NZ Politics Daily: Should Labour take a stand on the Maritime Union strikes

With the Maritime union expecting to be locked out soon there are increasing calls for Labour to take a stand at the Ports of Auckland. The most passionate being from Chris Trotter, who compares the situation to the major 1913 and 1951 waterside disputes. He says the defeat of the Maritime Union would enable a sustained attack on unions and workers across the country and that the left must rally to defend the port workers, even preparing to occupy the wharves: ‘Makes more sense than sitting in a pup-tent in Auckland’s Aotea Square’ – see: Chris Trotter: The Auckland Ports Dispute: An Injury To All http://bit.ly/zIMqtC.

Another must-read item on the issue comes from David Farrar see: The great port stand-off http://bit.ly/x56Hi6. In this Herald column Farrar says ‘The stakes are high for both sides. The losing side will be humiliated and powerless’. He also hints that when David Shearer does take a stand on the issue, it may not be one the unions will like. Farrar also strongly advises David Shearer to stay out of the ports dispute and his blog post, Don’t do it David http://bit.ly/wYbiuL, although, given Farrar’s relationship with National, this will be seen by many on the left as a sign that Shearer should jump in boots and all. As far as Cameron Slater is concerned, Labour and the Maritime Union are already far too close. Slater sets off in his usual style to prove this in The cozy relationship between Labour and MUNZ http://bit.ly/zn72p0.

It’s clear things are going to get worse before they get better at the Ports of Auckland. As Bernard Orsman reports (see 'Miles apart' after port talks collapse http://bit.ly/xJSRwZ) yesterday’s mediation failed to bring the dispute any closer to resolution.

A draft report from the Productivity Commission advocating privatisation and further restrictions on transport unions is being cited as evidence to support the ports company’s claim that change is needed (although Auckland is rated ahead of other local body owned ports such as Wellington) – see: Tim Hunter’s Partly float air and sea ports, says commission http://bit.ly/yGFXOv.

The Paganis have taken a stereoscopic approach to advising Labour, with former Labour candidate Josie Pagani saying the policy she had to push at the election was ‘miserable’ and not aspirational enough. She particularly targets the extension of the Working for Families tax credit to beneficiaries as undermining Labour’s appeal to ‘working’ voters - see: Workers lose faith in party with glum message http://bit.ly/yghECA.

Both Danyl Mclauchlan and Chris Trotter respond to the Paganis. Trotter says that John Pagani has taken the wrong lessons from Maggie Thatcher and that her political success came from her willingness to engage and take up a fight, rather than indulging in ‘compromising ideological u-turns’ – see: Facing Fearful Odds: A Reply To John Pagani http://bit.ly/yg7eCY. Danyl Mclauchlan at The Dim-Post focuses on the ‘growing the pie’ cliche used by both Josie Pagani and David Shearer, saying it is Act Party rhetoric and that over the past 30 years the extra pie has been consumed by ‘a small number of high net worth individuals’ – see: Mmmmm. Pie. http://bit.ly/Ay4UB2

Brian Gould responds to a recent Martin Robinson column (http://bit.ly/Aklxws) that argued inequality is inevitable and necessary. Gould, who as a leadership contender for the British Labour Party in 1992, is a keen observer of ‘Third Way’ politics and makes the case that even the wealthy end up worse off in a divided and unequal society - see: Blind faith in market robs nation of its full potential http://bit.ly/wTXEyn.

In other articles, Denis Welch may have coined a new term in Quakewash http://bit.ly/zNw2ZU, calling for the Government to come clean on the future of the Christchurch CBD. Tim Watkin has a very reasoned and balanced article on Brian Tamaki’s Destiny Town plans (see: Brian Tamaki goes to Destiny Town. Wanna come? http://bit.ly/xvIk33) - an issue which will grow given Pita Sharples’ very accommodating stance towards public funding for the project (see - Laura McQuillan’s Major govt funding could go to Destiny http://bit.ly/yZbOif).

Finally, there are some worthwhile recent articles that are not available online. The January-February edition of Metro magazine contains three very good political pieces. Simon Wilson’s editorial Nice guys finish first explains that the key ingredient to political leadership at the moment is ‘niceness’, and he predicts that the crunch issue in New Zealand politics in 2012 will be child poverty. Sean Plunket’s column, The other secret tape, humorously outlines the coalition negotiation conversation that might have taken place between John Key and John Banks. And David Slack’s has a very funny and clever satirical Captain’s log - David Shearer, new leader of the Labour Party, in which the new Labour leader takes the caucus on a futile teambuilding exercise to an aid camp in Somalia. But the best political item from the last week probably comes from Anthony Hubbard, who writes in the Sunday Star Times on the shallowness of democracy in New Zealand politics (Door closed on open democracy). Hubbard argues for more genuine participation amongst citizens – not only in the way the country is run, but also in our workplaces.  

