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August 18, 2007 1:04pm by David Farrar

What a surprise

Brenden Sheehan is looking to stand for the Labour Party. Hands up if you are surprised.

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Comment71

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Labour

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Comments (71)

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spector

Hey look! Labour have got a new John Tamihere!… and given him a hospital pass of an electorate…
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August 18, 2007 1:08pm
Frank

The coming of the New Messiah?
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August 18, 2007 1:44pm
Yvette

Casts the Muliaga/Clark/Sheehan thing in a new light! – excuse the pun, or whatever it is
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August 18, 2007 1:54pm
Oswald Bastable

Garbage In, Garbage Out…
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August 18, 2007 1:57pm
3-coil

Great – another headless chook who wants to run amok in a socialist Labour party led government…
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August 18, 2007 2:05pm
Stuart

I am sure he will get a fair hearing on Morning Report and the Political Editor on Nat Rad will cover the Helensville race in a very fair and evenhanded way.
Now where did I put that bottle of Tui
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August 18, 2007 2:07pm
friendly fire

He loved his time in the spotlight so much, now he has decided to become a …Labour MP! Priceless.

There was obviously heaps of lobbying going on behind the scenes at that funeral – and Helen was obviously very appreciative of Brenny’s “heads up”.
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August 18, 2007 2:12pm
TIM BARCLAY

Helen Clark and the Labour Party highjacked that funeral to try and get publicity for the Labour Party in South Auckland. And you know what did they achieve?? Preciisely nothing and indeed their poll rating fall since. So we move on to the next crisis now it is Air New Zealand war profiteering. The price the Labour Party will pay for their stupid knee-jerk reaction to that is not over yet.
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August 18, 2007 2:16pm
Selma Bouvier

Maybe he actually lives in the Helensville electorate !!

That would be a surprise, the voters can vote for someone who lives there
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August 18, 2007 2:16pm
Porcupine

Forgone conclusion. He may rue the day he chose labour over the other left wing parties though. He’s no Tamihere – he will toe the party line 100%.
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August 18, 2007 2:18pm
Ross Miller

Selma … you’re a dork and not a very intelligent dork.

Bother to read the artivle and you will find that Sheehan lives in the Mangere electorate. And, do you realise that your snide comment applies equally to cabinet ministers Phil Goff and David Cunliffe, among others.

With ‘friends’ like you Labour certainly doesn’t need any enemies.
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August 18, 2007 2:31pm
brendensheehan

Gee you guys give me a hard time! And I’m such a nice bloke – nothing like Tamihere. Any volunteers out there to work on the campaign? Come on David – you must be getting stale working in the National office. You need a new challenge!
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August 18, 2007 2:41pm
Porcupine

Selma and him should get on quite well – labour lackies. After his oestrogenisation of course.
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August 18, 2007 2:43pm
Porcupine

Help Phil role the SS and we’ll talk. i’m in his marginal electorate and he’ll need all the help he can get to keep it.

Tell me honestly

1. Why do you support laboujr rather than other parties
2. do you believe in equality of opportunity or equality of outcome?
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August 18, 2007 2:46pm
Tom H

Who the hell is Brenden Sheehan?
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August 18, 2007 2:49pm
The Wart on the Backside of Humanity

Leave him alone, we’re very proud to have him in our party.
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August 18, 2007 3:00pm
Missus Davis

Give the guy a break. He can keep a straight face while spouting utter bullshit, so he should be a great asset to our Labour Party in our quest for an historic 4th term.
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August 18, 2007 3:08pm
Porcupine

Sorry Brendan, just having a bit of fun on a boring saturday. If “brendensheehan” wasnt a troll I’m really interested in your motvation – why on earth would anyone support labour and do you really think there are no factions in the NZ labour party like there are in Aussie? Really?
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August 18, 2007 3:11pm
Porcupine

Oh it is Brenden with an e, sorry again.
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August 18, 2007 3:13pm
David Farrar

Brenden – talk to me if you want to stand in Rakaia and I might be able to help 🙂
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August 18, 2007 3:20pm
James Sleep

Brenden, nice stuff!

I have always gone on about how sad it is that Helensville’s MP does not actually live in Helensville. Instead a 2 million doller mansion in Parnell. He could have built a huge mansion on a lifestyle block in Helensville. But no, he snubbed his constituants to live in Parnell.

