Labour leader David Shearer has outlined his party's plans to
work on policies such as ensuring school children can move
seamlessly from school to a job or further education, and to
develop an alternative White Paper on child poverty to
challenge the Government's.
OPINION: David Shearer delivered his strongest speech yet as
leader of the Labour Party, when he yesterday launched a
broadside at the Government's prediction for a "zero Budget"
to be delivered on Thursday.
If Labour leader David Shearer feels insecure about his job
after four months of leading the party, he was not showing it
during a visit to Dunedin yesterday.
Scanning the packed upstairs function room in Wellington's
Wellesley Hotel on Thursday morning, a newspaper photographer
with long experience of the habits of politicians summed up
what was going on with a pithy observation: this was not your
typical Labour Party audience.
Labour party leader David Shearer has indicated any future
Labour Government would keep a capital gains tax, but ditch a
policy meaning the first $5000 of income is tax-free.
Labour leader David Shearer has admitted to embarrassing
mistakes in his private member's bill to restrict foreign
ownership of farms, including giving the bill two names and
unintentionally removing safeguards for native flora and
fauna.
Labour leader David Shearer has again attacked the
Government's direction for state assets and land sales,
saying: "You can't sell your way to a brighter future''.
He has run the biggest humanitarian aid camp in Somalia,
worked for the United Nations in war-torn countries Liberia,
Rwanda and Afghanistan and handled a $2 billion budget when
he was head of the UN's reconstruction programme in Iraq.
