I’ve been feeling a bit down about this election. To tell you the truth it hasn’t been looking that good for the left.
It’s still too close to call, a percentage or two either way, especially if you throw Winston into the mix, and there are a range of governments or outcomes that could eventuate.
We’ve certainly seen worse poll numbers. I remember when it looked like Helen Clark would lose to Don Brash, or when no one really thought Jacinda Ardern had a chance of winning when she took over.
Helen Clark defeated Don Brash with some large election year policies, and Jacinda came to power in a burst of youthful energy. The fairy dust the right complained of, over a National Party lead by Bill English. A man so boring the only person you’d rate to beat him in a dullest man contest would be Peter Dunne. Jacinda also received a little help from Uncle Winston of course.
Unfortunately there will be no help from Winston this time, if we take him at his word. It’s also pretty hard to be the exciting new thing when you’re six years into power and the country has known you for quite a while. So the only game changer left for Labour this time was a policy announcement so significant that it changed the momentum of the election.
Ahead of yesterday’s tax policies from Labour I asked a question on my Facebook page - what announcement do you think could win Labour the election?
There were, by the nature of the audience, some good suggestions that would appeal to left leaning voters. But the problem is of course, that those are votes you already have.
There was nothing that would be a circuit breaker for the middle classes who are feeling like they’ve taken quite a battering of late. One commenter, who was my son Johnny’s first teacher, summed up the situation I think is felt by many:
Something that may help people in my position perhaps..... I know that's selfish but there are huge parts of the population who earn too much for any subsidies, yet are struggling with rent, cost of living increases at every turn and drowning.
I know there have been attempts made to help the many in my community I serve, but for a non home owner in her 50s, who works hard to care for her children and keep a roof over our heads, the future is bleak.
Let me also say, my demographic is not being served by any party. We just don't matter enough.
I imagine many in the middle class don’t feel they have anywhere to go. There are parties on the right, National and ACT, who are mostly focussed on helping the wealthiest with tax cuts, on benefiting businesses, and helping property investors. But what if you’re someone on a middle income that doesn’t own a business or a property?
Then there are the parties of the left who predominantly advocate things to benefit those on lower incomes. The middle class earn too much to be eligible for those benefits, but feel as though they are paying for them, which they are, as they themselves struggle.
Many are probably quite happy with programmes to reduce inequality but a lot no doubt feel like they’re working harder for less return. Surely if they’re doing the right things they ought to get some benefit too? Isn’t that fair?
So what did Labour announce? Well as you’ve probably seen, the package had two parts:
GST comes off fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables.
The in-Work Tax Credit will be raised by $25 a week to $97.50 and the Working for Families abatement threshold will be raised, but not until 2026, to $50,000 to reflect wage growth.
There were some positive comments following the announcement from those who work with people most in need.
Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge said Labour’s plans to remove GST on fruit and vegetables and raise the In-Work Tax Credit is a good start.
“Any political party that doesn’t pay attention to the cost of living issues is not listening to the country well enough.”
Edirdge said the estimated $30-$40 extra a week for those struggling will be a life changer.
“Someone has commented saying that the extra money will only total up to a few cups of coffee a week,” he said, “but the people we’re talking about don’t drink cups of coffee for $5 or $6 a week.”
“An extra $20 a week will make a difference between being able to feed the kids or not.”
While that is good it was certainly not the game changer I’d hoped for. I’ve written recently about GST being removed from Fruit and Vegetables, and why I didn’t think it was the right policy. I still don’t, but if they’re going to proceed it will be of some help to people, but they must crackdown on any attempt by the Supermarkets not to pass the saving on to customers.
I really thought Labour would do something in terms of income tax. Something big to get them back in the game. My guess was maybe the first 10k, if not 15k, of income would become tax free, with a tax increase at the higher end to pay for it.
The problem with Working For Families is it excludes a whole lot of people who feel like they’re once again getting nothing. Reality is if you’re going to have a big policy to appeal to voters it has to be something universal.
The fact that the GST policy was leaked suggests that Labour has a mole. Having a flagship policy revealed, so that it’s been fully discussed, and the general consensus is that it really isn’t a game changer, before you’ve even announced it must surely be one of the most damaging leaks in the history of our parliament. If it is more than sheer negligence then it indicates at least one member of their caucus is working against Labour.
People are struggling at the moment, that isn’t a criticism of the government it’s simply reality. Our social compact says if you work hard, do the right things, you’ll receive a decent standard of living. A home to live in, enough to pay your bills and put food on the table, and maybe a little extra for a few small luxuries. There are many who feel that has been broken.
The fact that the price of goods, inflation, and other cost related issues are largely driven by global factors, beyond the control of our government, doesn’t help.
It doesn’t help when you see the price for your grocery trolley come up at the supermarket and you feel physically ill. It sure doesn’t help if you can’t afford to have your kid take part in an activity because it just costs too much.
That’s not the deal people feel they signed up to, and right now there probably doesn’t seem to be a party that represents them.
They don’t necessarily like the look of Luxon, but they sure don’t want to carry on as they are. People forget, they know they want things better than they are, but they don’t think about what things were like the last time the other lot were in charge, or what it would be like if they won.
I remember.