Good on you Brenden! It will be great to get involved with you in the Labour Party.

– James Sleep
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August 18, 2007 3:22pm
brendensheehan

Don’t worry porcupine – I am not precious about the spelling (or anything else for that matter – that’s why I still love this blog despite the abuse it throws at me). The real question for me is why would anyone not support Labour? I have never understood it.

To further answer a question with a question (see-I am practicing), where was assistance for working families under National? Where was a universal retirement savings scheme? How high was unemployment? How low was the minimum wage? We both know the answers, and that illustrates why I support Labour.

To answer your second question, I believe in equality of opportunity tempered with intervention to ensure fair outcomes for those at the bottom of society’s economic ladder, and for those who through illness or disability are unable to avail themselves of society’s opportunities.

Isn’t Helensville a great name?
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August 18, 2007 3:27pm
Insolent Prick

The guy’s a manipulative shit, prepared to use tragic circumstances to advance his personal political interests. He will do well in the Labour Party, but electors seeing him jump in won’t feel any warmer about this tired, god-awful socialist government.
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August 18, 2007 3:27pm
brendensheehan

You are well named insolent prick. Keep looking under your bed – imagining the reds there must give you great pleasure and hours of fulfilling entertainment.
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August 18, 2007 3:41pm
Tom H

“The real question for me is why would anyone not support Labour? I have never understood it.”

Oh god! Well, let me see. Taito, Benson-Pope, George Hawkins…I could go on.
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August 18, 2007 3:44pm
Insolent Prick

I only say this because you have launched your career on the basis of exploiting a vulnerable family, Brenden. But after eight years of a Labour government, how has Labour improved the lot of the Muliaga family, and tens of thousands of other low-income people in New Zealand?

Labour doesn’t provide equality of opportunity. It provides intergenerational welfare dependency to capture the votes of people that have no way of getting ahead.

Your kind of crude, manipulative, bullying and frankly dishonest Australian union politics may well work wonders for you as a well-paid union official for the PSA. But living the life of a professional shit-stirrer doesn’t add anything constructive to New Zealand society. You are a megalomaniac, and until you learn that politics is about much more than playing games to further your own interests, I don’t see that you have any future in New Zealand politics.

Good luck with your ambition to challenge John Key in Helensville. If you are the best that the Labour Party has to offer, then Labour is in an even more sorry state after the next election than any of us thought.
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August 18, 2007 3:52pm
Andrew Davies

Breaking news……………living in an electorate is sufficient qualification to be a Labour MP.
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August 18, 2007 4:00pm
James Sleep

Why would anyone vote for an MP who snubs his own electorate and decides to live a few electorates away. Whats so unreasonable about John Key living in his electorate? And like some other MPs there can be some issues with housing etc, they at least try to live close to their electorate. But John Key doesnt do that, what would be a problem with him buying a block of land and building another mansion.

Maybe there might be something wrong with the water….or maybe there might be to many animals? Whats wrong with Helensville???
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August 18, 2007 4:00pm
Insolent Prick

James,

I look forward to you applying the same scrutiny to Phil Goff and David Cunliffe. Goodness, even Trevor Mallard has been spending a lot of time outside his electorate recently…
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August 18, 2007 4:04pm
baxter

I might be wrong, but I seem to recall that Cullen abandoned his electorate and didn’t even stay in the same island.
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August 18, 2007 4:14pm
James Sleep

“But after eight years of a Labour government, how has Labour improved the lot of the Muliaga family, and tens of thousands of other low-income people in New Zealand?

Labour doesn’t provide equality of opportunity. It provides intergenerational welfare dependency to capture the votes of people that have no way of getting ahead.”

Ever heard of Working for Families???

In fact to highlight the issue of equality, working for families has helped just as many National voting farming families. Is that equality or what? All communities in New Zealand benefiting to some extent from working for families.

Insolent Prick, one question, what did National do back in the 1990’s with social welfare…..they cut peoples welfare..well just think if National had not invested in Ruth Richardson then maybe we might have higher living standards in this country right now! You would not be asking the same question. Once National did that it was inevitable that it would take the next government (Being Labour) more than one term to fix. It takes time!
Which is certainly a different for National. It was a quick dicision that has regressed our country!
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August 18, 2007 4:15pm
brendensheehan

Cullen is a list MP Baxter – he can live anywhere he likes. Maybe if he applied IP’s logic he could have held onto his South island seat while living miles away – John Key does!
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August 18, 2007 4:20pm
Policy Parrot

Hey Brenden,

GL for your campaign against God’s greatest gift to talkback.

