Reading the morning papers I see both Phil Goff and Annette King intend to see out their terms as local MPs. That's, I guess, fair enough but they should step down as local MPs too for the good of the party. After all, Goff and King should take a lot of the blame for Labour's disgraceful list. The list that has turfed out three of their best young MPs (Carmel Sepuloni, Stuart Nash and Kelvin Davis) and some of their best old MPs (Steve Chadwick, Rick Barker). Instead the list protected useless nobody deadwood MPs like Darien Fenton. Darien who you say? exactly.
In my opinion King should stand down and hand Rongotai to Wellington City Councillor Paul Eagle. Eagle is widely known and well liked in Wellington, especially in Labour circles, and would strengthen the weakened brown guard in Labour. Unlike many in Labour, Eagle isn't a career politician. Sure, he's a Councillor but this is his first term and he hasn't come out of the Labour Party Parliamentary Office or from Fraser House (Labour's headquarters). Eagle is the rep for the southern ward which is Rongotai so no issue with him not being a local.
In Mt Roskill it's a little harder. I think it's a crime that Nash is no longer in Parliament. Maybe Labour could parachute Nash into the seat if Goff decided to stand down. What about Michael Wood? Hell, even Carmel Sepuloni. Labour are spoilt for choice in the seat if Goff does the right thing and resigns as an MP.
My thought is that it's likely no clear succession plans exist. They want to retain these seats, and hold them for a generation, and will need time to select and groom candidates capable of doing this. Whether those candidates are existing MPs like Andrew Little, or young Turks, is an open question, I guess.
ReplyDeleteL
Yeah, you're right re succession plan Lew. Eagle though has been positioning himself to take Rongotai for a long time now. He stood in the Southern Ward in anticipation of stepping up to claim Annette's mantle after the election and he's well networked (within the left anyway). He's the 'people's hero' sort of character too. Should, in my opinion, have no trouble in the seat.
ReplyDelete//Eagle though has been positioning himself to take Rongotai for a long time now.//
ReplyDeleteAnd you put forward that this fellow is not a career politician? Seems to have a long-term plan...
Hi Joel
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm getting at is Paul isn't a career politician in the sense that he's served multiple terms, time in the Labour offices, time in the Labour machinery etc. He's not a Deb Mahuta-Coyle or even an Andrew Little.
Don't all politicians or aspirants have a long term plan?
Nice thinking - although I didn't realise Russell Norman was a candidate in Rongotai until I got into the booth! If I had realised in advance, I might have thought of giving him my vote. Darren Hughes had been groomed by Annette to be her successor, so not sure what the plans changed to after the events of last year. At least Paul Eagle understands local issues.
ReplyDeleteIf CWB were to lose the mayoralty I expect that she could well be the next Rongotai MP...
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting call. Plausible. I think she finds much of her support in the Green Party belts like Hataitai too.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason CWB won the mayoralty was because she was able to scoop up a lot of other left wing preferences. In a FPP situation, which is what we have for electorate seats, she would never be able to get enough Labour votes to win.
ReplyDeleteMorgan wrote,
ReplyDelete>> some of their best old MPs (..., Rick Barker)
Wut?!
Is there something about Rick Barker that I don't know?
Rick Barker is unappreciated. He was an excellent party whip, along with Chadwick, and did well to hold Labour's vote in the Hawkes Bay from the early 90's until about the 05 election.
ReplyDeleteAh ok. I was only really aware of him when he was in cabinet (and not excellent), I hadn't picked that he'd done so well as whip.
ReplyDelete"although I didn't realise Russell Norman was a candidate in Rongotai until I got into the booth!"
ReplyDeleteFunny, I was all set to give the Green electorate MP my vote until I realised it was Russell Norman.
I agree that Barker is a good example of the kind of guy Labour can afford to use. At best he was solid but unremarkable, at worst he was deadweight. Also a dud as Minister of Internal Affairs.
Morgan : what a load of cobblers. I found this on Annette Sykes website, and I was appalled. You've picked up the anti union/working class MSM line: I'm a working class woman, with ancestry you know nothing about, who has worked supporting low paid workers for many years and who has continued to do so in parliament. I'm no "high flyer" but do the hard yards and your comments are elitist and ignorant. You also need to understand MMP a little better. I was first elected as No. 43 on Labour's list and then 33 the following term. Stu was 28 and Kelvin 23 in 2011 - both great positions that recognised their potential and ability; but 27% of people gave us their party vote and we won four seats we didn't have at the last election. I'm annoyed at the shallowness of your analysis. I thought you might be better than this.
ReplyDeleteOnce again Darien a "classy" response to criticism. Don't you EVER listen to the people? Perhaps the electoral trouncing you received wasn't enough to make it clear to you. BTW I and many, many others would rather have people with the intellect and ability of Stuart Nash and Kelvin Davis than another recycled Union hack like yourself. They were and are far more worthy of a high list place than you.
ReplyDeleteSo anonymous - haven't got the fortitude to use your real name. I could take a guess.
ReplyDeleteAh, I see, can't justify yourself so you attack the messenger. "I could take a guess" eh? Does your paranoia know no bounds, does it matter who I am? My point is proven that you will not listen, you just produce empty words and background noise while Labour flounders because of your involvement, because of this better people than yourself have missed out, Nash particularly. Perhaps I should write it in green crayon so you can understand? As you're soooooo desperate to identify me, I've used my name. Zero class Lady.
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