Maharey on Goff
NZPA’s Grant Fleming has done an interesting interview with Steve Maharey. Some extracts:
He was also reluctant to talk about Labour’s leadership post-Clark, but said he did not hold the view of some Labour members that Cabinet Minister Phil Goff was too right-wing to lead the party.
This is significant. In fact this is highly significant. Maharey was long seen as the MP who would stop Goff becoming Leader. To have Maharey publicly endorse him is not a minor thing. I would even go so far as to say it is a sign the leadership sucession is close to settled.
To be fair to Goff, he deserves a chance at the top job. Even the left of Labour should be able to recognise that he has been a very competent Minister, and has not tried to undermine Clark since the unsuccessful attempt in the late 90s.
I actually think Goff could be electorally difficult for National. He is reasonably right wing on law & order issues – often a weakness for Labour – and would throw away the ideological hatred of tax cuts. Not because he is a proud devotee of tax cuts, but because he recognises their popularity when surpluses are so high.
October 20th, 2007 at 7:27 am
Pretty weak ‘endorsement’. But they do need some way to move away from the hatred of tax cuts (as you put it).
On that, I see Kevin Rudd is now saying Labour won’t give tax cuts to the rich in Australia, but will devote the money to funding computers in poor houses. The interesting thing is what counts as ‘rich’ in Oz. Labour will withhold tax cuts from those earning more than A$180,000. That’s three times the threshhold for being ‘rich’ in New Zealand. Three times. Oh yes, we are all so well off under Labour ….
October 20th, 2007 at 8:03 am
I think this ‘Goff is to the right of Labour’ is largely illusionary – its simply that the portfolios he has held have tended to be associated with the ‘hard power’ of the State – defence, foreign affairs, justice – and during his tenure in justice Labour made a political decision to go reactionary on crime in response to the 1999 referendum. he’s not got those portfolios because he is right wing though – he got justice as one of the few incoming labour ministers with previous cabinet experience in 1999, andforeign affairs as the poison chalice only to prove himself very competant in international issues.
hear Goff talk about social issues or redistribution of wealth (taxation) and his principles are solidly of the left.
Even if a more centrist leader were to succeed Clark Labour leaders don’t control their party with an ironfist they have to maintain the Party’s backing and thaat means staying left of centre.
No doubt though, media analysis will spout the same shallow ‘rightie of Labour’ line if and when Goff does have a shot at the leadership.
October 20th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Phil Goff as Minister of Justice wrote 25 August 2005:
“It is clear that the Government’s position on student loans cannot be equated to an act of bribery. It is however a pledge that the Labour-led Government on returning to govern will honour.”
I like the word “govern”!
Perhaps he is right in his assumption above. However the Government’s use of taxpayer’s money to pay for this notorious pledge card equated to theft. This has been approved by Goff in his support of the Validation Act. He thus has every attribute to lead a Labour Party in Opposition and comes recommended by Steve Maharey also a supporter of the VA.
October 20th, 2007 at 8:10 am
Sam: His right reputation is not so much based on what he has done as a post 99 Minister (even though many on the left do not like his law & order policies) but what he did in the late 1980s with introducing high tertiary fees etc and generally being a Rogernomics follower.
And while the factions are less than in Australia, there is no doubt Goff is the leader of the fairly small right wing bloc in Caucus. This is why his ascension is surprising – his bloc is very small. But it is a credit to him he has worked hard enough to make himself acceptable to the wider Caucus.
October 20th, 2007 at 8:16 am
Yes but Goff is about as charasmatic as a cup of cold tea but then the same could be said of Clark. He has been reasonably competant but I do not think there is much behind him. Has a short fuse which will be fun to provoke. And he has been at politics for a long time surely he is sick of it by now.
October 20th, 2007 at 8:21 am
Key wins election this time round, Helen goes, Goff moves up to Labour leader. Wait for the press to start in on “National-lite” and how Key has shifted the balance of the political spectrum in NZ to the right, and how Labour had to go with a more right-wing leader to compete.
October 20th, 2007 at 8:54 am
“He is reasonably right wing on law & order issues”
Wasn’t it Goff (with Clarks assistance) who wanted to legalise 12 year olds having sex in their 1st term?
Didn’t Goff explain during his first speech to parliament as justice minister that he thought that the criminals were “the true victims”, and proceeded to create laws that were more friendly to them (i.e. entitlement to parole down from 2/3 to 1/3 of their sentence?)
Yeah really nice guy. ideal PM material.
If this is in fact what the right represent then this country is truly doomed.
October 20th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Yes it was Goff that proposed the law be changed so two 15 year olds having sex is not a criminal offence. He even quoted me in the House defending him
October 20th, 2007 at 9:01 am
The wider issue is how ths impacts upon Clark’s tenure at the top.
If she finds herslf with no obvious ‘heir-apparent’ she mucy surely wonder what eill become of the Party she has so ably steerred. It may be that Maharey was offered the role of leader as a part of a planned step-down by Helen.
Now, she might find herself locked ito the role regardless of whether she planned that, without a secured legacy in terms of a successor, and with the possibility of election defeat enhanced by Maharey’s departure.
