Moore on Labour

Stuff reports:

Former Labour Prime Minister Mike Moore worries about his party. Yes his party still. Oh, there is some bitterness and bad blood for sure, but he’s still a party member and desperately wants Labour to win office again.

It was an emotional day with Moore. Sadness, laughter, passion, love and regret. It sat at the other end of the spectrum from our interview with Sir Geoffrey Palmer. While Palmer speaks with forensic accuracy, Moore speaks largely from the heart, leaving you with images, forcing you to ‘feel’ and interpret what he has said.

Chalk and cheese.

Are you a proud member of Labour, I asked him as we drew to a close late in the afternoon. Yes I’m proud of what the Labour Party has done for people. And we can do it again, he says.

I hope I live long enough to see another Labour government, he chuckles, in one of many laughs we had that day.

Moore is only 68. A Pakeka male aged 70 will on average live 15 more years so there is a reasonable chance Moore will see another Labour Government.

But he has some sharp criticisms too. At one point Moore turns the questions on me, in his typically cryptic and profound way. He’s started watching Country Calendar again.

How many of those people on Country Calendar do you think vote Labour now? I choose the diplomatic route.

What do you think the answer is? “None.”

Why? Because were not seen to be on the side of those who are strivers, he says.

This is from a former Labour Leader.

I do think we’ve got trouble. What sort of trouble? I think its basis is how you elect your leader, he says.

The caucus is our primary and sitting in that caucus you know what is going on and the idea that someone can not have the support in the caucus and the leader has to speak for that is a terrible idea.

Andrew Little was elected with four out of 32 votes in caucus.