Pillay retiring in 2011
Labour List MP Lynne Pillay has announced she is retiring in 2011. She was MP for Waitakere from 2002 to 2008.
Lynne used to chair the Justice and Electoral Select Committee, and I found her very professional when I made submissions on various issues.
It is interesting that she is announcing her retirement now, yet not retiring until 2011. In the past List MPs have retired mid-term. What we are seeing is the Tizard effect – Phil Goff’s compulsive fear of having Judith (who is next on the list) back in his caucus.
Incidentally I approve of not retiring mid-term (unless a former leader). I think MPs should stay for an entire term, if elected.
This raises the issue of which other Labour MPs may retire in 2011. My thoughts are:
- Parekura Horomia – probable
- Ruth Dyson – possible
- Chris Carter – probable
- Lianne Dalziel – possible
- Pete Hodgson – probable
- Sue Moroney – possible
- Rick Barker – probable
- Ross Robertson – possible
- George Hawkins – probable – but only if he wants to
- Darien Fenton – possible
- Rajen Prasad – possible
- Ashraf Choudary – probable
On current polls, Labour may get fewer MPs in 2011 than in 2008. They will want to protect their new intake, and get some fresh faces in. Their list ranking process will be interesting.
December 3rd, 2009 at 3:11 pm
T Mallard—hopefully
December 3rd, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Never heard of her. Seriously.
December 3rd, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Why should former leaders be exempt from fulfilling their contract with the people? To my mind any MP who resigns for other than really really good grounds like health should suffer a service penalty of 3 years for every year left to run in their current term. (And “I have another job at the UN” wouldn’t cut it as an excuse.)
December 3rd, 2009 at 3:35 pm
God help us if Labour do not start to rise in the polls.
Any continuation of Labours current appalling ratings will only see Neville Key continue with his Labour lite policies.
December 3rd, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Would it not have been easier to say who would be left? You also needed to add in Goff as definite – but he will hold off until the day after the election when Goff will beat Bill English’s record (was it 20.8%???)
What about Tizard – she is after all only one (List MP) heartbeat away from returning.
December 3rd, 2009 at 3:57 pm
What is it about Tizard? I have heard her mentioned before in this context but I don’t know what it is about.
Can someone enlighten me please.
December 3rd, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Chris – She’s next on Labour’s list, so if anyone currently in parliament on their list goes then she’s in… and Goff wouldn’t be happy about that because she’s lazy and electoral poison.
December 3rd, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Good try DPF
In reality,
Horomia – possible
Dyson – no way
Carter – absolutely no way
Dalziel – no
Hodson – possible
Moroney – no way
Barker – probably not
Robertson – no way
Hawkins – over his dead body
Fenton – no way
Prasad – no way
Choudarey – no way
Tizard – for different reasons than you expouse she will not be back.
There is plenty of time for the polls to swing.
December 3rd, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I see a wager coming on.
Is mickey prepared to back each name with a $10 punt, and will DPF take it up (or vise versa)?
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Yep, $10 for each no and no ways that do not retire.
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Regarding Tizard being next on the Labour List.
What are the legal consequences for Labour if they simply chose someone else to fill a List position?
Is there anything in the MMP Electoral Act that absolutely forces Labour to appoint the next unsuccessful candidate on their 2008 Election List?
Can’t they just say “fuck off Butch”, and give the name of someone else to the Speaker, as their choice?
[DPF: No. But the party secretary is asked whether the candidate si still a party member. But if she is, they can not stop her]
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Why so defensive micky? Who cares if those mp’s retire anyway? They’re either useless and need to get out of the way (carter, hodgson, moroney, fenton etc) or rightwingers like dyson and the oldies from south auckland.
Lynne used to chair the Justice and Electoral Select Committee, and I found her very professional when I made submissions on various issues.
So her main contribution to the government was being involved with the Electoral Finance Act then I’m guessing? Again, good riddance..
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:14 pm
They can do that Chris2, the problem though is that the ones after her on the list are just as bloody hopeless.
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Actually David, I think Micky and Starboard are onto something.
I’ll call you on this.
$50 on each of the following contesting the next election vs voluntary retirement. (‘Contesting’ = list and/or electorate)(You and I can thrash out an iPredict type definition of what nullifys the bet.)
