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Felix Marwick: Labour's staffing change crucial for party's future

Author
Felix Marwick,
Publish Date
Thu, 1 Sep 2016, 6:19AM
Matt McCarten at a Labour Party announcement at Parliament in 2014. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Matt McCarten at a Labour Party announcement at Parliament in 2014. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Felix Marwick: Labour's staffing change crucial for party's future

Author
Felix Marwick,
Publish Date
Thu, 1 Sep 2016, 6:19AM

The Labour Party made a reasonably significant staffing change this week, albeit one that probably only really resonated with political geeks.

Labour Leader Andrew Little's chief of staff Matt McCarten's moving on, heading to Auckland to head a new party office as Labour looks to build its connections, and more importantly its vote, in Auckland.

When Matt McCarten first started, under former Leader David Cunliffe, I'll admit I saw him as a high risk appointment. Matt McCarten is a take-no-shit sort of guy who's not afraid of banging heads (just ask Jim Anderton). I figured he'd either be an absolute disaster - a distinct possibility given the tensions in the Labour Party caucus at the time - or an inspired choice.

Well he wasn't a disaster, but nor has he been an absolute success. Some of the dismal 2014 election result has to reflect on him as he was a central player in that campaign.

However Matt McCarten has brought to the parliamentary wing some much needed discipline. It was interesting to note that MPs who were associated with the anti-Cunliffe faction; Mallard, Hipkins, Goff, Faafoi and others all campaigned with Cunliffe in the build up to the election.

Following Cunliffe's demise and the rise of Andrew Little, there's been less back-biting and overt bad-mouthing going on among Labour's MPs. While they might not be all completely happy with the party's direction, the public disunity that was on display under Goff, Shearer, and Cunliffe has faded.

His new job is a crucial one for the Party. Labour's Party vote in Auckland at the last two campaigns has been appalling. While it holds seats such as Mount Roskill, Te Atatu, and Mount Albert it's being trounced in these seats by National in the Party vote. And bear in mind Mount Roskill and Mount Albert are seats held by two of its recent leaders.

When you look to South Auckland, in seats like Mangere, Manurewa, and Manukau East, Labour's hold on the party vote is strong. But when you move to the heart of the region it becomes a different story. In Auckland Central, for example National's outstripping Labour on the party vote by two to one, in Epsom the ratio's three to one, meanwhile in seats like Maungakiekie and New Lynn (another former leader's seat) the party vote race is neck and neck.

The electorates and the demographics suggest that Labour's falling short when it comes to securing the votes of the urban middle class. Given the party's recent fiery internal debates over ideological direction, and left versus the centre, it will be interesting to see how Labour's latest initiative plays out.

Felix Marwick is Newstalk ZB's Chief Political Reporter

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