Labour to learn lessons

The Labour Party will discuss breathing new life into its relationship with Ratana and rebuilding its organisation in provincial seats at a "summer school" this weekend.

The annual get-together is hosted by Young Labour, but will this year also be attended by other members, MPs and for the first time Helen Clark.

Achieving "renewal" in the party over the next 10 years is the primary theme on the agenda, which will include examining the experiences of Labour parties in Britain and Australia.

Party general secretary Mike Smith and members of the Ratana Church will run a workshop on renewing the link between the organisations, formalised in 1936. Labour lost four of the seven Maori seats in the last election, increasing the incentive.

Helen Clark and National leader Don Brash and other politicians will make their annual pilgrimage to Ratana Pa near Wanganui next week to celebrate the birthday of church founder Tahupotki Wiremu Ratana.

Mr Smith said yesterday that the rebuilding plan was earmarked as a priority by the party council after the 2002 election, and progress had already been made.

He accepted that a perception existed among some Maori voters that Labour had lost its nerve.

"But if you look at the substantive progress that's under way ... I don't think that's true."

It was also clear that Maori had given their party vote to Labour in the last election, which suggested the issue was not black and white. Still, tackling the "perception" issue was important.

"You have got to start where you've got a relationship," he said, referring to the longstanding Ratana bond.

"It's been a very significant relationship and we want to come back and revisit it, rebuild it, go back and understand it better."

Church members felt the same, he said.

Labour president Mike Williams said issues around generational and organisational change were also on the agenda. The party's organisation was good in most areas, but needed improving in some provincial districts.

This was particularly true in areas such as Taranaki-King Country and Clutha-Southland - traditional National seats, which Labour could no longer afford to ignore under MMP.

* Helen Clark's office confirmed yesterday that she would go to Waitangi for Waitangi Day celebrations this year.