhS
James Henderson (Standard): What’s really going on at Ports of Auckland 2 http://bit.ly/x7PRlZ

Public sector
Adam Bennett (Herald): Stockholm embassy to be closed, says Goff http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10777669
RNZ: 200 jobs set to go at MFAT http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/95585/200-jobs-set-to-go-at-mfat
Vernon Small (Stuff): Peters: Foreign Affairs cuts a retrograde step http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6231861/Peters-Foreign-Affairs-cuts-a-retrograde-step
Christine Linnell (Herald): Brain drain in government departments http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10777617

Labour Party
Mike Smith (Standard): Home advice better for Shearer http://bit.ly/Ayr5Mk
John Pagani (Stuff): Why you should see the Maggie Thatcher movie http://bit.ly/yLOTAQ
Patrick Leyland (Progress Report): Early votes http://theprogressreport.co.nz/2012/01/09/early-votes/
Mike Williams (Pundit): Lessons from a recount – where Labour went wrong http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/lessons-from-a-recount-%E2%80%93-where-labour-went-wrong
Trevor Mallard (Red Alert): Mike Williams on the election http://blog.labour.org.nz/2011/12/28/mike-williams-on-the-election/
Chris Trotter (Press): Labour's turning of the page seems to be backwards http://bit.ly/xi0Q0h
Fiona Rae (Listener): David Shearer’s next mission http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/editorial/david-shearers-next-mission/
Trevor Mallard (Red Alert): UK Labour rethinking welfare state http://bit.ly/ynfuv0
Clare Curran (Red Alert): Re-thinking Red Alert http://blog.labour.org.nz/2011/12/29/re-thinking-red-alert/
Waitakere News: The many and varied ways Waitakere electors split their votes http://waitakerenews.blogspot.com/2011/12/many-and-varied-ways-waitakere-electors.html

John Key on culture
Toby Manhire (Listener): John Key puts NZ artists in their place http://bit.ly/zAzywu
Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): McCaw, Carter Supreme Winners At Literature Awards http://bit.ly/weGy5q

Education
Jessica Tasman-Jones (Stuff): Destiny Church may get funding for new school http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/6233209/Destiny-Church-may-get-funding-for-new-school
Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim Post): Chart of the day, no dark sarcasm edition http://dimpost.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/chart-of-the-day-no-dark-sarcasm-edition/

Environment
Phillip Mills (Waikato Times): Time to embrace flourishing green future http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/opinion/6229460/Time-to-embrace-flourishing-green-future
Theresa Clifford (Spiked): It’s time to mine New Zealand’s potential http://bit.ly/wJvGjQ

Other
Tim Watkin (Pundit): New Zealand's new Pacific role, as the US moves in http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/new-zealands-new-pacific-role-as-the-us-moves-in
Maria Slade (Stuff): Indonesia opens door to NZ http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/6232768/Indonesia-opens-door-to-NZ
Ian Steward (Stuff): Capital scores in gay union stakes http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6226596/Capital-scores-in-gay-union-stakes
Waikato Times: Editorial - Food Bill edicts under fire http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/opinion/editorials/6229440/Editorial-Food-Bill-edicts-under-fire
Taranaki Daily News: Editorial - Breakfast - the first subject of the day http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/opinion/6233183/Editorial-Breakfast-the-first-subject-of-the-day
ODT: Editorial - Hopes, dreams and Lotto http://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/editorial/193787/hopes-dreams-and-lotto
Listener: Editorial - Taming the media http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/editorial/taming-the-media/
APNZ: Michael Laws back to berating media http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10777675
Newswire: Cabinet to decide on February 22 holiday http://www.3news.co.nz/Cabinet-to-decide-on-February-22-holiday/tabid/423/articleID/238654/Default.aspx