Little has personal concerns over Goff speech
Goff”s desperate speech and u-turn may turn out to be a nail in his coffin. The Herald reports:
Labour’s president, Andrew Little, revealed yesterday that he has “personal concerns” about the speech.
It is no small thing for a party president to criticise the leader in public.
Mr Little said the speech had been discussed with Mr Goff at length at Labour’s national council meeting.
The president relayed his concerns, which he said were both his personally and those of people in the party.
“The extent to which I’ve got concerns is an issue for me and Phil, and no doubt the party and Phil and I wouldn’t air those publicly.”
But what is the game plan, that you will publicly air that you have concerns, just not what they are? There is no way this does not weaken Goff’s leadership.
A spokesman for Mr Goff said last night that he “absolutely stands by everything he said in the speech”.
It had raised important issues such as National’s “shabby” deal with the Maori Party to get the Emissions Trading Scheme through. Mr Goff also had grave concerns about National “playing politics” with the foreshore and seabed legislation.
So now the leader responds through the media to his own president.
Mr Little told the party conference in September that Labour had been wrong to deprive Maori of the right to test their claims in court when passing the Foreshore and Seabed Act.
The legislation will now be repealed as part of the governing agreement between National and the Maori Party, and Labour offered earlier in the year to work with National to achieve an “enduring consensus”.
But Mr Goff’s speech effectively changed Labour’s position on the law, saying it was working well the way it was now and repeal would make “wounds fester”.
Yep a u-turn in just two months.
I don’t think anyone thinks there is anything wrong with Labour opposing National’s ETS changes and associated deal with the Maori Party.
Likewise there is nothing wrong with Labour saying it supports the retention of the Foreshore & Seabed legislation. Of course they look a bit mickey mouse when they say they back change, that they are sorry for it, and then do a u-turn.
But where Goff went wrong is bringing together those two separate issues, along with Hone Harawira’s comments, into one overall theme of those Maori are getting away with too much.
December 7th, 2009 at 6:30 am
““The extent to which I’ve got concerns is an issue for me and Phil, and no doubt the party and Phil and I wouldn’t air those publicly.””
I see. Little is quite happy to “air publicly” the fact that he and others in the Labour Party have issues with what Goff said, but he’s cagey about how big those issues are. It seems to this observer that the president of the party has a firm grip on the rug on which the leader stands, and has made it clear that the president controls the leader’s destiny. Is Little about to lead Labour in a leftwards direction, and who will be the annointed one?
December 7th, 2009 at 6:45 am
Inventory2, I think that Little will try to push Goff to the left- and that Goff will resist- but the rug will not be pulled until after 2011. Personally I expect that Goff told everyone that he would go in 2011- that the loyalty that he has is because he will be going and essentially everyone is manoeuvring to replace him.
For the record- I fully support that nice Mr Goff as leader of the opposition and wish him many happy years in that role.
December 7th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Agrre with your closing sentence GMM – in fact I reckon that Goff should be given the job of Opposition Leader in perpetuity!
December 7th, 2009 at 7:01 am
A question FWIW, based on what is happening between Little and Goff:
IF the climate change legislation does go through, (horrifying thought that it is), and the UN ultimately becomes the world ‘controller’, as the socialists want, will it (the UN) have the power to appoint and remove Heads of government?
This may seem an odd question, but since the socialist ‘old boys network’ is still very much alive, (DL transferred to New York etc) what is to stop this happening, what would happen to the ‘removed’ and what would happen when socialists fall out (as they inevitably do).
As I said, FWIW – any (polite) answers and opinions? (Without the ‘personal’ attacks thanks)
December 7th, 2009 at 7:07 am
Couldn’t happen to a nicer hyprocrite.
December 7th, 2009 at 7:21 am
IF the climate change legislation does go through, (horrifying thought that it is), and the UN ultimately becomes the world ‘controller’, as the socialists want, will it (the UN) have the power to appoint and remove Heads of government?
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Kim Jong Il will have the power to appoint and remove heads of state for every country in the world but Al Gore, Sean Penn and Bono will have veto power over their decisions.
December 7th, 2009 at 7:32 am
The North Korean hackers are far more effective than the Russian hackers, they have Phil Jones under their control and he doesn’t even know about it. Very clever – hackergate/climategate has exposed the desperate zealotry of the deniers which will backfire on them, and the masterstroke is the blame has been pointed at the Russians.
Goff has been planted with Little hope of ever getting into power to ensure the socialists disguised as National remain in control. What was Key really doing when he was working in New York? A financial career or a devious Korea?
December 7th, 2009 at 7:55 am
The sight of a Labour Party President making pronouncements about leadership and policy brings back memories of Jim Anderton. One must presume Andrew Little desires to use the presidency as a springboard to his leadership of the parliamentary party.
December 7th, 2009 at 8:08 am
“But where Goff went wrong is bringing together those two separate issues, along with Hone Harawira’s comments, into one overall theme of those Maori are getting away with too much.”
I don’t see anything at all wrong with what Goff has to say, as with Dr Brash’s Orewa speach, he was telling the truth.
December 7th, 2009 at 8:08 am
Questions over Labour leaders continued leadership of the party? Well it is BBQ season….
December 7th, 2009 at 8:15 am
dead man walking
December 7th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Are these really Andrew Little’s PERSONAL concerns, or are they his concerns as general secretary of the EPMU, or as president of the Labour Party? I guess that’s the difficulty you face when you wear as many hats as Andrew Little does
December 9th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Beat me to it Inventory2! I am confused. Are the EPMU concerned as well? Did Little discuss this with the members of the organisations that he is president of?