My values are Labour values.

I want to help build a stronger, more caring society. I am passionate about Dunedin, and I bring considerable energy and wide experience to the task of representing this electorate.

My diverse work background has given me an understanding of the economic and social levers that can be pulled to achieve meaningful change.

Please read some of the discussions included here. I welcome your comments.

- David Clark

government policy, labour party policy

20 January, 2011

Opposed to nothing?

Normally the role of ‘opposition’ is to ‘oppose’. 

When the Government does something that oversteps its mandate, is improper or is not in the best interests of the country, the opposition has responsibility for pointing this out.  It shares this role with the media.

Normally.

What is strange about the current government is that it seems to have no plan.  The opposition can challenge cuts in early childhood education or in home help for the elderly, but it’s hard to challenge the government’s general direction.  It just doesn’t seem to have one.

On the up-side, Labour has been left a space in which to launch its own plans.

2 COMMENTS

2 comments on ‘Opposed to nothing?’

  1. 20 January, 2011
    Jo

    Nice gimmik!

  2. 24 January, 2011
    Pascal's bookie

    Oh I think they have a plan David. It’s just not being implemented, or even articulated, in this term, which does make it difficult to oppose.

    The plan for this term is not policy, it’s politics.

    If they get elected again they will claim a mandate based around the ‘trust’ they have ‘earned’ by not doing anything radical, and start to implement various things that have been left lying about the place in, erm, productivity commission reports.

    I don’t think they’ll dare go the full Brash. But the window of politically viable policy choices has been firmly shifted in that direction.

    I think the counter move is a good one, in filling the apparent vacuum with alternatives to what is being signaled. Much more please!

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