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bFM: Selwyn Manning & Jon - An Idea For Labour's Strategists
95bFM Audio: Selwyn Manning & Jon – Here's An Idea For Labour's Strategists
Click to download audio: OGG MP3
OPINION: Selwyn Manning and 95bFM's Jonathan discuss how only 29 percent of over 1000 people polled by Fairfax Media preferred Labour to govern after this year's General Election. Compare this to 56 percent of those polled preferring the National Party to remain in government.
But most interesting is how 60 percent of those polled said the biggest issue that will determine how they vote in November is the state of New Zealand's hospitals and education.
Labour's strategists could learn much from this revelation. National's cuts into public services are setting it up to fail those who seek health care.
Eventually, National's policy of slashing administrators and clerical staff positions throughout the public sector will begin to bite.
Already, at Auckland District Health Board, frontline hospital staff (nurses and doctors) are being prevented from being able to deliver satisfactory healthcare to their patients.
If Labour wants to be a contender in this election it needs to broaden its base.
Its health spokesperson, its policy analysts, its community LEC members should be connecting with Auckland Hospital to find solutions as to how best to address this fact:
* That Auckland DHB can now only afford to replace one nurse for every five nurses that resign (excluding ICU and operating theatres).
Labour needs to discover how the National Government's ACC reforms have now forced frontline nurses to sit at desks, to become preoccupied with filling out ACC forms – tasks that were once completed by clerical staff and/or outside agencies.
Again, if Labour wants to be a contender it needs to be seen as an advocate for those who are affected by National's policies. It's had 2.5 years to reconnect with its support base. For its strategists they need to wake up and realise now is the time and it is better late than never.
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