Labour picks new policy council

Labour members appear to have sent the party a message that they want a discussion about revenue policy, voting an economist-heavy cohort of candidates to the party’s policy council in elections held at the end of last year.

CTU chief economist Craig Renney and Toby Moore, both former advisers to then-Finance Minister Grant Robertson were elected to the council, as was former MP and Minister Michael Wood, potentially signalling a comeback. Former Hamilton West Georgie Dansey won a place, as did former Phil Twyford advisor Jo Spratt.

The vote potentially signals a return to discussing a wealth tax, a policy the party contemplated implementing in 2023, but backed away from at the last minute. Leader Chris Hipkins ruled out implementing such a tax, however he reversed that position following the election loss, giving the party a clean slate when it comes to revenue.

The policy council plays a key role in developing party policy that is passed up from individual members and branches, and getting it ready for debate by the wider party. As with many parties, policy developed by the wider party does not automatically find its way into that party’s election manifesto, meaning that the preferences of the policy council and members do not always become policy for a general election.

A Youtube video of a candidates debate from December, shows a discussion of tax reform.

In that video, Wood said that the party needed to more obviously champion the rights of working people.

“Tax is not the only part of that [helping working people], but we’ve tripped over it several times in the last 10 years, and until we settle our position on tax, and until we have a progressive policy on tax, in my view, that deals with the inequalities that we have built up in our society, it will be difficult to motivate our activists and our broader membership to really fight it out and win government,” Wood said.

Labour Party President Jill Day said the party would be “very well served by this Policy Council”.

“The process from here is for members to debate and discuss all manner of policies. This is an internal process where members have their say on policy before elections.”