Mallard responds to Chauvel
February 28th, 2013 at 4:00 pm by David FarrarAs I blogged yesterday resigning Labour List MP Charles Chauvel called for those responsible for the 2011 election loss to exit Parliament. This was a few seconds after he he said Labour should stop trying to locate the enemy within!
Calling for a purge seems a bit inconsistent with a call for unity!
I said that I can only presume Chauvel was calling for Goff, King, Mallard and Robertson to go. It seems Trevor sees it that way also as he tweeted during the speech:
My decision to seek Hutt South nomination just reinforced
Pete George has details of how well this has gone down on The Standard.
It is obvious that Labour has massive internal tensions. If they manage to form a Government after 2014, the tensions will be fascinating. With the Greens, NZ First and Mana all thrown in with a party that is at war with itself – well stable Government isn’t the phrase that comes to mind.
No tag for this post.
February 28th, 2013 at 4:05 pm
Labour enforce stability through a strict application of caucus discipline rules. It must be an ugly place to be. But throw in Winaton and the Greens pillaging the vote and you have a party in terminal decline. This is not a formula for stable Government.
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 4:09 pm
How are Peter George or The Standard any measure for what is happening in Labour?
The Standard is full of sad old left wing activists who want Labour to be to the left of the Greens or Mana and Peter George is a fussy old wind bag with way too much time on his hands.
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 4:10 pm
1. someone stubborn who will not be told what to do and who would stay on just to further stick it to those in the losing faction who asked them to go
2. someone who wanted to leave on their own terms – when Labour had returned to government – to leave when the party was winning …
Just the attributes parliament needs in a Speaker …
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 4:14 pm
A name that keeps coming up in relation to active undermining of “the enemy within” and feeding the media destablising information is Phil Goff.
Vernon Small (and DPF) pointed this out earlier this week:
So the fresh new leader who was going to be different and not play gotcha politics is either:
- into the destructive combat game within Labour and between parties
or
- doing as he’s told by Goff and Mallard (something else that is often suggested).
It’s not just Mallard who’s responsible for the state of dysfunction and acrimony in Labour opnely blundering fall guy.
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 4:36 pm
YesWeDid – if you sift through the noise The Standard it’s a fairly good measure of some of what is happening within Labour. There are known activists and identifiable party members from different parts of the country and there are messengers sent from head office. And often it is not a happy camp. And there are plenty of signs of similar in the media and on other blogs.
And the actions of Chauvel and Mallard were entirely in synch with what is being repeatedly revealed at The Standard – which is easily the biggest left wing blog in the country.
There is plenty that can be ignored there but there is also enough to reveal ongoing deep dysfunction.
Or are you suggesting they are wrong and Shearer is the bee’s knees and Mallard is a totally trustworthy colleague who would make a perfect Speaker and Goff is keeping to himself and just quietly ticking off the months towards his retirement?
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 4:49 pm
Except the Japs are hunting in the Southern Whale sanctuary.
As in no whale hunting allowed.
Australia looks pathetic in doing nothing about it. The Japs are giving the big fuck you to Aus.
What’s next, fishing in Australian territorial waters?
They probably already are fishing in NZ waters, who would know and what the fuck could we do about it, probably diddly squat.
Nice
However the Sea Sheppard is out of line with it’s actions.
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 4:50 pm
Sorry, wrong place to post this.
My bad
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 4:52 pm
I have no doubt that Trev should retire .. he has totally lost the plot in that he can’t see the mess the party is in and he is right up there as the cause. Mind you, I hope he stays as it will help the right.
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 5:10 pm
Calling for a purge may be inconsistent with unity………
but purges are very consistent with how the left deals with dissent.
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 5:15 pm
God old Trev. Nationals secret weapon. Long may he stay on as the useless chump with the title “Labours hit man.”
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 5:23 pm
Its quite possible Captian Mumblefuck will lead Labour into being the 3rd most popular party in NZ
Vote:It wont be until that result is actually visible after 2014 that he will get the arse along with approx 10 of his front bench
hacksstars.Then Labour are left with who? Cunners and Robertson? Mr Key must be shitting himself
February 28th, 2013 at 5:34 pm
The ‘turmoil’ in Labour looks like an exercise in healthy dissent from where I’m sitting. It is enjoyable watching those who wish to rule having their feet held to the coals by those they wish to rule. This showdown is long overdue, Labour’s senior cabal needs to work towards promoting greater participation in all levels of the decision making processes and a more democratic method of selecting candidates for positions in parliament, the way the Green Party operates would be ideal.
Heh, its not going to happen. Those Rogergnomes are going to cling on for as long as they can.
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 5:46 pm
Indeed. Happily oblivious to the fact that it’s his own team that he’s hitting.
But Mallard has it all worked out: Speaker for a bit (to get even and enjoy the sound of his own voice even more, the feigned gravoitas etc) then off overseas as High Commissioner of wherever, and/or gosh, Ambassador to the UN even? and then, ooh ahh the Holy Grail, the UN itself. Travel, free laundry, top nosh and most of all, more pretending to be important. Recommended reading: “Lost Luggage Claims for Dummies” by C Cosgrove. Life is good.
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 5:52 pm
I can only dream of the whole of Labour just shutting down their party and getting other jobs.