With your comments on why are politically Labour I concur 100%.
I’d be keen to help, except I’m already assisting a candidate who is trying to topple another high-profile Nat. (Also not in your region – Region V)
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August 18, 2007 4:35pm
krazykiwi

james, does increasing welfare generate higher or lower living standards? remember the country’s not interested in election year ideological burps designed to return the incumbent, we’re interested in sustainably higher living standards.

So more welfare and welfare dependency or tough calls designed to break the cycle?
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August 18, 2007 4:37pm
Insolent Prick

Brenden,

Are you planning to move to the Helensville electorate, if you gain the Labour Party nomination?

Are you lobbying the Labour Party council to withdraw the nominations for David Cunliffe and Phil Goff, given that they reside outside their electorates? I’d also be very wary of pushing this issue too much, if I were you, given that John Key spends far more time in the Helensville electorate meeting electors than Helen Clark does in Mount Albert. You might also be careful, given that Parliamentary Services funds Helen Clark’s electorate office, which is almost permanently shut.
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August 18, 2007 4:41pm
helmet

What a twerp. The guy’s a sicko. I’m not surprised he’s standing. He’s quite happy, eager even, to capitalize on the death of a family member.

The big question that brenden couldn’t answer during the Muliaga fiasco is why didn’t Brenden Sheehan help the family?

It was everybody’s fault but his.

I wish him all the best, and hope his campaign stands on its own merits.
i.e. none.
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August 18, 2007 4:53pm
Frank

James Sleep: “Labour doesn’t provide equality of opportunity”. (Agreed).

“It provides inter generational welfare dependency” (inter generational war fare dependency}

‘dependency to capture the votes of people that have no way of getting ahead. (Bribes -Student interest free loans etcetera all offered by way of advertising money purloined from Helen’s funds, provided by the unsuspecting taxpayer. No full disclosure.
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August 18, 2007 4:54pm
little man in the canoe

I feel the warmth of Brenden Sheehan all around me.

He’s got my vote.
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August 18, 2007 4:57pm
James Sleep

I never said that – That was a quote I extracted from a post from Insolent Prick – get you fact right!
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August 18, 2007 4:57pm
Insolent Prick

Oh, and James, since you’ve raised the point, you were a youth MP for Sue Bradford. Is it not correct that you attend school in the Wairarapa? And isn’t it also correct that Sue Bradford is an Auckland list MP?
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August 18, 2007 4:59pm
James Sleep

She is a list MP. I was a list YMP I could live anywhere.
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August 18, 2007 5:03pm
Krypton

James sleep as you can live anywhere why not join us as men of steel ?
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August 18, 2007 5:20pm
Scrubone

James, Labour have chosen to bribe certain sectors of society, when they could give tax cuts of almost equal size to all taxpayers.

The effect of this is to have people reliant on the government for a large chunk of their income, rather than themselves.

As David has pointed out, the government is awash with money but has not cut one single tax. That is an extremist position, and most non-socialist are sick of it.
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August 18, 2007 5:22pm
Scrubone

Oh, and feel free to check out the wikipedia edits I found earlier over at halfdone. TV3 might have a few questions to answer…
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August 18, 2007 5:23pm
little helmet

Are you feeling frustrated today Mr helmet? Little helmet is also …..
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August 18, 2007 5:33pm
Grant

Brenden, I live in the Helensville electorate and have done so for over 10 years and the thought of you becoming an MP for any party at all after watching your grandstanding over Mrs. Muliaga gives me worms.
The fact that you havent responded to IP’s queries re relocating or his comments re Cunliffe and Goff, not to mention your silence on this:
“But after eight years of a Labour government, how has Labour improved the lot of the Muliaga family, and tens of thousands of other low-income people in New Zealand?”, tells me that you’re nothing more than another opportunist socialist prat ready to stick your snout in the public trough and sponge off the hard work of those you purport to represent.
If you, or any of your lackeys, turn up on my doorstep looking for votes, you’ll get hosed down for your trouble.Count on it.

