Please let it be
Newstalk ZB reports:
Ms Clark’s departure from Parliament has been expected since Labour’s election loss. When she does go, it will mean a by-election in Mt Albert which Miss Clark has held comfortably since 1981.
New Labour MP Phil Twyford, who stood on the North Shore at the last election, is favourite to stand as the party’s candidate in the seat. However, a surprise pick could be former Auckland Central MP Judith Tizard, who has been seen several times in recent months around Parliament and is eager to get back into politics.
The irony is that even if Twyford is the candidate, him winning the seat would see Judith return to Parliament (if Damien O’Connor replaces Michael Cullen first). So no matter who the candidate, is – a vote for Labour could be a vote to return the creator and remaining sole defender of s92A to Parliament.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Yes, well something to fill the void when Helen goes.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Thought the Tizards would find life natural in SoHo, NY.
They are going to miss their ‘Friend’.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Goff will be pleased seeing his old colleague, the “good-for-anything-at-all” former Minister for Auckland back in Parliament.
Is that the new blood socialist Labour promised before the election? The tired, arrogant, and above all, ignorant Judith Tizard?
Long these two non-entities, Goff and Tizard, may continue providing us with political entertainment.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Manolo, look on the bright side.
The left’s political gene pool is losing the clever corrupt, and gaining the obviously stupid.
I’m pretty happy with that.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
WHAAAAAAHAHAHAHA weeeeee. Oh thats just super. The woman who lost auckland central to schoolgirl and whose sole achievement was to make the fact that she was doing nothing look like it took at least 20 minutes each day between lattes.
What are we going to call that byelection, Bloodbath at the house of death?
March 25th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
“So no matter who the candidate, is – a vote for Labour could be a vote to return the creator and remaining sole defender of s92A to Parliament.”
We’re not obsessed by some kind of paranoia about Labour or anything. But a vote for Labour is ALWAYS about S92a. Even when it’s not.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I , for one, welcome our new Tizard overlord.
Here we are now, entertain us.
March 25th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Judith Tizard, the black hole of political achievement.
She’ll fit right in with Phil Look at me Look at me Goff and the rest of the the nonentities.
March 25th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
she should stick to her knitting……..
March 25th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
If Labour should put Tizard up for the seat what chance National taking this so called `safe’ Labour seat.
The Nats should be out knocking on doors from tomorrow.
March 25th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Perhaps ‘Cunny’ is encouraging this in the hope she will do the dispatching of the acting leader with her knitting needles instead of the knife that we hear is being honed to a fine cutting edge in a certain MPs office.
March 25th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Please please please let Goff get rolled by Tizard!!!!!!!
March 25th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
No one’s mentioning the National party candidate for Mt Albert?! Anyhoo it’d presumably be Ravi ‘vote for me, Clark’s going to get in anyway’ Musuku, who surprisingly managed to get 9,800 votes to Clark’s 20,000 in 2008. Possible that votes will actually vote for the Labour candidate in greater numbers this time, as Clark was a bit of a negative for centre voters last time IMHO. On the other haaaand maybe National’s half decent performance to date will encourage people to vote for Musuku.
[DPF: There could be a number of candidates wanting the nomination]
March 25th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
When you combine the “vote Twyford, but get Tizard” reality with John Key’s current standing and Helen Clark’s strong personal following in Mt Albert, there must be a good chance that National could if not take the seat, then at least run a creditable second.
If National put up a real rock star candidate and Key commits time and effort, then Labour are on a hiding to nothing. If Labour wins with a much reduced majority, it is a blow to Goff’s leadership and if National wins, then it might even be a fatal blow. From National’s point of few, the only “bad” result would be if Twyford increased Clark’s majority, which I just can’t see happening.
March 25th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Stephen I doubt that Ravi Musuku is a dead certainty at all for the National Party nomination.
March 25th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
[DPF: There could be a number of candidates wanting the nomination]
Ah I see. Token Nat. Poor ol’ Ravi. He had guts, not like the Jonny-come-latelys who are now surely circling
March 25th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Whenever I saw Ravi sitting outside my house in his little van, I couldn’t help but think of Mugatu from Zoolander!
March 25th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
$5 says WhaleOil changes his name by deed poll and runs for Mt Albert as ‘Helan Clark’ using the Labor party banner.
March 25th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Stephen
More par for the course: party’s aren’t going to waste talent in unwinnable seats, even with MMP. Helen Clark herself ran in an unwinnable seat before being pre-selected for Mt Albert.
