RICHARD PREBBLE: Cannot be correct
The Labour Party has issued no law-and-order policies.
There are several possible explanations.
Chris Hipkins says Labour is focused on the cost of living. Yeah, right.
Maybe Labour thinks the coalition’s policies are perfect. Do not think so.
More likely, Labour has plenty of ideas for law and order, but not ideas it wants to share.
I served on Labour’s policy committee. The only other time I recall Labour not issuing a manifesto policy was when the policy committee was hopelessly split.
My guess is that any law-and-order policy the committee can agree on is a policy that Labour’s polling says voters hate.
I was also once Labour’s Justice spokesman. In government, I was Labour’s Minister of Police.
I speak from experience when I say I think Labour MPs will have had many passionate arguments before the decision was made to issue no law-and-order policy.
In opposition, a group of Labour MPs had me sacked as Justice spokesman. I had criticised the courts for handing down soft sentences.
In government, when polling said the public thought Labour was soft on crime, the same MPs insisted I be appointed Minister of Police.
It is inconceivable that Labour does not have policies on crime, sentencing, prisons, drugs and gangs.
What is conceivable is that Labour has policies it does not want you to know about until it is in government.
Richard Prebble is a former Minister and ACT Party leader who writes at I've Been Thinking
It is just unbelievable there are still voters that support Hipkins?
Emotionally and verbally abusive to expartner.. She couldn’t have said those things publicly if they weren’t true. He is such a nasty little person. A liar. A hypocrite. A manipulator. A women abuser.. Wake up Labour supporters, behind the boyish smile, you have one of the nastiest monsters in charge!
As the saying sort of goes .... Absence makes the hunch grow stronger
I think Richard has hit the nail on the head. The labour party is so badly structured now days, so that it can no longer deliver quality candidates or constructive policy. I expect labour support to continue to decline into the future.
That appears to be its modus operandi. Populist to the end and mum on policies it wants but know are unpopular - like he puapua
I think each party should be REQUIRED to release policy proposals for all of the main areas/ catagories PRIOR to the election. After all this is supposed to be a democracy where the voter has a fair comparison before placing their vote ( assuming it goes on policy and not personality or appearances). Mind you, with MMP its then largely thrown out the window with negotiations ( true or maybe by design). Major policy should be voted on directly with the voter , major policy should be apolitical such as infrastructure and for longer terms to stop this flip flopping mess and give continuity. If the Swiss can do it i cant see why we arent able - 'where there…