September 01, 2013
Absence of Aroha noted in speech
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Labour’s leadership hopefuls fronted up to the members over the weekend at the first of a dozen hustings meetings.
David Cunliffe, Shane Jones and Grant Robertson each had 10 minutes to convince members why they deserved their votes.
While all stressed their adherence to party values, Mr Jones also presented himself as the best able to take on John Key and motivate a wide cross section of the public to vote for Labour.
He attacked Mr Key’s 2007 photo opportunity when he took 12-year-old Mt Albert schoolgirl Aroha Ireland to Waitangi, like a pet.
"Key needs to know aroha means love and obligation. The obligation he has to us as New Zealanders was given in the form of the political will he captured. What has he done with that political will? Whatever it was, it wasn’t to help Aroha. She had to go to Australia to make something out of her life," Mr Jones said.
The candidates will be at Forum North in Whangarei this evening.
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