The Nation and Q+A review

The Nation
A week is a long time in politics isn't it? Most of the mainstream media in the wake of Chris Carters tantrum had written Goff as a leader and Labour off as a party - I argued...

That economic downgrade when put alongside Key's promise that people would be better off under his GST tax rise used to fund tax cuts for the rich, means voters will be willing to listen to what Labour have to say for the first time since they voted for 'change' under Key. The challenge for Labour is to have the answers ready.

...and that argument is now being acknowledged...

Labour gets back into the game
Fran O'Sullivan
Out of nowhere Goff has been dealt some valuable cards. Just weeks ago Phil Goff's leadership looked like a busted flush.

Byelection creates a nuisance and an opportunity for Labour
John Armstrong
And third, byelection day must wait until Mana voters are feeling stung by the October 1 hike in GST

Phil Goff is on with Sean suggesting to Phil that Labour have personalized the fight, Phil shrugs it off, gets back to the issues pointing out that the double dip is going to hurt NZers, GST increase in October, all the real issues that will bite NZers are where Goff is focusing now. If you are working out your monthly household bill, you will want to listen to Goff these days, not Key.

This is where the election will be fought, the pocket, especially in the hollowness of Key's claim that NZers would be better off after his tax cut for the rich funded by a GST increase.

Jock Anderson and Bevan Rapson are on the panel, Bevan is parroting the right wing blogs with the 'there is a split between Labour and the Unions' (YAWN - only lazy Journalists taking reserach from Kiwiblog believe in this split crap). Goff comes across stronger than he has for a long time.

Piece on the Australian election, how can that clown Abbot be a serious contestant for the top Australian job??? Are Australians really that stupid???

Kia Ora Gaza is being discussed, that apologist from the Israeli 'crush Palestinians NZ group' is on claiming there isn't any blockade on the Palestinian people, what a load of bullshit, why doesn't Sean grill the Jewish apologist the way he grilled the NZers wanting to get aid into Gaza? The bias is embarrassing - why attack Grant Morgan because he is left wing? Chocolate, school books and fresh meat were all banned from Gaza because it apparently 'helped the terrorists' the easing has only happened because groups like Kia Ora Gaza are ready to break the blockade and embarrass the cruelty of the Israelis. How the hell those who are opposing this humanitarian violation can suddenly be put on trial and judged based on their political leanings where as the Israeli's who are actually committing the humanitarian abuse get a cuddle is a farce.

Cam from whaleoil with the final word, handing out back handed compliments about Goff's leadership (he claims has 'spoken to Labour MPs who have confided in him' - who the fuck from Labour would confide in you Cam? He pulled this line on Citizen A last week as well). But Cam does accept the by-elections could give Labour a stronger run into the 2011 national election.

Strong show this week. Great final joke aimed at Ryall spying on hospitals.


q+a
Key's BFF Sir Peter Gluckman is on, there's a debate on the Australian election and the panel consists of Deborah Morris-Travers and Dame Lesley Max with the anchor being Dr Jon Johansson.

Monologue up and running, Holmes genuinely revels in this opening segment now, the Michael Laws text joke is very funny.

Johansson gives Winnie Laban some much deserved love (she is amazing), Deborah wants suicide kept under the carpet, Dame Lesley talks about the joy of watching a baby grow up with love in their life (this is a nice starting point for Gluckman).

Gluckman is on, it is essential that Gluckman is allowed the position to discuss the difficulties of young people because NZ hates young people, the screaming from the right wing whenever young people screw up drowns out any real social policy in the same way it drowns out any real policy discussion in law and order. Gluckman has to lead this debate because as Key's BFF, the right wing can't ignore him when he points out that we should give young people more help not more degradation and longer prison sentences.

We are talking about youth suicide, what a joke. We don't want to talk about suicide because NZ doesn't want to hear the answers as to why young people commit suicide higher than almost anywhere else on the face of the planet. We spend millions and millions on policing and educating on the road toll because of 'public safety' and we pass draconian Police powers in the form of 'drug driving' yet we have no where near the same resource pushed into suicide yet the suicide rate soars above our total road death rate.

We don't want to know why young people kill themselves because we don't want to know the answers. We don't want to know that the suicide rate tripled during the restructuring of the 1980s and 1990s in this country - the right wing NEVER mention that EVER, and surprise surprise it doesn't get one mention in this discussion. Our move away from community to the selfishness of the individual uber allas during that time had more of a negative impact on our suicide rate than anything else.

That NEVER gets mentioned. Best we sweep our suicide rate under the carpet and simply continue damning young people as boy racers, as taggers, as the scum of the earth who need to be locked up forever and let's bennie bash the solo mums who raise them as well, cause that'll teach em.

We don't have a youth problem in this country, we have an adult problem and as a society with youth suicide, we reap what we sow.

Gluckman is pointing out that bennie bashing is pointless and we need to sink the cash into those at risk groups, he also notes that brain development means that most young people are not directly responsible for their actions and that requires real understanding not anger.

It's great to see Gluckman making these points, it's up to Key to see if he has the political courage to go against the tide of his raw meat loving redneck voting rump to adopt policy that enriches the lives of our young people rather than damn them.

Looking at the voodoo math the Welfare Razor Gang have used to justify sending solo mothers, the sick, the mentally unwell and the crippled back to work suggests Key doesn't have that political courage at all.

The panel all agree that 'something must be done' - nothing will be done because as Johansson points out the thinking that spawns the Welfare Razor Gang is stopping anything from being done.

UPDATE: Being called a 'lefty tosser' by Deborah Hill Cone is a badge of honour. It's good to see she's moved on from endless columns about her divorce to TV reviews, her 'bitter and single in Devonport' patch seemed endlessly dull didn't it?