Tasering Mallard
Helen Clark had an excellent and funny line yesterday in response to a question about Travor Mallard threatening to “dish the dirt on National MPs’ personal lives”. It was:
“I’m thinking of asking the Minister of Police for a Taser gun for Trevor.”
Now it was a very good one-liner and no doubt like Churchill’s, had been prepared well in advance.
Because while it was an excellent device to portray Clark as distancing herself from Mallard, the reality is he was not acting as a rogue wolf on this issue.
Pete Hodgson made clear on Agenda that the Caucus and leadership had agreed that if National continues to call them corrupt, then they would hit back with everything they could.
So have no doubt Helen Clark personally authorised Mallard to make the threat. And having got burnt for the threats, she now distances herself. I almost admire the political strategy behind it!
September 12th, 2006 at 1:39 pm
“So have no doubt Helen Clark personally …”
Must be getting a bit hot inside helens head, but then you are used to speaking for her, taking her words and repeating with your own changes which you then call hers.
Now we know why you only lasted a short time as a National party official, you kept hearing others voices as your own
September 12th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
This isn’t the beginning of a conspiracy theory is it – tut tut
September 12th, 2006 at 1:53 pm
Let me know when they’re calling for volunteers to administer the tasering. Now that’s what I’d call entertainment.
September 12th, 2006 at 1:56 pm
McPhee – you are pitiful. A short time as an official??? I was a Regional Councillor for around 15 years and probably was the longest serving continous Councillor.
And I know enough about caucus dynamics and the reaction of Helen and co when Mallard made his threat to know it was approved.
The media all reported the threat as having been undoubtedly approved by Clark also. They know how the game works.
September 12th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
What it has shown is that Labour knows it is on a hiding to nothing with the electorate if they resort to gutter politics. Yes, it was a deliberate attempt by Labour to distract from its own corruption, by revealing the details of National MPs’ private lives. Clearly, somebody near the very top of the Labour Party realised that was a two-way street.
By distancing herself from Mallard for a decision to get dirty, that clearly emerged from Labour’s council meeting ten days ago, she’s killed the idea.
And very sensible, too. Now all the Prime Minister has to do is react constructively to the other clamour of public voice, and pay back the money that Labour stole from the taxpayer to buy itself another term, and call fresh elections.
September 12th, 2006 at 2:06 pm
More proof that she has extreme ethical and moral problems to the extent that a visit to the shrink is long overdue.
September 12th, 2006 at 2:08 pm
McPhee:
Too cute by half. If you think Mallard and Hodgson spontaneously lost their rags, as opposed to working a considered strategy Clark was perfectly well aware of and condoned, you’re either very naive or have a lower opinion of her political skills than DPF or myself.
September 12th, 2006 at 2:12 pm
I saw TV the shots of Mallard making his statement. Clarke & Clullen were clearly in view on camera at the time, and they were sniggering & sneering at the opposition. Hardly the demeanour of someone either disaproving, or taken by supprise.
If, then, Mallard was not acting solely on his own, then he has been hung out to dry in a quite amazing way.
I guess, any taser marks would be right in the middle of his back!
September 12th, 2006 at 2:20 pm
So you all actually know Helen is really Madame Lash ?
I doubt if you have had 5 minutes with anybody who know her well. As for parliament gossip, since you are happy to spread this about Helen lets hear more about the bedroom antics of some senior National figures, you know actual emails and not just scuttlebutt which is unsourced.
September 12th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
McPhee, how did you escape from your cot?
This is just like when Mallard attacked National’s ‘US backers’ and Clark distanced herself from that saying she had no knowledge etc.
Yet Hansard, (HANSARD!) had her making the same comments in the House prior to Mallard making them outside.
September 12th, 2006 at 2:23 pm
Doubt if I have had five minutes with anyone who knows her well???
I had longer than that just yesterday with someone who knows her well.
September 12th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
“I’m thinking of asking the Minister of Police for a Taser gun for Trevor.”
Of course that could be read to mean that she wants one for Mallard to use on Labour’s opponents.
September 12th, 2006 at 2:28 pm
McPhee,
I have spent many hours with Helen Clark privately and publicly. I have spent many, many hours with her caucus members and cabinet ministers, in a range of settings.
It’s no surprise that Mallard went on the offensive in Parliament last week, just days after Labour’s council meeting. He was not the only MP going on the attack. In unison with Pete Hodgson, they were engaging in a deliberate threat to bring National MPs private lives into the debate.
Clark only reined them in when she realised that firstly, senior Labour members were not immune from having their dirty washing aired, and, more importantly, that it would bring public contempt for her Government to all new heights.
It doesn’t take a political genius to come to that conclusion. In your case, even a political moron should be able to follow the reasoning.
September 12th, 2006 at 2:47 pm
IP , love your prose , but one little thing ‘public contempt to new heights’. That would be Helens approval ratings that are on the heights, while Dons are on the lows where the contempt lives.
As for the National bedroom antics, they will of course be what one National figure says to another, silly boy thinking email is secure. Brings down three birds with one stone, and its probably Winnie who found them in a wine box. If its untrue of course people can sue!
September 12th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
McPhee,
Feel free to make allegations about National MPs on your own blog. Don’t think blog-owners like the idea of other people making claims that expose them to litigation.