G
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August 18, 2007 5:35pm
David Farrar

Brenden said:
To further answer a question with a question (see-I am practicing), where was assistance for working families under National? Where was a universal retirement savings scheme? How high was unemployment? How low was the minimum wage? We both know the answers, and that illustrates why I support Labour.

National introduced child tax credits I think for working families. National also introduced National Super in 1976, and universal super was ceased by Labour in 1985 and reintroduced in 1997 by Nat/NZF (a decision I actually disagreed with – why should billionaires get super).

Since 1991 unemployment has fallen at around the same rate under National and Labour.

Minimum wage is really the only area where Labour can claim a clear difference, and it is highly debatable how many people benefit from such increases.
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August 18, 2007 5:37pm
Andrew Davies

James Sleep
You should be embarrassed about the apparent need for WFF after 2 terms of Labour. Rather than something to be proud of it is an indictment on our govt.
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August 18, 2007 5:53pm
Southern Raider

Lefties what would you rather have?
1) A useless waste of space like Judith Tizard who may live in her electorate, but is never seen (unless it’s an art show) and does nothing for Auckland City; or
2) John Key who is adored by the people of Helensville, regularly seen at schools, market days etc and has put the electorate on the map.

There are things called cars these days and it probably takes the same time for John to drive to his office in Helensville as it does for Helen to drive down Dominion Rd in the traffic.
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August 18, 2007 6:00pm
roger nome

“Since 1991 unemployment has fallen at around the same rate under National and Labour.”

In 1990, when National took power unemployment was 7.5%. Then National effectively collapsed the economy, which sent unemployment up to 11% – Between 1991 and 1996 unemployment was reduced from 11% to 6% – from there on it hovered between 6% and 8%. So in reality National didn’t bring down unemployment much at all. Labour has been able bring the unemployment with positive labour market interventions – focusing on getting people into jobs rather than punishing them.

“Minimum wage is really the only area where Labour can claim a clear difference, and it is highly debatable how many people benefit from such increases.”

In 1991 around 1/3 of the workforce earned at or just above the minimum wage level, and because it’s much higher now that figure is could well be substantially higher. Even if it isn’t 1/3 of the workforce is nothing to sniff at.
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August 18, 2007 6:08pm
Anthony

David, what’s with National now supporting interest free student loans and income related rents for state houses – isn’t that just as bad as universal super that millionares can get? Maybe state house rents should be set at say 70 percent of market but income related gives state house tenants an advantage that all other low income earners don’t get.
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August 18, 2007 6:15pm
PM of NZ

Porc,

Add to your shocking list skyrocketing rates rebates funding unaffordable social engineering.
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August 18, 2007 6:32pm
helmet

“In 1990, when National took power unemployment was 7.5%. Then National effectively collapsed the economy, which sent unemployment up to 11% – Between 1991 and 1996 unemployment was reduced from 11% to 6%”

National inherited an unstable economy and directed it’s recovery. The unemployment rate has been lowering ever since. It would have “collapsed” no matter who was in power, as a result of restructuring. The figures you have used show a quick rebound to that collapse, and a subsequent improvement compared with the pre-collapse unemployment rate. Was this “collapse” a blessing or a curse?
Very few of the substantial policy changes that National or the 4th Labour Govt made have been changed by Clark and co , despite much criticism of those policies by Labour and its cronies.
If the collapse was caused by National, as you are suggesting, it looks like it was actually beneficial to the economy even in the medium term, and definitely in the long term.

The decrease in unemployment between 1987 and 2007 are because of the positive changes restructuring brought, much of which was presided over by National, as DPF stated. Labour has continued the trend by keeping those policies. Well done Labour, but hardly an area that they can claim an advantage over National. It’s simply National policies continuing to work.

Result; your point is, again, redundant.

“In 1991 around 1/3 of the workforce earned at or just above the minimum wage level, and because it’s much higher now that figure is could well be substantially higher. Even if it isn’t 1/3 of the workforce is nothing to sniff at.”

Thats more like it mate. 🙂 Good to see you taking my advice.
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August 18, 2007 7:10pm
helmet

BTW none of this changes the fact that Sheehan is a grandstanding ultra reactionary union boss from australia.

His best attribute? “I live in the electorate”.