We also have to wonder how long Cullen will stay on too.
How would you like to be captain of the ‘B team’ and know that your team is no longer at the top of the league?
Would Helen stomach that?
Could she countenance ‘leader of the opposition’ without a Maharey by her side?
Or, will she now have to reconsider her departure time and its terms?
It will be within 12 months of the next election.
Anything else would be electoral suicide for Labour. Now, all they have to do is keep that fact under their hats, because if the electorate find out, that too, will kick the stool from under Labour.
The ‘politics of sneaky’ will here, bite Labour on the ass.
It’s one thing to ram stuff through under the cover of darkness becasue the electorate haven’t got a clue about any other Labour person but Clark and Cullen.
But when those two reach their ‘sell-by date’ and no one with any charisma or particular profile is there to fill the gap. well traditional Labour voters will abandon Labour in droves.
October 20th, 2007 at 9:02 am
I hope.
October 20th, 2007 at 9:04 am
So David there’s your Tui Billboard for the next election – A picture of Helen with ‘Three more years’ written under it. then on the other side: ‘Yeah, Right..”
October 20th, 2007 at 11:04 am
It seems to me there is quite a lot of counting-chickesn-before-they’ve-hatched going on in this post.
[DPF: Not at all. In my post I made no reference to when Goff will take over]
October 20th, 2007 at 11:22 am
helen is getting pushed into a corner. Does she bail out to the UN and leave her beloved party in a shambles or does she hang around and go down with the ship. I hope she bails to the UN then we can all become her worst nightmare by chipping in and take the EFB to the UN as an attack of our human rights.
October 20th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Goff, Cosgrove, O’Connor, and some of the others who originally might have been half decent government material, have all sold their souls as loyal trons in the Clark administration. I don’t know how they live with themselves, especially Goff over that “age-of-consent” stuff.
Perhaps a “de-Helenisation” period for the Labour Party of the future?
October 20th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
STC : I plead guilty. What is your prognosis for the future?
October 20th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
‘Perhaps a “de-Helenisation” period for the Labour Party of the future?’
simply put,, Helen is no more.
The electorate see’s worse than socialism now, it sees totalotarism,, fascism.
it’s not even a hint, its strong inferral that’s gone past insidiousness.
Labour will be thoroughly and properly caned and canned at the polls.
The pretence that this govt is protecting internal security of this nation will be and is seen as the farce that it is.
Their patronising of the people has been exposed
no one likes to be treated like a 5 yo
and no one likes 5 yo’s being treated like terroists and criminal threats.
October 20th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
I have doubt’s about a guy who made friends, held hands etc with an aging terrorist called Arafat………………….
October 20th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
‘Yes it was Goff that proposed the law be changed so two 15 year olds having sex is not a criminal offence’
yes,,
Tapu Misa also endorsed this rationale.
I love this journalist. I think she’s a breath of fresh air with her alternative and distinctly Polynesian histories and inputs.
In saying that, I don’t agree with every little thing she says. she was in agreeance with the anti smacking laws. I couldn’t understand her for that.
But decriminalising youth sex is realistic and hopefully opens dialogue with sexually active youth, because thats real life and won’t go away.
October 20th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
As for Goff,
He will be the next Labour leader. Shouldn’t be any surprises there.
But he’s going to be opposition leader for a fair while. I also think he will
sojourn the distance. He’s still relatively young and will be classed as a mature age upon retaining treasury seats.
He is very astute politically and professionally and probably sat at the feet of Johnathan Hunt imbibing his every wisdom in the art of being present without actually doing anything with the veracity of a thick sponge.
Hunt corners the market in subtleness and camouflage, but Goff has the artistic technique and has learned to be economical and powerful yet retaining ambition. He is the picture of correctness to his leader and party and completely understands the all important concept of perfect timing.
He waits.
October 20th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
If Cullen were to retire, I suspect that would be a substantial impact on Labour’s election prospects. It would be akin to saying “I give up, we’re not going to win, may as well start rebuilding”.
October 20th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
As soon as he announced his retirement it was obvious that he didn’t really have the numbers or energy to become leader in future (much easier returning to Massey with a good salary with all the functions and openings that come with it). And it was obvious straight away that Goff would be next in line and what the ramifications were, ain’t political analysis cynical…
It will be interesting who gets the top party list spots, whether Clark will stack it with Helenites to counter a move to the right, but that’s ages away so will be interesting to see who gets promoted to cabinet in the meantime…
As PaulL says, if Cullen retires before or leading into the change of leadership down the line then it will be interesting…
October 20th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Paul
I dont think Cullen will retire. He will front up to the election and defend the indefensible next year to cover Helens butt. He is Helens exit strategy.
Cullen can then slope off into retirement and with his rose coloured glasses and superannuation have a happy old age oblivious to the mess he has helped create.
October 20th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
So how does one post an image here? (jpg)
October 21st, 2007 at 10:23 am
Steve is an interesting choice as VC at Massey. I think people should give him a chance to prove himself at this level before they judge him! I guess he has won the job over quite a strong field-so the Massey Council must have seen something that made them take the risk.