Dropping like flies

Written By: - Date published: 12:41 pm, March 8th, 2011 - 37 comments
Categories: national/act government - Tags:

Worth: gone. Wong: gone. Mapp: going. John Carter: going. Te Heuheu: probably going. Sharples, Hide, Dunne: facing de-election. Lockwood Smith: going mid-next term. Key: gone in 3 years, tops. More with limited lives due to corruption/abuses/incompetence (Heatley, English, Bennett). Why did Power really leave a party and government that was his to shape?

Don’t give me this bollocks about getting out on top.

When Power goes after one term he will have been a competent Justice Minister. Kept out of trouble. Made some bad but not-too-bad rightwing reforms. Forgettable.

Second term is when you make your mark if you’re good. And Power is good. If the Nats win this year, Power could have permanently recast the justice sector in his mold. Then dueled for the leadership with English in 2013 and won. Could have made a real legacy. Could have got rid of the ranks of dropkicks. Restored some intellectual heft to the party. Recast it in his image. Not smile and wave’s.

Don’t give me this bollocks about 12 years always being the plan.

You don’t hang round for nine years in Opposition then throw in the towel after 3 in power when more beckon. If 12 really was the ‘plan’, well, plans change.

Nah. Something happened. Something happened about 2 weeks ago. You don’t slip a long-planned, amicable retirement out under the cover of the quake. Only do that if you have something to hide. Hope the journos are distracted and buy your cover story. Which they did.

Why did Power suddenly decide not to spend the height of his career as a senior Nat and make a real difference? Maybe we’ll never know.

37 comments on “Dropping like flies ”

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  1. fizzleplug 1
    8 March 2011 at 12:50 pm

    So we’ve changed from “he couldn’t stomach the direction of National” to “he’s got something to hide”?

  2. the sprout 2
    8 March 2011 at 12:58 pm

    You don’t hang round for nine years in Opposition then throw in the towel after 3 in power when more beckon….Nah. Something happened

    agreed

    • Anne 2.1
      8 March 2011 at 7:37 pm

      Why did Power suddenly decide not to spend the height of his career as a senior Nat and make a real difference? Maybe we’ll never know.

      Yes we will. There’s a journo out there who will know something. May take a while, but the truth will out eventually.

  3. randal 3
    8 March 2011 at 1:01 pm

    this government is the creation of boag and kerr and not really a party at all.
    it is like one of those English governments from the 19th century but unfortunately it has not yet met its demise.
    one more stroke of bad luck and all their dreams of public pelf will evaporate like bad air from a smelly old loot sack.

    • Bored 3.1
      8 March 2011 at 1:23 pm

      Thanks Randall, the spectre of Boagie and Kerr hangs like an evil cloud over this crew. The bagmen will always demand their dues, this is the rancid odour that seaps out from under the words, “We will not privatise xyz in our frist term”. As they say, “He who pays the piper calls the tune”.

  4. todd 4
    8 March 2011 at 1:13 pm

    According to Whaleoil, his father recently passed away and he is going to take over the business and wants to devote more time to his kids. Although I would determine that there are many factors that would make somebody leave National.

  5. Ed 5
    8 March 2011 at 1:14 pm

    I saw a comment somewhere that his father had died and he was going to take over a family firm. It may even be true; I don’t know.

    I don’t think he was that good – yes better at being a politician than most of his fellow National MPs, but what he achieved still wasn’t much. For someone who had been in opposition for 9 years he should have come with plans ready to roll out; but then that is the story of National really.

    Finlayson will be wanting that job if Key makes a change before the election, but he would first need a few anger management lessons.

    Power may have had some personal following in his electorate – which may have dragged a few Party votes through with him. Every bit helps.

  6. Sean 6
    8 March 2011 at 1:18 pm

    Nah. Something happened. Something happened about 2 weeks ago.

    Just a couple of ideas. Maybe if we stop thinking about Simon Power as Minister of Justice, and think of him as Minister of State Owned Enterprises, his retirement may make a different sense.

    Option One) Unable to stop the National party’s agenda of Selling State Assets, Simon Power decided to quietly retire rather than be associated with these moves.

    Option Two) Tiring of party politics, Simon Power realised that his knowledge of State Owned Enterprises will be very marketable in the private sector in 2012, and has started to position himself for those opportunities.

    Like I said, just a couple of ideas – no evidence either way.

    The other option was he looked up in the cabinet meeting, and thought, “Nope, this isn’t were I want to be.”

    • The Voice of Reason 6.1
      8 March 2011 at 2:53 pm

      It’s closer to option one, Sean. I’m told that Power lost a heated argument with Steven Joyce over privatisation in a not so quiet and secure room in the Beehive, took a few days to think over the implications and to talk with the family and then rang Key on the Sunday to politely tell him to stick it up his jacksie.

