2020 election: Jacinda Ardern touts progressive credentials at rockstar student rally

CAMPAIGN JOURNAL: There was little ambiguity about what Jacinda Ardern wanted from a gaudy audience of hundreds at Victoria University.

In front of the students on Tuesday, with all of the Wellington Labor candidates behind her, she spoke of her administration’s most progressive moments: the ban on oil and gas exploration, the Zero Carbon Act, a major funding boost for the mental health services.

It was a clear launch into the politics of aspirations often held by students, many of whom said Stuff they were disappointed that Ardern hadn’t gone further with progressive policies or free tertiary education beyond the first year, as promised.

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“I know I don’t need to tell you that there is more to do,” Ardern said in his rally speech, before describing anyone who has said that reducing emissions is not necessary as “morally wrong.”

“I hope you can put your faith in us, so that we can continue to do what New Zealand needs right now. So I ask you, please, two tics this year for Labor, bring us back, let us move on.”

There were clearly votes at stake on campus. An hour earlier, Green Party co-leader James Shaw was working in the room, speaking to groups of students, fully aware that the strength of Ardern’s campaign was about to wane.

Shaw was telling a group of students, not all young people, that his party’s research showed that whether the Greens would win this election came down to turnout, so he needed them to vote.

Talking to Stuff, He said the Greens supported the no-fee worker policy, but were primarily focused on increasing student income.

“The question of fees is actually secondary to people’s ability to buy food,” he said.

Labor had disappointed students with its breach of the promise to extend free rates for sophomores and juniors. A group of science students, Green voters who were drafting banners denouncing Labor efforts on the treaty’s revenue, climate and policy, said they disagreed with the measure.

“There is no good economic justification for cutting it. If the argument is to cut it because it costs too much money, it’s going to cost us in the long run anyway because that means people who aspire to want a higher education … a lot of people could stay excluded from that, ”said Alex Litherland, 35.

Business student Logan Fulton, 19, said he expected the policy to be cut because of “backlash” over the scheme’s problems – it had low acceptance. Fulton and his friends generally supported Labor, although not all had voted for the party.

Zach Venning, 18, also a trade student, said: “Rates were out of control before Labor came along … [Fees free] it was a start to contain that, but it didn’t go far enough. “

Despite the disappointment, Ardern’s speech was very well received. Amidst the gathering crowd afterward, Tania Ali headed to greet Ardern.

Ali was deaf and communicated through sign language. Before the speech, she said Stuff – through writing – she expected a sign language interpreter at the rally (which never happened), and she supported Ardern for his support of the education system and deaf people.

Ardern, after signing his name with Ali, told reporters that he understood Ali was introducing himself, but not much else.

He said the Labor Party had delivered on its promise to make tertiary education free in its first year and, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was necessary to decide instead to make vocational training and apprenticeships free. free.

When asked if it was cheeky of Shaw to show up on campus before her, Ardern said it was a “free campus.”