The real problem with NZ Labour

I don't vote Labour and I will never ever vote Labour.  Even National is too left wing for me so I voted Act.  Labour had their worst defeat in 92 years but were you aware they weren't actually decimated like NZ's media thinks.  They only lost 2% on their last poll result in 2011 and a total of 2 MPs.  That's hardly a decimation.  It's 2002 in reverse where National polled badly and it will take until 2020 to regain ground.  It's simply the mood of the nation.

That mood of the nation has been created by bad policy and anti Labour propaganda.  Take the man ban for example.  It's actually just a way to get more women in politics and that's not a bad thing.  This was marketed badly.

Then there are the tax hikes.  You can't announce right before an election that you're going to hike taxes without some type of back lash.

The other issue has been instability and Labours plans to work with parties that support Kim Dot Com.  Nobody in their right mind would vote for Labour when there's that risk of instability and threat to national security.

The leader David Cunliffe has copped a lot of flak which is another reason the left lost the election.  Instead of collectively taking responsibility they're blaming Cunliffe but it's not his fault.  Disunity and bad policy is.  A new leader won't fix those problems.

Then you look at the campaign.  Through research on Twitter I found out that Shortland Street's Angela Bloomfield is a Labour supporter.  Why didn't Labour use an endorsement like the Greens did with Lucy Lawless?  This could have been a way to engage the disinterested voter who votes on the package not the policy.

Most importantly though, Labours just looking for a quick fix and not offering a credible alternative.  Some reporters have said they need to go to the centre but they need to do what National did under Don Brash, they need to go back to their core policy to create a point of difference and they need to quit their internal fighting.