Labour MPs consult with community-based groups
On a recent visit to the Bay Labour’s finance spokesperson David Cunliffe discussed the details of his party’s plans in its next term – if it gets elected.
Damien O’Connor MP brought Mr Cunliffe to the Bay as part of his campaign to regain the West Coast Tasman seat. Mr Cunliffe explained that his idea of the perfect summer holiday was the time his family spends at a relation’s bach at Parapara.
Representatives of various non-government agencies and Heartlands met with the Labour politicians hoping for good news about funding. Mr Cunliffe described his party’s plans for spending in a few crucial areas.
“We plan to spend a massive amount of money on the 0 to 5-year-olds in a number of different programmes where the money should best be spent. We will also be restoring the Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) funding. In year one that will be $13million. The 250,000 New Zealanders who had their continuing education chances taken away will be able to go back to class.”
Representatives of the Golden Bay Community Workers, Te Whare Mahana and the Golden Bay Work centre were assured that Labour would not forget about the social services.
“The next Labour government will be different from the last one. There’s a lot we can do by getting alongside community-based groups. The pure contract model used by the current government has weaknesses, especially around the intensity of accountability processes that can strangle the actual work done by NGOs.”
Mr O’Connor, who is not on the list and is seeking to return to parliament by regaining the West Coast/Tasman seat, spoke about the upcoming election campaign and the various ways that Labour could lead a new government. Both men spoke about the diversity of the Labour team.
“We’ve even got some straight white middle class blokes like us, joked Mr Cunliffe. “Damien is the leader of that caucus.”
On a more serious note Mr Cunliffe described the upcoming election as being “all about permission: for the current government to do all those things that they said they wouldn’t do in the first term; the slash and burn approach to government spending and the asset sales.”
Neil Wilson
