Speech: Launch of ‘Labour: The New Zealand Labour Party 1916-2016’

Labour Party President Nigel Haworth
6pm on Thursday 7 July at the Wellington Museum

Let me begin by thanking you all for joining us tonight to celebrate Labour’s Centenary. This is a wonderful achievement, made possible by the commitment of working people to Labour’s values and principles over a tumultuous century.

I recognise tonight those generations of women and men, Maori, Pacific Islander and Pakeha and from elsewhere, of all parts of New Zealand and of all creeds, identities and ages, who have built and sustained Social Democracy in this most blessed nation. We inherit the fruits of their labour and struggle with pride and humility. We pass on that inheritance in the certainty that our values and principles remain fundamental to a secure future for all who dwell here.

On such an occasion, I am struck by two thoughts. The first considers the resilience of our Labour tradition.

We often hear today questions about the future of Social Democracy, here and elsewhere.

For me, answers to these questions often miss the insights offered by History, insights found so clearly in the excellent book launched tonight.

At the risk of an accusation of arrogance, Social Democracy internationally, and Labour in New Zealand, owned politics between the 1930s and 1970s.

We carried the banner of the Keynesian Accommodation and the Post-War Settlement in economics, politics and international relations. Our Conservative opponents adopted and adapted our narrative. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

And what success was achieved by that tradition.

Of course, both internationally and nationally, that tradition was displaced in the 1980s by the individualism and market-driven models of neo-liberalism. And, uniquely, for reasons well-traversed in the book, Labour was at the forefront of that transition in New Zealand.

The debates around that transition have been long, and at times, fierce.
But, 30 years later, our original, century-old principles and values have prospered, and remain at the heart of our organisation and policies. I believe, also, that they remain at the heart of what makes New Zealand the country in which we want to raise our families and build a better society.

In looking back at our history, I also see the essential role that we have played in New Zealand over the last 100 years stretching far into the future, for, as circumstances change, our values and principles remain as relevant as ever.

And, in case you have doubts about this, I suggest that you might read some of the recent IMF and World Bank analyses, which are not only distancing themselves rapidly from neo-liberal orthodoxy, but are also returning to the language of Labour – reduced inequality and increased redistribution, greater levels of social inclusion, and a stronger voice for all members of society. Our essential message from 1916 is once more resonating internationally.

My second point is a simple one. Democracy such as we enjoy in New Zealand is rare, and under threat. The hopes expressed in the 1950s and 1960s for a universal victory for Liberal Democracy have foundered on the rocks of authoritarianism and failed states.

We are extraordinarily lucky to enjoy a political system recognised to be, in general, free from corruption, subject to the Rule of Law, and balanced in its political representation. In particular, I know that our business community reflects on the challenges of doing business in New Zealand compared with, for example, many other countries. I would, of course, like that reflection to take a more tangible form.

Strong, free political parties are essential for the future stability of our political system. Those parties must be able to compete on a level playing field in terms of opportunity and resources. Where the field is skewed or tilted in the favour of one tradition or other, the potential for political imbalance and instability arises.

If BREXIT and elsewhere tell us one thing, it is that an unbalanced, unresponsive political order gives rise to both disillusionment and insecurity. Such damage is not easy to repair, and may become permanent if not addressed early and reversed.

Labour’s is but one of a number of voices that must be heard, freely and clearly, in a strong and stable democracy. We avoid this issue at our peril. Labour’s Centenary – the Centenary of our oldest political party – is the ideal opportunity to begin a national conversation about the strengths of, and challenges to, New Zealand’s political system. Thank you.

ENDS

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