Today’s content

Ports of Auckland dispute
Chris Trotter: The Auckland Ports Dispute: An Injury To All http://bit.ly/zIMqtC
David Farrar (Herald): The great port stand-off http://bit.ly/x56Hi6
Bernard Orsman (Herald): 'Miles apart' after port talks collapse http://bit.ly/xJSRwZ
TVNZ: Ports of Auckland accused of negligence http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/ports-auckland-accused-negligence-4685198
Tim Hunter (Stuff): Partly float air and sea ports, says commission http://bit.ly/yGFXOv
RNZ: Freight productivity report flawed – unions http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/95810/freight-productivity-report-flawed-unions
RNZ: Commission calls for more port company privatization http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/95794/commission-calls-for-more-port-company-privatisation
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): The cozy relationship between Labour and MUNZ http://bit.ly/zn72p0
No Right Turn: A deafening silence http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2012/01/deafening-silence.html
James Henderson (Standard): Stick a fork in Port management, they’re done http://thestandard.org.nz/stick-a-fork-in-port-management-theyre-done/

Labour Party
Chris Trotter (Bowalley Road): Facing Fearful Odds: A Reply To John Pagani http://bit.ly/yg7eCY
Josie Pagani (Herald): Workers lose faith in party with glum message http://bit.ly/yghECA
Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim Post): Mmmmm. Pie. http://bit.ly/Ay4UB2
Patrick Leyland (The Progress Report): Women on Labour’s front bench http://theprogressreport.co.nz/2012/01/12/women-on-labours-front-bench/
Vernon Small (Stuff): Labour abandons Waitakere challenge http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6252182/Labour-abandons-Waitakere-challenge
RNZ: Labour decides against electoral challenge http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/95840/labour-decides-against-electoral-challenge

Christchurch
Denis Welch (Opposable thumb): Quakewash http://bit.ly/zNw2ZU
David Farrar (Stuff): A timely u-turn http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/blogs/david-farrar-by-the-numbers/6252765/A-timely-u-turn
Press: Editorial - Council blunders http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/editorials/6249886/Editorial-Council-blunders
Timaru Herald: Editorial - Bob fixes it, a little late http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/opinion/6250549/Editorial-Bob-fixes-it-a-little-late

Destiny Church
Tim Watkin (Pundit): Brian Tamaki goes to Destiny Town. Wanna come? http://bit.ly/xvIk33
Laura McQuillan (TV3): Major govt funding could go to Destiny http://bit.ly/yZbOif
Jessica Tasman-Jones (Stuff): Concern over Destiny's call for funding http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6250545/Concern-over-Destinys-call-for-funding
Tahu Potiki (Press): Hints of hypocrisy in distaste for flashy Tamaki's real work http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/columnists/tahu-potiki/6250822/Hints-of-hypocrisy-in-distaste-for-flashy-Tamakis-real-work
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Mythbusting: Destiny’s Town http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2012/01/mythbusting-destinys-town/

Media
Herald: Editorial - Regional TV must sink or swim alone http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10778372
David Beatson (Pundit): Stratos is dead - who's next? http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/stratos-is-dead-whos-next
Toby Manhire (Listener): Demise of Stratos marks miserable time for NZ public TV http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/demise-of-stratos-kicks-off-shitty-year-for-nz-public-tv/
John Drinnan (Herald): TV3 hiring extra news staff amid rumblings http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10778341

Other
Adam Bennett (Herald): Outsourced aid part of foreign ministry cuts plan http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10778411
TVNZ: Treasury asks private sector for govt cost cutting ideas http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/treasury-asks-private-sector-govt-cost-cutting-ideas-4684356
Jared Savage (Herald): Benefit cheats: The $22m rip-off http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10778408
Brian Gould (Herald): Blind faith in market robs nation of its full potential http://bit.ly/wTXEyn
Vernon Small (Stuff): Beehive tackles leaks http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6248259/Beehive-tackles-leaks
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Closed tender bid queried by Labour http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/6250145/Closed-tender-bid-queried-by-Labour
TVNZ: Home ownership still out of reach for many <http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/home-ownership-still-reach-many-4684325
Sue Chetwin (Dom Post): Fonterra school scheme shouldn't stop price investigation http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/6248662/Fonterra-school-scheme-shouldn-t-stop-price-investigation
Eloise Gibson (Stuff): Landcorp 'will pay out $18m' http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/6250147/Landcorp-will-pay-out-18m
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Defending Dame Sian http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/01/defending_dame_sian.html
Anthony Hubbard (SST): Door closed on open democracy [Not available online]
Michael Field (SST): Californian slave labour law could sideswipe Kiwi fishing industry [Not available online]
David Slack (Metro): Captain’s log - David Shearer, new leader of the Labour Party [Not available online]
Simon Wilson (Metro): Nice guys finish first [Not available online]
Sean Plunket (Metro): The other secret tape [Not available online]