Enough considering already!

Written By: - Date published: 3:15 pm, December 7th, 2009 - 14 comments
Categories: labour - Tags:

When first writing about my thoughts on Phil Goff’s speech little did I realise that it was turning into an ongoing issue! Perhaps some closer consideration should have been given to the ‘internal communication’ – the speech now appears as a stand-alone issue (although maybe that counts as ‘got headlines – tick?), distracting from the policy points he was trying to make.

NZ Herald: Labour’s president, Andrew Little, revealed yesterday that he has “personal concerns” about the speech. Mr Little told the Herald the speech had received a “mixed response” from the party’s rank-and-file…It has left some in the party uncomfortable and Mr Goff is expected to have to explain it to some MPs at this week’s caucus meeting

Fran O’Sullivan: What is it about Phil Goff that he sounds rehearsed even when he isn’t? At full flight in Parliament he can be hugely impressive. But get him in front of a television or radio interviewer – or even a print journalist – he switches into robotic style.

So the last few week of the House will be filled by roars of derision from the Government benches. At a time when really the focus should be on the lack of leadership from the Prime Minister over Copenhagen, it’s the leader of the opposition who’s ending up in the headlines.

14 comments on “Enough considering already! ”

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  1. Duncan 1
    7 December 2009 at 3:26 pm

    Sounds like the Herald story was a bit of selective quoting:
    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00083.htm

    • mike 1.1
      7 December 2009 at 3:53 pm

      So little’s had his hand smacked for speaking out of line – just the start of the rot setting in for 5% phil. Hers comes barbie season..

      • Duncan 1.1.1
        7 December 2009 at 3:59 pm

        I doubt Goff’s in a position to smack anyone’s hand right now, especially not the party president and head of the party’s largest affiliate. From what I hear the Herald’s been a bit naughty and misquoted Little to fit the story they wanted.

  2. ghostwhowalksnz 2
    7 December 2009 at 4:07 pm

    Look at it as a great way to have the issues gone over again. The Herald story was a beatup , but its oxygen for labours views.
    Farrar spins as party dissention but thats what he wants the story to be.
    After all we all know when Key and English chucked Don Brashs report in the bin, the national Caucus strew rose petals in their path as they left the meeting

    • Tim Ellis 2.1
      7 December 2009 at 4:19 pm

      So I suppose the stories in various media about Mr Robertson expressing his concern about the speech, and that it will be discussed at tomorrow’s caucus meeting, are a beat up as well?

  3. Doug 3
    7 December 2009 at 4:19 pm

    Who to believe diametrically opposed views.

    Labour’s president, Andrew Little, revealed yesterday that he has “personal concerns” about the speech.

    Mr Little told the Herald the speech had received a “mixed response” from the party’s rank-and-file.

    Mr Goff’s address portrayed National as pandering to Maori and re-opened the political warfare over the foreshore and seabed law, leading to accusations that he was playing the race card.

    It has left some in the party uncomfortable and Mr Goff is expected to have to explain it to some MPs at this week’s caucus meeting.

    Day after
    I support the stance taken by Phil in the speech and encourage ongoing discussion and debate about the issues that matter to New Zealanders.

    Andrew Little
    Labour Party President

    • Duncan 3.1
      7 December 2009 at 4:31 pm

      Selective quoting from the Herald, wouldn’t be the first time. You can have some personal concerns about aspects of a speech (for example Goff’s choice of language) while still supporting the issues raised in it. Nuance eh? Not a strong point on the right.

      • Doug 3.1.1
        7 December 2009 at 4:46 pm

        Duncan:
        The second part was a press release today from Scoop, Labours online News.

        • Duncan 3.1.1.1
          7 December 2009 at 4:49 pm

          Yeah, I’m saying I understand the Herald misquoted him. If you read the Herald’s follow-up piece with Phil Goff it’s made clear that the “personal concerns” were around the perception of the speech as an attempt to do a Brash. That’s not inconsistent with Little’s support for the issues raised in the speech, which is what he said in the press statement.

  4. GFraser 4
    7 December 2009 at 6:17 pm

    Good on the Labour front benchers for not giving Garner any quotes to back up his pathetic attempt at unsettling Goffs leadership.

  5. Doug 5
    7 December 2009 at 8:10 pm

    GFraser:
    This makes the Labour leadership look like rank amateurs. Absolutely not fit to run the Country.

  6. Doug 6
    8 December 2009 at 6:27 am

    Will Labour do another Flip-Flop we will see.
    PM wants to work with Labour on seabed law.

  7. felix 7
    8 December 2009 at 7:16 am

    “This makes the Labour leadership look like rank amateurs. Absolutely not fit to run the Country.”

    Shit Doug, if two misquoted words in the national daily is enough to set your alarm bells ringing about the solidarity of a party in opposition, then you must be super pissed at the current government in which ministers say the PM ‘does nothing’ and even the deputy PM says the PM flits ‘from cloud to cloud’ leaving him to do the real work.

    I can’t even begin to list all the reports of ministers openly contradicting their leader (and each other) but I’ll bet you’ve got a pretty thorough list in your head as this sort of thing obviously gets your goat.

    Unfit to run the country indeed.