Dyson
Carter
Dalziel
Moroney
Barker
Robertson
Hawkins
Fenton
Prasad
Choudrey
Mallard
Do you accept?
[DPF: I said there were six probable retirements. I am happy to do $50 bets on the six probables so long as retirement includes given an unwinnable list place]
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:01 pm
You could put a few Nats on the list too, DPF:
Anne Tolley – abysmally incompetent Minister likely to be sacked – probable
Nick Smith – been there forever, almost as incompetent as Tolley as a Minister and likely to be sacked – probable
Bill English – realises he will never now be Prime Minister and will want to move on to making more money – possible
Georgina Te Heuheu – lowly Cabinet ranking – will question whether she could serve Maori better elsewhere – possible
Kate Wilkinson – poor performance as a Minister – possibility for sacking – possible
Eric Roy -been there forever and must realise he will never get past the backbench – possible
Sandra Goudie – noisy but noxious – must realise she has has no prospects – could be challenged – probable
Maurice Williamson – been there forever and been demoted – will likely give it away – probable
Allan Peachey – health too poor – will give it away – probable
Melissa Lee – to much scandal and disastrous Mt Albert performance – likely to be pushed – probable
Tau Henare – former Cabinet Minister couldn’t even get Ministerial position outside Cabinet – probable
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi – too many allegations of corruption – likely to be pushed – probable
Colin King – deadbeat backbencher going nowhere – likely to get bored and retire – probable
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Not much chance of Labour rising in the polls as an opposition party when they are already in government!!
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:44 pm
You could put a few Nats on the list too, DPF:
..but he is talking about labour idiot…so crawl back to your hole toooad..
December 3rd, 2009 at 7:56 pm
I’ve made a list of Greens, for Toad’s benefit:
Russel Norman – possible overstayer about to be deported – probable
Metiria Turei – stresses involved in being an anarchist authoritarian likely to cause head to explode – possible
Sue Kedgley – 106 years old – probable
Catherine Delahunty – mad as a brush, will probably spend her next term in a secure facility – certainty
Keith Locke – khmer rouge supporting philosophy might cause him to decapitate a peasant in a field – probable
December 3rd, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Chris and Piggy
If a list member resigns, then the seat is offered to the next person on the list for that party. The party cannot that a lower placed person will get the nod. There is nothing to stop the next person on the list declining a seat although a party may try and persuade the person to ‘pass’. Expulsion from a party would not disqualify the next list candidate being appointed.
Someone suggested some time back that an electorate MP who also happened to be ‘next’ on the list could resign and immediately be reappointed. This would not happen as successful electorate candidates are ‘struck’ off the list before list appointments are made and stay ‘struck’ until the next election.
I think I am right, DPF will otherwise no doubt correct me.
[DPF: If a candidate is no longer a party member (is is expelled) then they will not be able to become an MP for that party]
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:37 pm
davidp, you brightend up an otherwise dull day! Except I would have said that Sue Kedgley finally took a bite out of a Big Mac, found it delicious, and died from the excitement.
December 4th, 2009 at 12:45 am
Labour and National are now exactly the same, drawing aspirations directly from partisan politics. Their bi-partisan relationship however is not quite mutual, while their adversarial proposals to attract the vote only improves the means of refining the nationalist landscape. It follows that the more radical or specialised the policy the greater the followers and consequently the greater the nationalist landscape. National more extreme nationalism, Labour middle extreme nationalism, both of the right.
It’s a racial and status vote.
National is already checked by Human Rights and Christians organisations on fundamental rights in the area of Law and Justice. Labour can only gain serious votes by returning to the Left. But as Helen stated that Labour is a Liberal Social Democratic party, so tradition may see more redundancies from the Labour camp. If not, then it might as well join National and allow a real party of the Left to balance the equation.
Goff has to move back to the Left in order to be a serious candidate. And I hope so too!
December 4th, 2009 at 7:40 am
Gets her nine years and golden lifetime handshake…good job if you can get it I suppose
December 4th, 2009 at 8:31 am
And apprently you don’t actually have to DO anything in that time either kaykaybee.
In fact it rather seems you might be better off if you didn’t do anything except keep your head down.