I remember weeping with sheer relief, to the surprise of my children, the evening Winston announced he would go with Labour rather than National. It truly felt like a weight had been lifted and we, the non wealthy, the people that think houses should be for living in, not collecting for profit - we got our country back.
Yesterday afternoon I went to the launch of a collection of my Dad’s poetry. As I looked around the people I doubted there was anyone there that would be voting for the opposition parties. Do right wing people listen to poetry? I don’t know.
Friends and family members, good people. Some I’ve known since childhood. I remember when I was just little talking to my Dad who was driving people to the booths on election day for Labour. As I remember seeing my mother helping families who had very little. These people have stood up for what is right, or rather left, for my entire life.
I felt bad for being despondent. It was good for the soul to embrace people I love and to be surrounded by positivity. Time to stop wallowing and get back to it.
The truth is there is no magic bullet this time. There is no fairy dust, or great big policy announcement. In fairness to Chippy, Jacinda was a once in a lifetime leader, and he really hasn’t done anything wrong. Realistically in terms of policies if they’d come up with some enormous promise people wouldn’t have believed them anyway.
The simple fact of the matter is it would be irresponsible to start promising big spending programmes, or tax cuts, at this point. Now is sadly not the time for those things, much as we would like it to be.
We have limited resources and I think it’s ok to just be honest and say so. We complain when politicians over promise, well to Labour’s credit there is certainly no over promising here!
Joking aside if there is only a little bit extra we can afford isn’t it be better for it to go to those who need it most? Rather than National’s plan, which if they ever release it will no doubt be, to give the lion’s share to those that need it the least.
I can’t help but think of the Labour team while writing this either. These people have worked their asses off for years and the only thanks they want is the opportunity to keep doing the best they can to help the people of our country have decent lives.
The policies announced target the people who need support the most. We need to make it a winning hand, and not necessarily for ourselves.
We, the middle class need to look at this subjectively. While we’d like things to be better than they are this isn’t ultimately about us. Truth is for many people in this country it won’t be a matter of life or death who gets elected. But for some, it literally will be. A friend of mine told me about an encounter she had this week.
I'm in hospital at the moment (foot accident). I overheard a doctor telling a patient (almost 90 years of age, also in after an accident, so we assume ACC) that the system is broken (his words, he said it twice) and he advises his patients to have family bring in food with protein.
He then added he also advises people to have health insurance. I thought, imagine someone almost 90 trying to get health insurance. And then listening about aged care and contemplating a National/Act government, and all the systems and infrastructure in this country that have been breaking down. Listening this morning to RNZ about housing and construction. It's starting to feel like we are heading down a long and slippery slope with a plunge to come at the bottom in so many areas of life.
I don’t know what all the answers are, these are really hard problems. But I sure as hell know what the answer is not - it’s not cutting the taxes of the wealthiest, to be paid for by cutting funding to our already struggling public services.
All of the issues we face. All of them. Whether it is climate change, healthcare funding, reducing inequality, the cost of housing, etc. will be made worse, not better, by putting ACT and National in charge.
I know a lot of people just want things to be a bit better than they are, that is completely understandable. I know I’m probably preaching to the converted but for anyone who is having doubts on how they will vote, maybe ask yourself the following question.
Who do I believe has my best interests at heart? Who has this country’s best interests at heart? Is it Chris Hipkins or is it Christopher Luxon with David Seymour pulling his strings and setting the direction?
Perhaps our Prime Minister put it best yesterday:
New Zealanders have a clear choice this election. Tax cuts for millionaires under National, or support that will make a meaningful difference for families under Labour.
My message to New Zealanders over the coming months is simple. I understand your concerns and I’m on your side.
We’re on the right path, it’s not the flashest right now, but damn things will be a whole lot worse if we turf the current lot out in the hope of something better.
Coming home from Dad’s book launch I thought of the people now gone. The friends and family that lived their lives believing in a world where we care for each other, and we stand up for those who need help. That fight is in my DNA, and chances are if you’re reading this - it’s in yours too.
We can’t ever give up trying to make this a fairer place for all of us.
My love is stronger than yours
It's stronger than yours
It's stronger than yours
My love is stronger than your
Hate will ever be
And my faith is deeper than yours
It's deeper than yours
It's deeper than yours
My faith is deeper than your
Doubt will ever be
The main point of this announcement was symbolic. It was held in a church hall in the heart of a state housing area in the Hutt Valley (although some have since been privatised). There were references to previous Labour prime ministers and the audience was very diverse and enthusiastic. It was PM Chris Hipkins saying that although times are tight (which is why policies are limited) he are going to fight for every vote with policies based on traditional Labour values. There is also hope for the future, which was an important message. It was for the women who worry about money, who do the shopping (more than once a month said Grant in a reference to Uffindell) and who need prescriptions and whose kids travel by public transport and whose elderly parents need the winter energy payment. Many of the reporters there had no idea what any of this feels like.
Ka aroha Nick 💚 Beautifully written. I'm a bit more hopeful that people see, and recognise, the difficulties of the times we are living in. I'm with you re GST, not least because it will be a headache to administer. And I'd also have loved to see tax system overhaul. But people are on overload and bringing in a major reform would be overwhelming and stressful for many to get their heads around. And of course the media and opposition screeching would be relentless till October. I think quieter, steady as she goes policies are the pragmatic realistic choice sadly.