Nats acted with sheer vindictiveness says Clark
BY TRACY WATKINS IN NEW YORK
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Eight months on from Labour's election loss, former prime minister Helen Clark has no regrets and she rejects suggestions that Labour alienated voters by pushing through measures such as the child discipline bill.
Now in New York as head of the United Nations Development Programme, Miss Clark has also revealed unease at the National Government's direction on climate change and says its scrapping of her flagship sustainability agenda was motivated by sheer vindictiveness.
Her worry now is that going too far in the opposite direction will hurt New Zealand's international brand and prospects.
"If it's not at government level, then at the consumer level you run into resistance. Protecting the brand image of your country as clean and green is critical; critical for tourism, critical for our food exports, for industry, for exports.
"For me, the sustainability agenda is important on its own merits. But we've also got an enormous interest in getting it right."
She has taken up the UN job at a time when aid budgets are under pressure, as countries are afffected by the economic recession. But she says aid has never been more vital, as developing countries are hit even harder.
The New Zealand Government's response has been to trim its aid budget a point Miss Clark said she intended to raise with Prime Minister John Key when he was in New York next month.
"The figure I was given was that it was down about $190 million-plus over a three to four-year horizon. That's a pity."
On the "anti-smacking" bill, she said that suggestions that backing the repeal of section 59 was a strategic mistake were "wide of the mark".
"For a Labour government, eight years in, not to have moved on that issue, it's not tenable. At some point you have to grapple with that. The long-term result will be some change in what actually happens for children. But it is long term."
Feature story: New York: Helen Clark's kind of town
- © Fairfax NZ News
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You are right if you are criticising this journalism, richgraham(#18).
Ms Clark is too much experienced as a politician, and indeed, as an interviewee on any count, to make a sweeping accusation of "vindictiveness". It was incumbent on the journalist to ascertain how she substantiated "vindictiveness" and publish same.
Murray(#9) has suggested some possible supporting thoughts which Ms Clark might have entertained.
Ms. Clark should only take once the train from Christchurch to Picton. It's amazing what kind and how much rubbish you see in the back yards on the train ride leaving Christchurch. It rather looks like a car cementary with old oil leaking cars - polluting the ground with oil - and plastic foils all over the places than a train ride through scenic green pure NZ. Visitors I had invited from oversees where totally shocked and lost their believe in pure green NZ; they rather tought it was a myth.
@Deepred. What are you trying to say exactly? ( Maybe you needed more than three words ) What does A.C.E.S. have to do with my view on NZ policy?
Helen Clark owes her position in the UN to the taxpayers of NZ. Helen Clark was helped to attain her current role by the current NZ government. Who is being vindictive here ? What really is appalling is the uselessnes of these so-called journalists who absolutely refuse to do their professional job and ask the hard questions - all we get is sucking-up and sentiment. Shame on the journalists. No wonder the bloggers are becoming so influential !
you all seem to think the sun shines outta john key's bum. he couldnt be any more worse for this country right now.
#14: "I do agree also that in our short-sighted greed we will distroy one our most valuable strategic economic assets , the increasingly false "clean green" image of NZ." Three words - Waxman-Markey Act.
Helen Clark is probably right about National Party vindictiveness. It's not the first time they've reacted with childish spitefulness against sensible Labour Party legislation, to the detriment of us all. Remember Muldoon's instant abolition of Roger Douglas' sustainable superannuation scheme?
" a significant blow to her Socialism agenda" - Do you mean her Socialist agenda? I really fail to see how being in New York is a blow to that "agenda". So far seven comments from seven bitter men , democracy has worked you have your beloved National now please stop crying about 9 of the best years of governance in NZ history . I do agree also that in our short-sighted greed we will distroy one our most valuable strategic economic assets , the increasingly false "clean green" image of NZ. Nevermind thou a pathetically small increase in what's in MY pocket and a false sense of more self-determination will make it all better .
Crikey Wayne, those Nat Trolls sure are surly today. Guess theys needing something other than the poor to sneer at now. Yeah, we got no bitter tribal politics here anymore eh?
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That photo of her standing with the empire state building in the background looks fake as, it looks as if its artificial shadow under right arm suggests studio light rather than street day light.