Posts by Keir Leslie

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  • Hard News: Democracy Night,

    I also think that there are real issues with the party organisation, in that there's a massive split between members and activists. Is the branch system the best way to run a political party these days? Is the sectoral system effective? (I think the sectors have to take some of the blame for the list failure.)

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report

  • Hard News: Democracy Night,

    Eh, I am unsure how fair it is to blame the unions (it is suspiciously close to the gaggle thing.)

    I do think that the list process needs to be rethought. I think that the list ranking should be opened up, and as far as possible transparency and internal democracy emphasised. I think the current method of regional lists followed by secret conclave doesn't work, and can't work.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report

  • Hard News: Democracy Night,

    and there we go again.

    Oh dear lord, that was exactly the opposite of the meaning of that sentence. Mind you, as far as I can tell your main desire here is to snark about people who are actually putting work in on the ground, so you may as well go etc. etc.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report

  • Hard News: Democracy Night,

    Eh, I think the idea that the left (really Labour) needs to indulge in broad soul searching is wrong.

    The Labour Party ran a strong election campaign, and most of the policy is very good.

    What was very bad was the the three years in between, and the list structure. The Party failed, and that includes the MPs, but it also includes the organisational wing. The focus needs to be on fixing the Party, not policy. (If the Party failed, does that reflect badly on Little? Flatt? Coatsworth?

    What structural reforms are needed? Did the policy process work as well as it could have? Did it connect properly with the rest of the party? Was the timing/methodology/whatever effective? Is the remit system appropriate these days?

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report

  • Hard News: Democracy Night,

    In line with the general count, wouldn’t you expect some to instead go to the Greens and Winston First this time?

    Not candidate votes, no.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report

  • Hard News: Democracy Night,

    Central was always a marginal seat. We've known this for a long time, given (a) boundary changes, and (b) the fact there's been a massive swing against Labour nationwide. But Brendon personally is very popular. He's pulled 10,493 votes, against 6,849 party votes. Wagner's vote tracks the National Party vote pretty precisely.

    The comment about voter flight is pretty accurate. When we get down to it, there were 23 thousand votes counted in Christchurch Central. Auckland Central had 27 thousand. Wellington Central had 31 thousand. There's no doubt that voters have left, and there's no doubt to my mind what kind of voters they likely were.

    I am very confident that the specials will swing for Labour, given that they always do, and that many special voters will be people who have left because of the earthquake, and many of those voters have been helped by Brendon and his office.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report

  • Hard News: Democracy Night,

    Hebe, I don't know how to put it politely, but I don't think you have a very good grasp of the Christchurch Labour Party's views on the Greens.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report

  • Hard News: Democracy Night,

    But up thread people mocked the idea of throwing the gays under the bus. Pick one or the other guys.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report

  • Hard News: Democracy Night,

    Oh yes it can. Steve Barnes’ attitude is typically Christchurch Labour. They truly regard any vote that is not right of centre as theirs, just stolen by moustache-twirling spivs like the Greens hoodwinking people who would otherwise vote Labour.

    Hebe, I hate to say this, but you don't actually have a clue about the attitudes of Christchurch Labour. I mean, realistically, I suspect that on election day, more Green voters were turned out by the Labour Party than by the Green Party.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report

  • Hard News: Democracy Night,

    Graeme, has there ever been a tie on the night before? (That is, all booths reporting, but with put the specials?)

    Jesus, if you think the Central margin was nervy, imagine being at the Chch Labour election night party.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report

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