pn879. Martyn Bradbury , Extract fron in The Daily Blog**: a Real Labour Policy

Look at the Labour Government’s relief package, a straight 25 cent cut to petrol and halving public transport fares. No mucking around with WINZ or MSD! Any benefit raise there is clawed back by the bureaucracy. Labour should instead set the change where people would feel it immediately, in their pocket!

Labour needs to bypass the neoliberal state more often.

• Make Public Transport free!
• Free school lunches and breakfasts!
• GST off fresh fruit and vegetables!
• A 30% Government-owned Supermarket chain that would permanently reduce food costs.

We look to the State to provide market regulation and a pooling of resources for the best outcome.

Universal provision of well funded public services scares the bejesus out of the Right and the neoliberal public service who prefer to manage contracts than actually do the mahi.

Universal provision of well funded social services is the harvest we all share in a democracy!

If we provide real ways to reduce people's living costs, we can get everyone to buy into the system because for the first time in their lives, they will see a State focused on reducing their costs, not increasing them in an economic system rigged for the rich.

-- ACW edited.

** About The Daily Blog

The Daily Blog Unites Top Left-Wing Political Commentators and Progressive Opinion Shapers.

Launched on Friday 1 March, 2013, the ‘TheDailyBlog.co.nz’ unites over 42 of the country’s leading left-wing commentators and progressive opinion shapers to provide the other side of the story on today’s news, media and political agendas.

The Daily Blog Editor, Martyn Bradbury says one of the primary objectives of the blog will be to widen political debate in the lead up to the 2014 New Zealand election.

“Global trends continue to point to blogging and social media as key influencers of mainstream media reporting as well as public opinion. With so much at stake in 2014 we plan to use this online platform to fortify the collective voice of the left and progressive opinions, and enhance the quality of debate across the political spectrum,” says Mr Bradbury.

The Daily Blog is supported by UNITE, the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) and the New Zealand Dairy Workers Union (NZDWU). Members of the public are also able to make donations through the blog’s supporter page.

Mr Bradbury says it is hugely encouraging to see three of the country’s major Unions engage in social media and blogging in an effort to further debate around New Zealand’s rapidly increasing inequality.

“New Zealand has 270 000 of its children in poverty, an unemployment rate in the double figures and the highest level of inequality recorded. There is a serious lack of critical public media services available and it’s up to the blogs to fill the gap.”

“I wish to pay respects to the three Unions involved in this project and I look forward to blog posts from Matt McCarten, Chris Flatt and Wayne Butson as they gauge the temperature of industrial relations through the lens of their unions,” says Mr Bradbury.

TheDailyBlog.co.nz will feature: Chris Trotter, Selwyn Manning, Professor Jane Kelsey, Keith Locke, Sue Bradford, Laila Harre, John Minto, David Slack, Morgan Godfery, Gareth Renowden, Martyn Bradbury, Coley Tangerina, Phoebe Fletcher, Dr Wayne Hope, Queen of Thorns, Burnt out Teacher, Steve Gray, Aaron Hawkins, Marama Davidson, Tim Selwyn, James Ritchie, Efeso Collins, Robert Winter, Lynn Prentice, Frank MacsKasy, Matt McCarten, Wayne Butson, Chris Flatt, Allan Alach and The Liberal Agenda.