Friday, November 13, 2009

A misunderstanding and an explanation

David Farrar took issue with yesterday's post asking why John Key wasn't under fire for high youth unemployment the way Gordon Brown is.


Lindsay - you're not stupid so you know the answer to this.

Gordon Brown is under fire because he has been the Chancellor and then Prime Minister of the UK for the last 12 years.

John Key has been Prime Minister for less than 12 months and no one outside you and Trevor Mallard seem to think he is responsible for the high level of youth unemployment.



David, Where did I say Key was responsible for the high youth unemployment? That is you reading something that isn't there. My question was about why NZ Labour isn't launching the kind of parliamentary attacks that the UK Conservatives are. That is where the headlines come from and headlines are the lifeblood of political parties. Brown may have been in power for years and made claims he hasn't delivered on but is he personally responsible for the current recession? I don't think so. But the Conservatives make out like he is. Is Key responsible for the current recession? Of course not. But there is nothing to stop Labour attacking him for steeply rising unemployment during the year he has been PM.

So either they have decided to be honest (unusual in politics), avoid putting the spotlight on their own performance in government, or simply haven't got the belly for it. You see I take an interest in welfare and employment. I watch Annette King and the questions she puts up in order to figure out how they are going to re-invent themselves policy-wise. That, as well as the subject of my post, I do not know the answer to.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Farrar sounds more and more like an apologist for Key's government.

Lucy said...

He is anon he is. And it is so sad.

Swimming said...

My question was about why NZ Labour isn't launching the kind of parliamentary attacks that the UK Conservatives are
I noted that Key has never claimed to abolish youth unemployment. I thought it was obvious that Brown has been in parliament for longer, so didn't note that fact. But it is an important fact in the political mix, as I`m sure similar attacks would have come had National been in power since 1999, and made similar promises that Labour made.

I watch Annette King and the questions she puts up in order to figure out how they are going to re-invent themselves policy-wise. That, I do not know the answer to.

Neither, do I suspect, does Labour. It cant think of anything better than National's youth unemployment policy - Labour's response was to praise it.