Says it all really.
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August 18, 2007 7:55pm
frederico

Sheehan has shot himself in the foot with regards to becoming a “serious ” politician. He will always be remembered as the australian unionist who took advantage of a dead distant relative to advance his own profile. The question will always be…”why didn’t you pay aunties bill brenden?”.
Is he eligible, being an aussie??

Nome FFS…………change the record. Is that regurgitated and discredited diatribe all you got?
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August 18, 2007 8:06pm
roger nome

So now you’re an economist Helmet? You show nothing but blow-hard rhetoric – no facts, no figures, just a bunch of bullshit.

New Zealand was recovering from the 1987 stock-market crash when National took power, not to mention the thousands of redundancies that resulted from the pricatisatoin of SOEs. The fact is that labor had already made all of the necessary structural changes (and many more) by the time National took power. The labour market, according to many studies, was already one of the most flexible in the OECD in 1991 (this is exemplified by the substantial drop in wage growth after the introduction of the Labour Relations Act).

National’s strategy was to increase economic growth through fueling personal spending with tax cuts, and low interest rates. This created a huge external trade deficit, low levels of saving and consequently low levels of capital investment. This, combined with the Employment Contracts Act lead to low productivity growth and created the low-wage economy that we have today.

And as to unemployment well, it was the same when they left as when they entered. Labour on the other hand brought it down from 7% in 1999 to be 3.6 % in 2006.
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August 18, 2007 8:15pm
Inventory2

Selma said “Maybe he actually lives in the Helensville electorate !!

That would be a surprise, the voters can vote for someone who lives there”

More bullshit from Selma. The NZ Herald says:

“Mr Sheehan’s aunt, Folole Muliaga, died in May a few hours after Mercury Energy disconnected the power to her South Auckland home and Mr Sheehan became spokesman amid the controversy that followed.

He lives in the Mangere electorate but is not considering contesting the Labour candidacy against councillor Su’a William Sio, a friend.”

Get your facts right Selma. We can’t do anything about your strange opinions, but you shoot yourself in the foot when you are factually incorrect!
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August 18, 2007 8:29pm
Krypton

Indeed , selma does have a big problem with facts and matters of truth . Up here we have a machine to iron out such dishonest glitches.
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August 18, 2007 8:36pm
LeftRightOut

Gnome, Labour has done no such thing with unemployment. Apart from the civil servants in Wellington and the construction labourers working the roads it has come down as a result of very strong economic factors exclusive to anything Labour has done.

Get off your high horse with this ‘Labour brought down unemployment’ bullshit. If you want to take credit for it though, you can. It has caused the highest interest rates in the world and the highest debt ratios in the world too.
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August 18, 2007 9:19pm
helmet

“So now you’re an economist Helmet?”
Dumb argument. Grow up.
You don’t have to be an economist to comment on economics.
Maybe if I was a history teacher though…

“The fact is that labor had already made all of the necessary structural changes (and many more) by the time National took power”

Fact? *snicker* “Blow-hard rhetoric” more like it. Prove it or piss off PJ.

Take your time though, I’m off for the evening.

Adios!
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August 18, 2007 9:31pm
helmet

“In 1991 around 1/3 of the workforce earned at or just above the minimum wage level, and because it’s much higher now that figure is could well be substantially higher. Even if it isn’t 1/3 of the workforce is nothing to sniff at.”

Besides, if this is your idea of ‘facts and figures’…

‘Aw, labour’s great, cos, um, in 1991 a third of the workforce earned at or just above minimum wage…. it might be higher now or it might be less, I don’t really know, maybe it stayed the same…. go Labour?’

Adios for real this time.
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August 18, 2007 9:37pm
Krypton

Indeed , roger does appear to be suffering from several advanced mental disorder problems . We have a storage facility for such unfortunates up here located in a nice valley just near the sandpit .
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August 18, 2007 9:46pm
JimW

Krypton said : Indeed , selma does have a big problem with facts and matters of truth .

Actually, Selma needs to get a man. That’s why she hangs around the bus stop to pick up unemployed male Maori street kids.
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August 18, 2007 10:35pm
cubit9f

Where was Brenden Sheehan, staunch family member when the Muliaga family really needed him. He was very prominent and high profile after she was dead. The man has funny motives.

As an Australian he has the absolutely necessary qualities needed by politicians of being balanced.

