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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Labour’s ‘State of the Nation’

Today Labour Party Leader Andrew Little delivered his State of the Nation speech outlining Labour’s vision for moving the country forward. The next Labour Government will be focused on jobs—and a rational approach to the economy.

I’ve read the speech, and it’s forward-looking and focused on solutions, rather than the current government’s tired, “everything’s fine, nothing to see here, move along” non-solutions to nagging economic problems and fast-increasing inequality. While John Key and National are content to pretend nothing’s wrong, Andrew Little and Labour are focused on once again making New Zealand a fair and decent society, one in which there are real opportunities and growing wealth.

Andre Little proposes to do this by utilising what has worked well in so many cases—partnerships between business and the workforce—to forge real solutions and real growth. In particular, Labour will harness that expertise to help small businesses, those with fewer than 20 employees, who already account for a third of New Zealand’s economy, and accounted for 41% of all the jobs created last year. This is a very smart thing to do.

The main difference between the two main parties is that Labour knows that the economy can never grow when workers are exploited and don’t share in the successes they help to generate. Labour knows that growing inequality is holding our country back, weakening society and communities, and even destroying our nation’s soul. Labour knows that the nation grows best when we work together, and if fails when whole segments of society are deliberately, and callously, cut off. And Labour also knows that New Zealand business is FAR more than only those on the NZSX 50.

In the months ahead, Andrew Little will be expanding on the themes he raised in this speech, providing the practical solutions that the next Labour Government will deliver. He’s already off to a good start.

Click on the image below to read the speech.

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