September 12th, 2006 at 3:04 pm
I have no idea about national MPs ?. They are all well behaved and model citizens unless I hear otherwise from another National MP ! I dont even look on youtube. I will be the last to know.
September 12th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
I volunteer to taser Brownlee too! Fair is fair…
Dunne better not get too close either.
September 12th, 2006 at 3:30 pm
McPhee,
What you don’t seem to realise about the ‘personal emails’ threat is that Labour were not man enough to back it up. Mallard threatened to expose MP’s personal lives, National goes “ok then” and suddenly Mallard goes all quiet. It’s like when someone threatens you at a pub and says he will punch your face in, then when you go “ok let’s go outside then” he runs away. It’s all very cowardly. Are these the sorts of people you look up too?
September 12th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
Ahhh – Its Mcphee again -
‘I have no idea about national MPs ?.’
‘I will be the last to know.’
So yet again you know nothing. What the fuck are you going on about then.
Sir David is hopefully lining you up for a few months off with this sort of trollish behaviour.
Allah protect us.
September 12th, 2006 at 4:00 pm
McPhee:
Congrats on your Oscar-worthy impersonation of a Labour hack at his most demented, with some pretty deep psycho-sexual issues and reading disabilities to boot. Just as well I didn’t take it seriously, ay?
September 12th, 2006 at 5:32 pm
As I understand it the emails – which I havent seen- are gossip from one national MP to Don. So its OK for national mps to share with each other titilatting details but a disgrace if the public is enlightened about their elected representatives. Somebody should have not written it down to start with. Maybe it will be an upset husband who cant keep quiet anymore.
Gee some people think being an MP means any sort of behaviour is allowable. Well just because the press gallery , who are as likely to be part of the friday frolics, say personal life is out of bounds, doesnt means others are so restricted. Politics is not a little game for insiders only. Admirers of Carl Rove will understand immediately, all politics is dirty. Its just a matter of when not if !
September 12th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
[RING] [RING]
Hello?
Yes just a moment please.
McPhee its reality calling for you. Apprently you’ve been missing for quite some time. Something about traumatic seperation.
September 12th, 2006 at 5:48 pm
Mcphee said “Gee some people think being an MP means any sort of behaviour is allowable”
Your right McPhee MP’s are not above the law and do have a standard to uphold. This is why Philip Field has been stood down and is why Labour can not be allowed to get away with not taking taxpayer money for their own ends. If a National MP has done something that breaks a law, or if he is using his position for his own benefit then he/she should also be exposed. In which case Labour should table these emails. However Mallard is suggesting that National MP’s have skeletons in their closet which are completely unrelated to their being an MP. Not only is this below the belt, it’s also a complete waste of parlimentary time as it has nothing to do with the job of actually running the country.
September 12th, 2006 at 5:53 pm
McPhee:
I think the next time you go in for a bit of “Friday frolic”, you should get the dominatrix to spank your arse not your head. You can’t afford to damage any more brain cells, though your vivid sexual fantasies and cretinous prose style suggests you could be a most successful pornographer. One caveat: Fantasising about National Party MPs is a highly specialised market, and you should go for something a little more mass market.
September 12th, 2006 at 7:10 pm
I can only sympathise with some cuckolded husband from ########. That will be the angle guys!
You wont have a leg to stand on. It will be story about a person who thought $$$$$$$$ stood for honesty integrity and a free enterprise NZ. And what did we get but a ‘family wrecker’. An appointment with the local MP turned into sordid tryst while on the taxpayers time no less!
London newspapers make this sort of thing a full time job. We all cant wait who Nationals
‘$$$$$$$ pants down’ will be. Its like obituaries, its all done in advance and then trickled out ( to coin a phrase) over a week.
September 12th, 2006 at 8:19 pm
I see, so the Labour strategy to deflect attention away from their own corruption is to say they have proof that someone in National has been “doing a David Lange”. Brilliant.
September 12th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
McPhee:
This is boring – when does the horny pizza delivery man show up and offer to slip the chamber maid a slice of meat lover’s with extra sausage?
September 12th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
McPhee:
This is boring – when does the horny pizza delivery man show up and offer to slip the chamber maid a slice of meat lover’s with extra sausage?
September 12th, 2006 at 8:26 pm
So Labour want to throw dirt at National over alleged infidelities. Well, let’s hope then that Labour’s MPs are all squeaky clean too – none hiding closeted gay lifestyles or been sleeping around, alcoholics and so forth.
September 12th, 2006 at 8:49 pm
“So Labour want to throw dirt at National over alleged infidelities. Well, let’s hope then that Labour’s MPs are all squeaky clean too – none hiding closeted gay lifestyles or been sleeping around, alcoholics and so forth.”
Personally I would be very disappointed in National responding to something like this in a tit for tat manner. It’s beneath them and would only drag them down to Labours level. I would also hope that Peter Dunne and Jim Anderton would voice strong opposition to this sort of politics. I believe it’s beneath them as well.
September 12th, 2006 at 9:22 pm
I agree spector.
Think Mcphee is doing a little market research?
Allah protect us.
September 12th, 2006 at 10:33 pm
McPhee, you can get lithium on prescription you know. But thank you for being the poster child for the reasoning skills of the left.