March 25th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
No Stephen … when you see a seat where there could just be a suprise result I would imagine that any number of wannabees might wish to put their hand up.
One hears that Ron Mark has been sniffing around Labour.
March 25th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
One hears that Ron Mark has been sniffing around Labour.
What a waste – the only decent MP from that Party.
March 25th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Bevan: We obviously have very different views on decency.
coventry: What a brilliant idea. He wouldn’t even have to replace the photos
So Judith Tizard, proven as ineffectual, failed in the past, gets a free ride into Parliament without campaigning and despite the fact that, clearly, no one wants her.
Hopefully that’ll be fresh in people’s minds when the review if MMP occurs.
March 25th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
“One hears that Ron Mark has been sniffing around Labour.”
No surprise there. NZF is nothing but a bunch of crooks looking for a twisted cause, so the word decency does not exist in Peters minions’ vocabulary.
Dead and buried is where they should remain.
March 25th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Will NZ First actually stand a candidate? I note that they did not in the general election. Given the strength of the party vote for National (only 2500 behind Labour), a weak candidate for Labour would be a disaster.
Go Judith I say!
March 25th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Well Rex, in my defense, the bar wasn’t exactly set high….
March 25th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
coventry: What a brilliant idea. He wouldn’t even have to replace the photos
HA HA thanks Rex pure humour that.
March 25th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Unless Ms Tizard goes to New York with Helen Clark as her “personal trainer”, I assume she will signal her intentions regarding her list position well in advance. It would be wrong to base a by-election strategy purely on Ms Tizard taking up Twyford’s list position. But what a coup it would be if National took the seat off Labour.
March 25th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Todays TV1 news saw the comment that the Labour Party are keen not to have Tizard back. They say that an outsider will stand in Mt Albert so that when Dr Cullen retires Damian O’Connor will go in. This course leaves Tizard out. Tizard stands for the very worst that Labour can provide.
I personally don’t think National will stand a candidate in Mt Albert. Get real you people who think National could take that seat. A bit like Labour taking Clutha-Southland. That has happened in the past- in Tauranga when Peters restood,Sydenham in 1974. National have nothing to gain and more to lose.
March 25th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
So Tizard is eager to get back to the beehive, I bet Bellamy’s are eager to have her back.
March 25th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Come on Neil.
In 2005, the party vote was
Labour 17501
National 8488
In 2008, the party vote was
Labour 14894
National 12468
There is a distinct rise in support for National, but the seat was easily carried on the strength of the candidate. Without Clark, and given the trends in the polls to date, you would have to be an idiot to put the house on Labour carrying the day in a by-election
March 25th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
If someone pays the fees to change my name, the registration fees and raises the $20k to mount a campaign I’ll do it.
March 25th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
I would love to see Whale stand under those circumstances, in days past somebody like Sir Bob Jones would have stumped up the money just for the humour value.
March 25th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
John Tamihere might be a good National candidate in Mt Albert.
That would be interesting.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
I see a fight brewing between Judith Tizzard and Paula Bennet over who can be the most useless MP in parliament.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
so racer, give an example of how Paula Bennet is “the most useless MP in parliament”?
I’m waiting…..
March 26th, 2009 at 12:06 am
Heh, where are our ubiquitous leftie trolls in this thread. I had some negative karma saved up especially for them.
You know you’re screwed on the left side of politics when MickySavage doesn’t bother to defend you
.
March 26th, 2009 at 12:15 am
http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/mnr/mnr-20090320-0742-Government_threatens_to_ban_Labour_from_job_meetings-048.mp3
She hasn’t got a clue, she comes across as not knowing her arse from her elbow.
March 26th, 2009 at 12:21 am
What are the odds of Judith Tizzard getting back into parliament? Surely Phil Goff has some control of his party by now and can give direction as to who will stand for Labour in the seat?
Stephen Tindall will probably run for Labour. He certainly did for the last nine years.
March 26th, 2009 at 12:43 am
racer
She comes across pretty well as a 1st term minister – who I might add is taking on the leader of the opposition, also a veteran MP with the aid of the lefty hack broadcaster.
It’s a big call to claim she’s vying for the “the most useless MP in parliament” title, when it is apparent she’s an Einstein compared to most of the labour front bench, (and commenters like you )
March 26th, 2009 at 2:34 am
[DPF: There could be a number of candidates wanting the nomination]
That seat is RIPE for the taking by National.
And it will cause all sorts of squealing by the sychophants in Auckland who have been living off Helens table scraps for the past decade.