Rebuilding

Pummelled on election night and torn apart by infighting, the Labour Party is hovering at rock bottom. Cherie Howie asked politicians — including the two confirmed leadership hopefuls — what the party must do to save itself.

Grant Robertson, Labour leadership contender

Labour needs to lead a new way of doing politics that makes us relevant. This means being part of our communities, not just at election time but being involved in the issues that matter to people and living our values rather than just talking about them. We have to rebuild our movement. We need to talk less about ourselves and more about our future as a country and the lives of the people we want to represent.

To rebuild and reconnect we have to be clear about Labour’s purpose. To me, that purpose is creating economic opportunity for everyone, breaking down the barriers that stop people achieving their potential and embracing bold and progressive change. We have to offer clear, direct and coherent policy that puts this into practice, and we have to show that we can lead an alternative government by being competent, consistent, unified and organised.

And all that needs a generational change to modernise our movement for the challenges and opportunities of this century.

David Cunliffe, Labour leadership contender

Labour now needs to listen and learn from what New Zealanders have told us. The voters are always right. Our values of fairness and opportunity for all won’t change, but our party must if we are going to be part of the future.

There is much more to do to make Labour relevant and rebuild for 2017: How we do politics in a new way — with New Zealanders, not just for them. How we embrace our traditional supporters, and reach out into every region and community. How we show Kiwi families that a Labour-led government is better for them in their daily lives. How we build prosperity for all, based on a clean, smart 21stcentury economy. How we become winners in, not victims of, our changing world. We must hold true to the aspiration of everyone to a decent life,