WILL LABOUR EMBRACE RADICAL NEW ECONOMIC POLICIES? NOT LIKELY

Bryce Edwards : Rebuilding the old order not good enough.

Bryce Edwards says that 'rebuilding the old order won't be good enough' and that 'Labour needs to embrace radical new economic policies.' The chances of that happening though, are negligible.

IN A COLUMN for The Guardian, political scientist and commentator Bryce Edwards suggests that the severity of the coronavirus - stimulated economic crisis means that the issues that have dominated the left in recent times will be forced to take a back seat. He writes that post-materialist issues such as free speech, religion and political correctness which have dominated the central stage for seemingly forever, will be 'hooked' off stage. While there will inevitably be those who will continue to beat the drum for identity politics, it will likely be seen as entirely indulgent and tone deaf for the exponents of 'wokeness' to carry as if its just business as usual, even while more and more New Zealanders get chucked out of their jobs and the lines at the food banks continue to lengthen. In the end, its all about the economy, stupid.

Edwards is right in his observation that 'In the wake of Covid-19, post-materialist issues are likely to weaken once again, becoming overshadowed by more basic concerns about putting food on the table.'

I think though that he's on shifting ground when he says that New Zealanders will 'also be evaluating the contrasting left-and right wing prescriptions for dealing with a severe economic depression. And that could see a fiercely-ideological election debate based around economics and resources.' This assumes, of course, that there will be 'contrasting left and right wing' prescriptions' for a 'fiercely ideological' debate to actually occur. It could equally be yet another pedestrian debate with Labour and National each arguing that they would be the better managers of the neoliberal economy.

It takes two to tango, and, of the two main parliamentary parties, the onus is on Labour to provide the left wing prescription to National's right wing economic prescription. While Edwards is certainly right in his observation that 'rebuilding the old order won't be good enough', that will not stop Labour from trying to do exactly that. I doubt Labour will be taking Bryce's advice:

'If Labour is to embody the spirit of the times, it will embrace radical new economic policies. This means proposing new progressive income taxes, a wealth tax, a universal basic income, a massive state housing programme, and an overhaul of the public health system. And that’s just for starters.'

Annie Newman

Even though I don't think a universal basic income is particularly progressive, Edwards' policy prescription would have a good chance of being adopted if Labour was led by Bernie Sanders. Or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Or Jeremy Corbyn. Indeed such policies would be contained within the policy package of a Green New Deal. But we're talking a Labour Party led by interminably centrist Jacinda Ardern and a finance minister who once declared the economic polices of Jeremy Corbyn's Labour would not work in New Zealand. And, before the virus happened, remained loyal to an austerity agenda.

I don't see any compelling evidence that Labour will go into its election campaign offering anything significantly different from what we've already seen and experienced before. Its worth noting that Labour's erstwhile trade union ally, E'tu, has just launched a campaign , Rebuild Better, which claims to be all about 'making sure workers and our communities are at the heart of New Zealand’s COVID-19 recovery.' Its short on detail but its a long way from the radical economic approach that Edwards proposes. Instead its all about retooling our present economic order rather than upending it. E'tu Assistant National Secretary, Annie Newman insists that its all about 'kindness'. We're have I had heard that before? Newman writes:

'Kindness is not absent in the current management of this crisis, but neither should it be absent in the construction of our future. Kindness is not just a feeling though. It is action that delivers equity, justice and hope as we step though the portal between one world and the next. Let’s rebuild better – and start now.'

'Kindness is not absent in the current management of this crisis'?  It seems Newman, in her attempt to boost Labour, is just going to ignore such inconvenient details as this government's failure to supply adequate public housing or its refusal to lift benefit levels so beneficiaries  and the poor can lead something other than desperate lives.

Kind capitalism? I'm sure Jacinda Ardern is right behind the project.