What Labour is Doing about the Allegations

pn495

See also previous posting pn494.

Jacinda Ardern: ‘We have a duty of care, and we failed in it’

The Spinoff | Staff writers

The prime minister has admitted mistakes, and outlined measures to change the party culture.

Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister and leader of the Labour Party, yesterday addressed at length the situation around allegations of sexual assault by a Labour volunteer and an investigation into a Labour staffer. “We have a duty of care, and we failed in it,” she said at her post-cabinet press conference, before laying out a series of actions that would be undertaken as a result.

Here is what she said, in full.(My emphasis)

Walking Backwards into Our Future: Prudence, Principle and "Foresight, Insight and Oversight"

A piece of string. Fixing the long neglected unfixed things.

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Q. How long into the future do we need to look and why do we avoid looking?  A. How long is a piece of string?

I was reminded of this riddle when I read in our local Whitby Newsbrief what candidates had to say while courting votes for the forthcoming local election.

Most candidates could be divided into pragmatists or idealists.

The former, the pragmatists, mostly older males in business, emphasising prudence.  Current Council policies are extending state care, hindering investment that leads to job creation, and bringing about the separation of racial groups.  Don't  spend money we don't have. Don't pay our civic employees a living wage because it will put up rates, making Maori and Pasifika especially vulnerable due to their lower disposable incomes.(a curious argument when most do not own a house, and some are on less than a living wage.)

And the latter, the idealists, generally younger people and women who placed more emphasis on principle than prudence. Pay the living wage and look for other ways to cut costs. Face up to the local challenges of climate change. Show genuine recognition and support for multiculturalism, Build key partnerships with civic groups.