      It is possible that he will go back into law, but he’s far more likely to be looking at a senior role at Fonterra, at least according to the gossip going round the swamp.

      • Sean 6.1.1
        8 March 2011 at 3:43 pm

        Interesting Voice. I hadn’t heard that rumour.

        Steven Joyce, Minister of State Owned Enterprises – I just had a nasty chill while typing that.

  7. Tel 7
    8 March 2011 at 1:21 pm

    Perhaps Simon realized he was dumbing down his own brand to the point where Sarah Palin looks like intelligentsia, and that maybe it was time to take a break, if only to get the smell of his old boss (George W of the South Pacific) out of his clothes.

  8. Fisiani 8
    8 March 2011 at 1:48 pm

    National is refreshing its lineup for 2011. Phil Goff has been there for 40 years. Says it all.
    You seriously want a discussion about this?

    • Colonial Viper 8.1
      8 March 2011 at 1:52 pm

      Good of you to try and spin a dozen blue rats leaving a sinking blue ship as a “refresh” lol

      • Fisiani 8.1.1
        8 March 2011 at 2:31 pm

        Sinking??? More like flying

        • Colonial Viper 8.1.1.1
          8 March 2011 at 2:33 pm

          Oh, and if the flying is so good why are all these rats bailing out the back door?

          For the purposes of a “refresh” lol

          • todd 8.1.1.1.1
            8 March 2011 at 2:59 pm

            I find it kind of refreshing. The fact that there is not very many new Fascists coming to the fore is a god send. The void in the rats nest is telling and I would determine that the public doesn’t want a knock em down Brownlee or Blinglish at the helm. National has had the one two punch and then been kicked a few times while they are down for good measure. I don’t think it’s all over either. I’d be surprised if they get up and mount any comprehensive campaign and even more surprised if they get to inflict their proposed archaic policies on a somewhat educated public. Perhaps flying in their dreams is the best way to put it.

            • billy fish 8.1.1.1.1.1
              8 March 2011 at 3:34 pm

              Not Fascists – unnescessary use of the word which devalues it when needed for the real thing

              [lprent: Which is why that word used in comments here (and a number of other commonly overused and misused words) automatically wind up in moderation. I find it amazing how people learn when their comments don’t appear until a moderator turns up to look at them. ]

    • Bright Red 8.2
      8 March 2011 at 4:50 pm

      This is how you refresh your line-up is it? Having your most talented and unstoppable minister quit on you.

    • bbfloyd 8.3
      8 March 2011 at 5:24 pm

      probably a lot more than you ever will fizzer. although, for you, that was ahigh class comment…

  9. Akldnut 9
    8 March 2011 at 3:50 pm

    corruption/abuses/incompetence (Heatley, English, Bennett).

    Obviously you didn’t want this post to drag out so you kept the examples to a bare minimum.

  10. The Economic Illiteracy Support Group 10
    8 March 2011 at 4:24 pm

    There’s an old saying that strapping a few turkeys together doesn’t make an eagle …. Power probably did the numbers and concluded that he would end up making a decision between Bill English and Gerry Brownlee and Steven Joyce as deputies when he made Leader, and decided that maybe it would be better to do his flying in clear air.

  11. Morgy 11
    8 March 2011 at 5:42 pm

    Any chance he could be telling the truth? Does he have to have something to hide? The fact he doesn’t have an ambition to be PM and he has achieved all he wanted as an MP (let alone rise to be a prominant Minister) mean is not good enough? Obviously not for you lot. Imagine the comments on Kiwiblog when Labours best and brightest……oh hang on……

  12. MrSmith 12
    8 March 2011 at 7:25 pm

    Power may have suddenly realized he couldn’t stomach another nine years in opposition.

  13. Maynard J 13
    9 March 2011 at 12:27 am

    Somethign definitely odd eh – the kicker for me is that you spend nine years in opposition, and then finally get to do what you’ve wanted to do all this time and… (oh wait – nine years in opposition and all National has were tax cuts.)

    that aside …and you decide to get out. Nah.

  14. Maggie 14
    9 March 2011 at 6:25 pm

    Rich now Power….anybody with even the vaguest liberal leanings is leaving before the rightwing takes over.

    Rich and power – doesn’t that sum up the Nats?

    • neleftie 14.1
      9 March 2011 at 6:32 pm

      interestingly but both were in key’s camp…The centralist tories are in disarray, god help us if orthodox tories get a mandate – bye bye state assets.

      • Colonial Viper 14.1.1
        9 March 2011 at 11:36 pm

        Old fashioned proper conservatives wouldn’t have a bar of these neoliberal free market scum.

  16. Armchair Critic 16
    9 March 2011 at 11:09 pm

    Isn’t Sandra Goudie going too? How come she didn’t make the list in the post?

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