Oh wait, that’s not what Chauvel was advocating. Pity.
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 6:07 pm
Good god people, Liarbore needs Trevor at the next election to be their strategist and campaign manager.
Vote:Who the fuck else could fill that position ?
February 28th, 2013 at 6:10 pm
Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men.
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 6:27 pm
I should stress that in no way was I attempting to infer that Bill and Ben are a gay couple or contemplating a same sex marriage.
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 6:47 pm
On Twitter today:
Patrick Gower @patrickgowernz
Just heard about Charles Chauvel’s nickname from his caucus enemies… Macchi-Chauvellian! #macchichauvellian
David Farrar @dpfdpf
I also heard they were having a farewell party for Charles – but for him, not with him
Recess Monkey @recessmonkey_nz
Think you have just proved his point about some in Labour and the media!
Lliam Munro @lrmunro
That seems generous.
Lliam Munro @lrmunro
Vote:Machiavelli gave every indication of being highly competent.
February 28th, 2013 at 7:46 pm
didn’t Chuck say that he was disappointed that by leaving to join H1 at the UN, he will miss out on being the Attorney General .. like was that a given?
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 7:54 pm
This actually fantastic…hasn’t been this much open factionalism in Labour since the days of Sir Roger and Lange….Go for it chaps! Keep it up! And then appoint an invert as leader or deputy leader a few months before the election…with Tamihere back in the party that should do the trick!
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 7:58 pm
The most unfortunate thing is the lack of an opposition.
Vote:Mallard,King ,Dyson, Fenton and others should get on their bikes but the likes of Adern,Hipkins and other career Labourites are a sad replacement. Labour is stuffed.
National will keep introducing stupid legislation until under this stupid MMP system, until we get a centre party to balance things out.
We need some real opposition.Real kiwis.
February 28th, 2013 at 8:08 pm
Here is the up and coming talent:
Good to see him responsible for some original quotes, like “I’ve always maintained that the market makes an excellent servant and a terrible master.”
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 8:45 pm
Labour rooter V Labour poofter!
Twelve rounds (or maybe ten) !
You couldn’t ask for better theater!
Buy popcorn futures folks!!!
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 8:55 pm
5 factions in Labour, 2 in the greens Winston First and any other loose cannons plus Hone and Minto would make a great and stable government.
Vote:.
February 28th, 2013 at 9:03 pm
Still, I’ll be 65 in a couple of years.
I could be swayed to vote for Labour/Green/Winston/Murri/Hone/Uncle Tom Cobbly and All.
Show me the money team!
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 10:00 pm
Fisiani: Well, they’d never agree on a legislative programme, so that might be a blessing….Mind you, Russel wouldn’t need much in way of new laws to get us to 15% inflation…
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 10:25 pm
Much of the criticism levelled at Mallard is unfair and dangerously misguided.
Labour’s disastrous performance was not because the driver or navigator were incompetent. Far from it. Goff and Mallard did extremely well.
They lost because the Labour Party is a 1972 Trabant 601 with four flat tires.
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 10:29 pm
Shearer:
“I’ve always maintained that the market makes an excellent servant and a terrible master. And this Government is failing to control the market.”
What an unfortunate statement from David Shearer, Governments in a democracy cannot and will not ” control the market”
Labours plan according to David involves revisiting the past and rolling out pseudo socialism where the State is the centre of economic activity. Been there, done that, didn’t work.
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 10:34 pm
Trevor…. Give it up. Remember it’s not about your best interests, it’s about the party’s.
I’d rather you stayed Trevor, Labour looking barely likely to be in government is great as far as I’m concerned…
So no… Stay!
Vote:February 28th, 2013 at 10:48 pm
Labour is in trouble, not because of its leadership, but because the NZ public have seen what the Labour party of today is really about. We can thank the hideous Helen Clark for that. Her utter contempt for the ordinary working bloke could not be hidden and eventually the public woke up to her.
The days of Labour standing up for the working masses are long gone. They are a party of minority interests. Gays, Maori, unemployed, anything except the white working class masses.
The traditional supporters of Labour have been alienated by the party. They will continue to decline until such times as they truly represent the workers.
Vote:March 1st, 2013 at 12:54 am
I think Trevor’s response was fabulous.
Chauvel is a corpse and he kicked him on the way out and in the meantime gave a warning to the rest of Cunliffe’s faction what will happen to them if they don’t pull their heads in.
P.S: wasn’t Chauvel on a junket when the first Cunliffe coup/counting was required and missed the whole thing all together?
Vote:March 1st, 2013 at 4:41 am
Koru club chuck was always on a junket can you narrow it down a bit more?
Vote:March 1st, 2013 at 8:36 am
This was always the big danger with a leader like Helen Clark. She dominated the party for so long that once she is gone all the rivalries and tensions from before come to surface.
Vote:March 1st, 2013 at 9:00 am
Imagine what the Labour party could do with inspirational leadership, some genuine fresh coherent ideas, and a unified caucus.
Vote:Oh… wait… thats what we have already, its called the National Party.
March 1st, 2013 at 1:34 pm
Scrubone: Yes, I think you might be right….Clark as the Marshal Tito (of Yugoslavia for all you youngsters) of the NZ Labour Party….
Vote: