Visit of a Leader

David Cunliffe

Monday night in our household, especially the third Monday of the month, is the night for political meetings.

This week it was the visit of David Cunliffe, the leader of the Labour Party.

 

He spoke to an audience of about 70 people, which is pretty good for this stage in the electoral cycle. Several were not Labour supporters, but had come just to check out the new Labour leader.

 

We were impressed with his oratory for a start. He grew up in the home of an Anglican vicar of a Christian Socialist leaning, and it showed: we were treated to a good, old-fashioned political speech.

His sermon had three clear points: the need to reverse New Zealand's slide into inequality, especially for children, the need to improve incomes, especially for the lower paid workers, and the need to restore our faith and hopes for New Zealand and our pride in our environment.

 

One of the questions he was asked was unusual: who are your heroes? The answer was straight and clear: Micky Savage and Nelson Mandela. Savage for the way he rebuilt New Zealand after the great depression of the thirties, and Mandela for the way he steered South Africa through the post-Apartheid era without a civil war, by emphasising forgiveness and reconciliation.

His personality impressed us too: he chatted easily over supper with supporters and others. He was consistently positive, with none of the negativity sometimes associated with politicians.

We came away with very positive conclusions about the new leader.