why Labour is angry

Most people in Labour are angry right now. In fact it's not just Labour that is angry - both sides of politics are angry, but Labour is angrier than most. Jordan Carter, who is on the Labour Council, says one of the reasons is the failure of National to knock out other small parties at the election - parties who later supported the Government. Another is the expanding policy gap betwen National and Labour

He's wrong, of course. The small parties were never going to be knocked out. The policy gap will contract closer to 2008. Peter Dunne has been an MP for the majority of Jordan Carter's life, and NZ First owes its political survival to MMP. The reason people are angry is because the Government will not admit to being wrong.The reason Labour is angry is because it cant wriggle out of a hole this time when their indiscretion has been found out. The Government is angry because it owes more money than National and it has been found out and has no answer except to threaten to prise into private lives of opposition members.

But most of all, people are angry because all this could have been avoided had Labour been honest.In National's case, it has admitted mistakes and paid the money back. Labour should too. Now it looks like Labour will have to pay the pledge card overspending back, the polls are sliding for Labour, the 2008 election is well on the way to being lost, much in the same way as the 1990 election was lost in the first few months after the 1987 election - but for different reasons. Also Natinal is now able to match the money Labour gets from the unions via union subs, many from people who don't support or vote for the major political parties.

The country doesnt want Labour in power anymore, and even its own supporters dont like some of the attitudes of senior party members or some of the MPs it currently has - just like in the late 1980's. Its own supporters think Labour should pay the money back and do not condone the corruption that is seeping out within the party like sewerage out of a cracked sewerage pipe.

That is the reason why Labour - and Jordan Carter - is angry. They have nothing credible to say on the issues anymore. Labour has run out of arguments and is now resorting to abuse. First Clark, Cullen, Hodgson and now Mallard. Perhaps Maharey will be asked to front up.

The leadership, credibility and values promised before the election by Helen Clark were just hot air, and no-one on either side of the house will disagree with me with any credibility that these propmises were anything but hot air.