He has a chip on both shoulders.
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August 19, 2007 6:57am
the deity formerly known as nigel6888

nome/philipjohn you really are a sad little spinner arent you. If you want to talk about collapsing the economy, perhaps you would like to comment on Labour’s behaviour during the DFC and the Bank of NZ collapses?

The FACT (yes I know you don’t trouble with them) is that Labour hid the collapse of the BNZ during the 1990 election campaign, and then when Bolger won, handed him a hospital pass which completely wrong-sided National and caused enormous grief in the Party.

This incidentally is also why Ruth Richardson fought so hard for the Fiscal Responsibility Bill (now Act), so that the Government had to honestly present its economic and financial situation regularly.

If you really were an academic rather than a labourbot poseur one would have thought you would have been prepared to do a little research?

But of course that gets in the way of your narrative of a wise and excellent Labour party and evil national conservatives crushing the poor doesnt it.

Fuck, Bolger was a farmer from Te Kuiti, he was deeply suspicious of Labour’s reforms, he wanted a return to a quiet NZ where people cooperated and there was no more radical reform. and then the poor bugger got landed with an economy going down the toilet, remember the closures, the farmers being forced to sell up, the stuffed industrial relations, enormous and growing structural unemployment (which Labour was trying to hide in workschemes – ETSA anyone) and a huge deficit that couldn’t be wished away – and on top of that a bill for the extra $1bn to bail the BNZ. Bolger was probably the most reluctant radical reformer in NZ’s history, but come the hour, come the man, and most reasonable people think his Government did pretty well considering. So well that all the major policy planks he, Ruth and Birch put in place are still there.

No mean feat.

Sadly that legacy of enormous hurt and enormous hard work has been pissed away by the current crop of socialist know nothings.

The economy is tanking again, half the population are now beneficiaries, productivity has collapsed, the tax take has skyrocketed and our standard of living is still about 20% behind the OECD average and heading down.

So whats your solution, oh yes, “sustainability”, “carbon-neutrality” “gender equity”, “anti-discrimination legislation”, or your speciality – mealy ,mouthed mewlings about why collective labour bargaining will improve productivity – how of course being the usual leap of faith as you ignore NZ’s actual economic circumstances, and assume we are some Nordic sitting off the coast of Europe.

Those of us who care about the economy are waving our graduates goodbye, watching Fisher & Paykel and the rest of the advanced niche manufacturing (ie., our future) leave and thinking oh fuck, what next…

Oh well, at least we are in the top league when it comes to beating our kids to death.

Wake up and smell the coffee son! This country is in deep shit. Use that ahem *fine* education we are paying for and grow some ideas of your own. Sadly we may need even you (assuming that job in Australia isnt more attractive).
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August 19, 2007 8:14am
the deity formerly known as nigel6888

And just to complete the story. I proudly voted labour in 84 and 87. Hell I was down the pub cheering every seat going red in 84 as we dealt to the hated Muldoon. I couldnt vote for Labour in 1990 because of what they had become. But I couldn’t and didnt vote National either.

In fact 2005 was the first time I ever ticked a National Box. Felt bloody weird.
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August 19, 2007 8:22am
Tauhei Notts

Labour understands M.M.P. better than other parties, and particularly National.

Labour persist in putting useless candidates up such as Brenden, Jim Sutton and Dianne Yates; losers; but who cares; it is the party vote that is absolutely all important.

And it is the party vote that Labour will gather in huge amounts, so that various National candidates will win electorates (battles) but lose the war.

And if Labour looks unlikely to win those list votes they will go out there with taxpayers’ funds and buy them.
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August 19, 2007 9:06am
Frank

With the election just round the corner we do not even have Hobson’s choice.

All the blooming horses have bolted.

Even poor old Transparency, bound for the “knackers yard” made it across the threshold before the doors were locked.
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August 19, 2007 9:59am
Dave Small

FYI – Centre Unity is in fact one of the right factions in the ALP. And as a Catholic Brenden would probably fit quite well into the right. How will this go down with the NZLP who have sought to purge such factionalism (esp by not selecting more moderate candidates)?
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August 19, 2007 11:06pm
matthew cranitch

Watching the criticism of Brenden Sheehan makes me feel sad. Here we have a young man who is passionate about assisting those in need, someone with a social conscience, and one who is articulate and intelligent is being challenged.

The NZ parliament needs people like Brenden Sheehan!
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August 20, 2007 1:18pm

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