What a shambles

Just wondering, can we have a Labour leader now? Forget David Cunliffe. Grant Robertson, although a fairly recent arrival in Parliament, would do a better job (and so what if he is gay) – but he doesn’t want the job. No one wants it. Phil Goff has it and he should get on and do it, because the party deserves it and needs it.

Phil Goff’s handling of the Darren Hughes allegations was terrible. If he is inept at this, how is he going to be able to run a country?

Goff has refused to return calls from party president Andrew Little on the Hughes allegations. He has refused to truthfully reveal how long he had known about the Hughes allegations. We now know he knew a day 0r two after the complaint was made to the police , i.e within a few days of the alleged incident. He has refused to accept the resignation of Darren Hughes,(twice), only to accept it, under pressure, days after the news broke. You’d at least think that he’d talk to his president to manage how this news was to be broken, or before accepting a resignation of a top MP before a police investigation is completed.

But he did neither. The immediate appointment of Goff’s old school mate David Shearer to Hughes’ education portfolio hasn’t pleased everyone. Nobody in Labour wants Judith Tizard to replace Hughes on the list, although Goff has asked Tizard whether she will take up the vacant list spot.

But Goff hasn’t spoken to Little about that, either. Goff doesn’t want Tizard to take up the list place, but feels he has to give her first dibs, and told reporters she should be the next MP. Meanwhile LIttle was telling journalists that Louisa Wall - who is several list places lower than Tizard - should be the next MP. One political journalist asked me, “Do they even talk?”.

Tizard said she`ll let Goff know in about a week whether she wants to be an MP again and get $162,020 for a few month’s work - perhaps she`ll talk to the New York branch of the party first. National MP’s, however, would love to see Tizard back.

Goff is a hopeless leader because he doesn’t generate hope, and he doesn’t have the support of his caucus. Labour MPs, rather than following him, are merely falling in behind him, unsure whether to backstab him, because no one wants to lead the Labour Party in its current state until they feel it is necessary to do so. Goff is no pied piper. There’s no way Labour can effectively run the country under Goff, when it can’t even be an effective opposition or explain its own policies.

Take employment for example. Labour’s employment strategy is that it is telling people that it has a plan for jobs, and that National doesn't. That’s it. No mention at all as to what that plan actually is.

We deserve better than that. If we don't have an effective opposition, who is going to provide checks on democracy - the fourth estate?

Another Labour education spokesperson

David Shearer is Labour’s fourth education spokesperson this Parliamentary term, after being parachuted into Parliament by Phil Goff to win a by-election. Shearer used to advise Goff on Foreign Affairs. They are good mates, and went to school together.

However many in Labour are not happy about the way Goff made the appointment after the Darren Hughes sex allegations. Hughes was Labour’s education spokesperson after a reshuffle saw Grant Robertson promoted from his education spokesperson role, to Health. Both Hughes and Robertson (as well as Iain Lees- Galloway and Chris Hipkins) are former student executives, although Shearer isn’t.

Shearer’s CV [PDF] notes his career has been dedicated to increasing inequality and fairness, and he has spoken out publicly in the media on issues he has felt strongly about.

It remains to be seen whether this dedication will extend to addressing inequality and inequity in education. Who knows how strongly he will feel about addressing such issues to the point he will publicly speak up.

Does David Shearer see himself as a lesbian?

Ha. Trust Whale Oil to find this.

Labour's Mt Albert candidate David Shearer is a member of the Labour Women group in Grassroots Labour. WHaleoil calls him a woman. I say he's one of the better looking ones, too.

So why didn't WhaleOil say that Shearer sees himself as a lesbian, given her membership of Rainbow Labour?

The battle after the selection battle: Shearer and Mt Albert

The campaign for Mt Albert is heating up. David Shearer is the Labour candidate, but apparently is not the electorate committee's favourite option. Tane from The Standard says:

Shearer’s selection was unanimous among the six delegates on the selection panel (half head office, half local party) and he won the floor vote by a clear majority. About 200 party members took part in the floor vote.

Phil Goff also said Shearer won the floor vote on BFM today.

Goff: I went to the selection committee with eight really superb candidates.... David Shearer, aah won the unanimous support of the panel, locals , and err, the NZ Council
Presenter: How many were on the panel
Goff: ..and he won the vote on the floor
Presenter: How many were on the panel
Goff: Aah there's six on the panel plus the floor vote which that counts for one, but he won the floor vote.

But a comment on The Standard blog said the following

No way did shearer win the floor vote. You have been misinformed.There were a lot of angry people leaving that hall yesterday. Might as well have been the National party for all the democracy of the selection.

Earlier, Green candidate Russel Norman, did an interview with Matthew Hooten, where he says Hooten officially endorsed Shearer as the most right candidate. Labour's Jordan Carter, discussing National's candidate says National's options is to rubbish local candidate's efforts, orparachute someone with no connection to Mt Albert.

Like Labour did, perhaps.

Carter attacked Norman, asking., "What is Russel Norman trying to achieve with his constant smears of Labour?" Chris Elder (remember him?) joined in, and consequently attacked Russel Norman on Twitter, saying,

"So, you're attacking Shearer by parroting messaging lines from Hooten, Slater & Farrar? Quite the campaign team you've got.

Anybody would think that Goff heavied his man in, despite opposition from the Mt Albert Labour members.

And anyone would also think that Chris Elder knows Tane from The Standard.

Oh, and half an hour ago Melissa Lee was announced as National's candidate for Mt Albert. But not by National.

David Shearer has a CV

David Shearer is the Labour candidate for Mt Albert. Here's his CV.