No Right Turn shares some news that I wouldn’t otherwise have heard. (I don’t just read him to fisk him you know!)
Labour is experimenting with crowdsourcing policy development, with a new project called OpenLabour. Policy ideas will be floated on Red Alert, with feedback through the comments. The result will be “a key input for Labour to consider in developing its policy”. How seriously it will be taken depends on how good it is. Which points out an obvious vulnerability right there: right-wing trolls engaging in their usual disruption and sabotage could easily make this a waste of time for everyone involved.
My first though was the complete opposite – that Labour has more to fear from the left doing something like that.
As a mainstream party, Labour needs to produced policies that appeal to middle NZ. But middle NZ typically have jobs, and don’t have the time or inclination to contribute to detailed policy discussions. But the far left does. While right wing sabotage will appear obvious (but see next comment) pushing too hard to the left won’t.
But the second point is: who would be regarded by such people as a “right-wing troll” by the far left activists that are going to dominate the discussion? Answer: Anyone to their right, including the center. If my observations of certain left-wing blogs are anything to go by, any middle of the road suggestions have a high chance of being dismissed as right-wing ideology.
So to Labour I say “go for it” – it sounds brilliant. Oh, and make sure you deal ruthlessly with any trolls – they come in all sorts of disguises, you can never be too safe.
Written by scrubone
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