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.
Labour leader David Shearer has appointed lawyer and NZ Aids
Foundation chairman Alastair Cameron as his new chief of
staff after the resignation of Stuart Nash.
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.
A Christian upbringing has instilled a strong sense of social
justice in Dunedin North MP David Clark, who yesterday
pledged to fight for greater equality for New Zealanders.
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.
Residents forced to sell and leave earthquake-wrecked red
zones in Christchurch cannot expect to be told when their
former homes will be demolished, the Government says.
New Labour leader David Shearer used his major debut speech
in Parliament as Opposition leader to promise change in
Labour following last month's election loss.
David Shearer appears to have made a reasonably sure-footed
start to the Labour caucus leadership in the naming of his
line-up on Monday. His publicised priorities were "renewal",
"unity" and - somewhat belatedly - "talent".
Labour finance spokesman David Parker faces a daunting task
of not only taking on Finance Minister Bill English in the
House but in also keeping his four associate spokesmen in
line.
