Conor departs Len
September 28th, 2012 at 4:21 pm by David FarrarFor a Friday afternoon, Wellington has been a hotbed of rumour.
It seems that Conor Roberts (Len Brown’s Senior Political Advisor) is off to manage Corporate Affairs for Todd Property.
Leaving aside the implications of this for Brown, this is an interesting move by Roberts. I’ve highlighted before that Conor will have a political career and a part of Labour’s future Cabinet. I imagine Conor is looking for a bit of real world experience before taking the plunge into a Labour party parliamentary career. Labour seriously lacks MPs who have real world experience and Conor also lacks that – for now. The difference between most Labour lackeys and Conor is that he has realised the problem, and set about doing something about getting the experience he needs.
When Roberts becomes an MP (I suspect he is targeting 2014, but if I was advising him would suggest 2017), he will have that rarest of qualities among Labour people, experience in business rather than as a teacher or a unionist.
Put this private sector time alongside his well know political abilities, and I suspect today’s news represents another step in the development of a politician who will be invaluable to the Labour cause.
Conor will need to tread carefully though. By putting his neck out many Labour activists, especially in this part of the cycle, will be out to trip him up or paint him as some sort of corporate drone. Some still blame him for Len not backing the Maritime Union over Ports of Auckland. If he seeks a seat, you can be sure the Maritime Union delegates will be voting for his opponent!
This also means Len Brown will need a new campaign manager for 2013. Of course, the fact there is no high profile candidate yet identified to stand against him is a plus!
September 28th, 2012 at 4:34 pm
“he will have that rarest of qualities among Labour people, experience in business rather than as a teacher or a unionist… many Labour activists, especially in this part of the cycle, will be out to trip him up or paint him as some sort of corporate”
He’ll either be a communist or not. There’s nowhere in between unless you’re in it for the ego.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
As a corporate affairs guy I’m not sure how much “experience in business” he will actually have.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Is he gay ?
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Good stuff, best of luck Connor.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
But will “Culpability” Brown seek the Epsom Seat as all good Auckland mayors aspire to?
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 5:27 pm
Who knows? Connor might see the light and waka hop.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 5:37 pm
Corporate Affairs?
Gosh. What would a property developer want with someone who has intimate links to both local government and the party likely to form a national government some time in the future?
Its a mystery.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
>he will have that rarest of qualities among Labour people, experience in business rather than as a teacher or a unionist
Am I missing something? He’ll be a property developer’s lobbyist. That isn’t business.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Will he have risked his own money?
Will he have created any new jobs?
Will he have built anything (roads, bridges, office blocks, houses)?
Will he have employed anybody?
Will he have been taken to the cleaners in the employment court?
Will he have watched tens of thousands of his own dollars go down the drain of Resource Management consents?
David it’s time you grew up and got real. For God’s sake, do you seriously consider a lousy eighteen months as a shit kicker in a development company to be ‘business experience’?
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 6:37 pm
Those Todd Group people are extremely cunning.
They have a history of hiring Labour flunkies in corporate roles, so that no matter who is in power, they always have someone to talk to on their other side, so when power changes hands, they have their person in there.
By hiring them in Auckland where their innocuous property interests don’t offend anyone, they get their interests in oil, electricity and regulated businesses like Sky TV covered.
It’s an investment that pays dividends year after year.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 6:57 pm
We have a disproportionate number of farmers in power at the moment.
Vote:No wonder they treat us like sheep
September 28th, 2012 at 7:00 pm
And fletchers. Disgusting. Len Brown is just another one in a long,line of Auckland one term,mayors. These politicians and their symbionts and parasites come and go like hurricane katrina leaving a trail of destruction with the public having no righ of redress.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 7:08 pm
Evidently one man’s ‘hotbed of rumour’ is another mans ‘knockout drops’.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 7:14 pm
No “lobbying” laws to regulate the unholy alliance between big business and the far left screwing the rest of us senseless.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 7:22 pm
DPF:
I would like to see John Banks give it another try.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 7:38 pm
Christine fletcher, yet another failed ex Auckland mayor is,putting,up her hand I believe. Pretending to be national but we all know how how,far left the fletchers sympathies lie.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 7:48 pm
Roberts is just someone who sees Labour as fucking useless until they settle on a permanent Leader
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 7:51 pm
A few years or so with the Todd’s will cure anybody of the disease that is socialism. Sir John Todd is one of the finest men that I have had the honour to meet.
The Todd family can demonstrate to any socialist how hard work and concern for others can work hand in hand, that you do not have to make a lot of noise about what you do for the community and that anybody who takes responsibility for their own life can reap the rewards.
I suspect that Roberts will change the way he sees the world after working for Todd’s, that change will only be for the better.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Corporate affairs? Blabla. Eating for the company more like it.
Vote:Adolf’s comment is by far the most sensible.
Hiring pinkos in corporates is about as sensible as a union hiring myself.
And as dangerous for the employer.
September 28th, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Wow you’re aptly named big bruv.
So if these people are so,big and,so benign, why,couldn’t they tried harder to stop what has happened to NZ.
Tell me because I really want to know. Do they sit around like the rest of us wondering – who makes these ludicrous decisions? Whose pulling their strings? Do they think its, the gnomes of Zurich or the Stalinists at the UN?
Can you tell me because I really want to know and i don’t know anyone powerful
Or do they just sit around feeling disenfranchised like the rest of us?
And big bruv, can you ask them to do something really helpful to generations of New Zealanders to come? Stop the racist constitution. We could do with a hand.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 8:33 pm
“Sir John Todd is one of the finest men that I have had the honour to meet.”
Nothing like the common touch eh? Even converses with his taxi drivers!
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 8:35 pm
http://nz.linkedin.com/pub/kate-sutton/b/341/5a2
Working for Todd did not cure Kate Sutton of socialism. Nor did it place her up the Labour list.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 8:37 pm
What’s more it didn’t cure her of Labourism or move her up the social list either!
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 8:39 pm
Johnboy
What can I say
, even the mighty speak to us plebes every once in a while.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 8:41 pm
Kevin
“And big bruv, can you ask them to do something really helpful to generations of New Zealanders to come?”
If you cannot be bothered to find out what they have already done then you are as stupid as you appear to be.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
Makes us all feel really humble to be in the presence of such jolly fine chaps BB!
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 8:46 pm
I went to school with some of them at jolly old Scots. They had very pointy faces and really sticky-out ears!
Far too much in-breeding I suspect!
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Hopefully he hits his own head like Len did. Lens still to me the rotten commie who was using South Auckland residents to pay for his lunches.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Nothing wrong with being a teacher as real world experience. Its a difficult, and incredibly important and high responsibility job.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 8:57 pm
And gives you a good stepping stone to a career in the Catholic Church alex!
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 8:58 pm
There was an interesting move this morning in Auckland to try and convince Sir Loin (Peter Leitch) to stand for the mayoralty. What an interesting contest there would be. Darien Fenton could really let rip then
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 9:10 pm
I didn’t say they hadn’t done anything bb. In fact unlike most who get knighted in Nz he is probably very deserving. I am merely asking.
Vote:September 28th, 2012 at 11:31 pm
Yep nothing like working in a job from which you cant be fired, where you arent answerable for any economic decisions, where you dont really have “clients” to satisfy, where your “company” is running an effective monopoly, where your individual employment circumstances are negotiated and agreed to by others, for gaining that “real world” experience.
Its also great for inculcating an undeserved sense of intellectual superiority, instilling another sense of unquestionable authority, and an arrogance that comes from being the focus of reflexive fawning from the general public.
Vote:September 29th, 2012 at 9:07 am
No 2014 best. If labour do another term in opposition the Roberts can move quickly up the ranks in opposition. You get much faster promotion in opposition. Then he will be well placed for cabinet for 2017. Annette King and Trevor Mallard surely will move on at the next election, so that will open up some possibilities. But then the ginga will be sniffing around for a seat as well, but I assume Annette will make way for him. But then there is Andrew Lyttle. No women in sight. Oh well the competition.
Vote: