Is Maurice Williamson jumping ship?

50 comments on “Is Maurice Williamson jumping ship? ”

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1. millsy 1

   25 May 2015 at 2:39 pm

   If MW decides to force a by election then the left (and those opposed to the government) need to go all out and take the seat off National. Even if it means standing a candidate that some people dont like.

   One less seat for National would mean the government wouldnt be able to get any extremist stuff through, it may even mean TPPA wont sail through.
   • One Anonymous Bloke 1.1

     25 May 2015 at 2:50 pm

     +1
   • Colonial Rawshark 1.2

     25 May 2015 at 3:29 pm

     If MW decides to force a by election then the left

     LOL I like your thinking but that’s too hard work.

     Just get Maurice to go independent and have him abstain in critical government votes.
     • Tracey 1.2.1

       25 May 2015 at 3:35 pm

       he won’t abstain. he will demand a ministerial post for his vote. Sulking on the back benches is not only humiliating it is not as lucrative.
   • boyonlaptop 1.3

     25 May 2015 at 7:15 pm

     Papakura is like one of the most right-leaning electorates in the country. The only person who would have that sort of appeal and resources would be; Winston Peters and Colin Craig. The former obviously can’t run anymore and if I had to chose the lesser of two evils I’d definitely vote for a Nat candidate if it meant keeping Craig and the Conservatives out of parliament.
     • Irascible 1.3.1

       25 May 2015 at 8:39 pm

       Williamson is the MP for Pakuranga which is several kilometres away from Papakura. The electorate is such that National have always treated it as they did Northland by throwing occasional baubles to the sitting MP but not the electorate. A strong, articulate and dynamic candidate from Labour could make a considerable indent on the national Party vote. The conservatives hardly made an impact in the electorate last time around and NZF were conspicuous by their absence.
2. Clean_power 2

   25 May 2015 at 2:47 pm

   Mr Williamson is a tired, unwanted, and disgraced politician, who nobody wants. High time to retire him.
   • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1

     25 May 2015 at 3:10 pm

     He got caught doing what the National Party is for.
3. te reo putake 3

   25 May 2015 at 2:52 pm

   Notice and features beat me to it. Here’s what I was going to post:

   Maurice Dancing!

   Oh, dear. The wheels continue to fall off third term National, with Pakuranga MP Maurice Williamson testing the waters on a waka jump to ACT. According to ACT leader Arnold Rimmer, Don Brash approached the ACT board to sound out whether they would let Williamson join them. The board emphatically said no. The Epsom MP also put the boot into dog whistle racist Brash:

   “It is what it is: crazy old uncle approaches the president and says, ‘What about this?’ We said ‘No, we are not interested.”‘

   If they’d said yes, that would not have affected the National/ACT coalition’s narrow majority, but it probably would have tested the nature of their franchisee/franchisor relationship. However, by rejecting the approach and hanging Williamson out to dry, ACT may have just set up a by-election in Pakuranga, which may be even worse for them in the long run.

   After all, if Maurice Williamson doesn’t want to be in the National Party, how can he remain a National Party MP? And we know how good National are at by-elections, don’t we?

   Another good question: Who’s next?
   • Tracey 3.1

     25 May 2015 at 3:18 pm

     What has he been doing since he was thrown out of parliament?
     • te reo putake 3.1.1

       25 May 2015 at 3:26 pm

       Sadly, he hasn’t been thrown out of parliament. He was forced to resign as a minister (for the usual Nat reasons; misuse of power and blinding arrogance). He may well be the longest serving MP in Parliament. I’m certainly struggling to think of anyone who’s been there longer.
       • Tracey 3.1.1.1

         25 May 2015 at 3:33 pm

         I was being facetious…. SO funny that he wants to go to the party that preaches accountability and responsibility given his lack of both… still, he would help them keep up their average of 17+% of their MPs (ACT) being in the fraud or deception game
       • felix 3.1.1.2

         25 May 2015 at 6:39 pm

         “…anyone who’s been there longer”

         Dunne? Goff?
         • Clemgeopin 3.1.1.2.1

           25 May 2015 at 7:41 pm

           Winston?
           • felix 3.1.1.2.1.1

             25 May 2015 at 8:05 pm

             Entered parliament before any other currently sitting MP, but he hasn’t been there continuously.
     • Tracey 3.1.2

       25 May 2015 at 3:31 pm

       sorry, since he “resigned” as a Cabinet Minister…just sitting round doing seewt fuck all on our taxes?
       • te reo putake 3.1.2.1

         25 May 2015 at 3:34 pm

         Having cups of tea with Judith Collins?
         • Tracey 3.1.2.1.1

           25 May 2015 at 3:36 pm

           He must be due for a column? Or has he forgotten how to write since hes been sulking? He wanted to join ACT as a preference to running for Mayor? Better pay-scale I guess.
   • Tracey 3.2

     25 May 2015 at 3:34 pm

     The Board. Such a democratic party.
     • te reo putake 3.2.1

       25 May 2015 at 3:40 pm

       Ha! I’ve heard a whisper that a well known social democratic party here in NZ is considering moving from an exec to a board. Just a proposal at this stage, so may not actually happen.
       • Tracey 3.2.1.1

         25 May 2015 at 3:45 pm

         that should narrow it down… social and democratic…

         nice at Maurice Dancing btw
4. Tracey 4

   25 May 2015 at 3:17 pm

   Jordan Williams calls them naming Brash’s as approaching ACT as “pathetic and vile”. Talk about a complete of self reflection

   If ever someone was in man-love it’s Jordan Williams with Don Brash
   • Tracey 4.1

     25 May 2015 at 3:32 pm

     complete lack of self reflection but GREAT projection
     • Sacha 4.1.1

       26 May 2015 at 8:06 pm

       Blubberboy has apparently leapt in to claim it’s all lies. ‘The hologram is making it up, miss’. Boag however does not seem to have received the same talking points before bloviating on RNZ’s poanel this arvo. Those nasty Nat factions at it again.
5. katipo 5

   25 May 2015 at 3:58 pm

   From iPredict.. “By-Election to be held in the Pakuranga electorate before the next NZ General Election”. There seems to be a bit of activity on the contract today…
   https://www.ipredict.co.nz/app.php?do=contract_detail&contract=BE.PAKURANGA
   If it happened wonder who would stand? Shane Jones NZFirst?
6. Puckish Rogue 6

   25 May 2015 at 4:00 pm

   Well done Act but MW…damn!
   • One Anonymous Bloke 6.1

     25 May 2015 at 9:02 pm

     It’s hardly his fault that he embodies National Party values so perfectly.
7. the pigman 7

   25 May 2015 at 4:04 pm

   I think people should establish the timeline on this approach by Don/MW. I assume it was not a recent thing and that Act have leaked this now, but why?

   Well, MW is probably gearing up his campaign team for his tilt at the Auckland Supercity mayoralty… last I checked his major rivals were Goff and a CRat nutjob.

   Who benefits from throwing him under the bus now?
   • Tracey 7.1

     25 May 2015 at 4:14 pm

     to see if there is an outpouring from national supporters saying they will flock to ACT if Williamson is there…. although, they could just poll.
   • Clemgeopin 7.2

     25 May 2015 at 7:54 pm

     John Banks for Mayoralty?
     • the pigman 7.2.1

       26 May 2015 at 8:23 pm

       Right on. Seymour repaying a favour by scuttling Williamson’s mayoral campaign before it’s underway.
8. te reo putake 8

   25 May 2015 at 4:08 pm

   Could it be true that ACT cleared the disclosure of Williamson’s disloyalty with John Key? I don’t know, but I think we should be told.
   • Tracey 8.1

     25 May 2015 at 4:15 pm

     John Key

     “I don’t recall the National Party having an MP called Williamson. Well, not for quite some time anyway”
   • Gosman 8.2

     27 May 2015 at 8:30 am

     You can be confident that John Key knew about this prior to Act releasing the information in their newsletter.
9. dv 9

   25 May 2015 at 4:35 pm

   From NBR
   Former ACT leader Don Brash approached National MP Maurice Williamson to defect to ACT – Williamson denies any interest

   HUH
   • Stuart Munro 9.1

     25 May 2015 at 5:10 pm

     We should ask Donghwa Liu – he’ll know the real story.
10. Alpha z 10

    25 May 2015 at 5:12 pm

    many options for m williamson now;

    ~ be independent & make john key dance to you like a hawaiian monkey on hot coal

    ~ come to parlement with burqa & veil to hide face

    ~ get a plastic surgery procedure done & defect to N Korea with donghua liu

    ~ wear a huge rainbow dress & marry the r. wing purk busting act guy rodney hide

    ~ start a party with Judy collins, aaron gilmore, pansy wong, richard worth, david garret, rodney hide, jamie whyte, don brash, brendan horan, michael laws, paul henry, mike hosking, Hooton, Lusk, Farrar, Cam.Slater and Jason Ede, all good guys!

    ~ resign, stay at home and think
    • Anne 10.1

      25 May 2015 at 6:46 pm

      Having only just caught up with today’s news Standardistas might be interested to know that ACT worked hard on Maurice Williamson 15-20 years ago and nearly won him over to them. Now this pipsqueak ACT leader whatshisname, Seymour is packing a sad over the prospect of him becoming a member. I bet he didn’t even know Williamson was regarded as a big prize by ACT in the late 1990s and almost certainly in more recent years.

      You can here ‘whathisname’ here:

      http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201755759
      • Anne 10.1.1

        25 May 2015 at 7:43 pm

        Oh dear, you can hear…
11. Michael 11

    25 May 2015 at 7:20 pm

    I think Williamson represents ACT very well. Interesting to see the mouthpiece for the “Taxpayers Alliance” [sic] defend Don Brash so shrilly. I wonder what their relationship might be?
12. Michael Nolan 12

    25 May 2015 at 7:37 pm

    Interesting. Not a mention on either 6pm news channel tonight. I’d hazard a guess if a Labour MP was attempting a waka jump into an equivalent puppet party, the media would be crucifying it as full of division, rudderless, and on the brink of implosion. It would probably be Cunliffe’s fault, no matter who it is. It would be leading both 6pm bulletins (if not breaking news specials earlier), it would feature impartial expert political commentators such as John Key, Stephen Joyce, Mathew Hooton, David Farrar.
    • Clemgeopin 12.1

      25 May 2015 at 8:10 pm

      +1.
      There is/was a definite pro-RW biased, lying, pathetic bunch of so called ‘journalists’ and ‘political commentators’ who were constantly putting their boot into Labour and its leaders, while happily licking the crap from the boots of Key and the RW rogue gang. I have no doubt at all about them accentuating minor issues and blowing them up to discredit the progressives parties unfairly by indulging in nasty dirty politics. What a sad set of media we have had here in the last few years!
13. Irascible 13

    25 May 2015 at 8:48 pm

    Williamson lost his influence by associating too intimately with Dong-hua Liu. The saga of the National Party’s intimate connection with Dong-hua Liu continues. As both Williamson and Ross were closely connected to collecting donations from Dong-hua Liu and organising one on one dine and donate dinners for him and Key one does wonder if the winter of discontent will cross the electorate border into Botany?
    Ross would be quite at home with ACT especially as Seymour and Ross appear to share the same intellectual DNA.
14. Michael Nolan 14

    25 May 2015 at 8:52 pm

    http://politik.co.nz/en/content/politics/261

    The Health and Safety in Employment Reform Bill is proposing a substantial overhaul of the way businesses, workplaces and farms manage health and safety issues.

    It is expected to be reported back from the Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee on Thursday.

    The Bill has the potential to anger National’s small business and farming heartland and already its worrying some MPs.

    There are reports that one backbencher, Maurice Williamson, has already signalled his opposition to the Bill at a National Caucus meeting.

    One source even suggested he could cross the floow and vote against the Bill if it was not changed.

    However though one senior Minister discounted that claim he told “POLITIK” that “a number of us” agree with him on his concerns about what is in the Bill.
15. Tiger Mountain 15

    26 May 2015 at 9:05 am

    reject rejected by reject party, some sort of weird logic happening, ACT is a bit of a last chance saloon for politicians and would be MPs
16. Alpha z 16

    26 May 2015 at 10:22 am

    act party, refuge for crooks, nutbars & scoundrels. check out their ex mps!
    • Anne 16.1

      26 May 2015 at 8:43 pm

      Don’t forget the break-ins and burglaries at the Auckland Central Labour and Alliance Party headquarters in the mid-1990s. The A.C. ACT candidate at the 1996 election was one, Rodney Hide. He didn’t do the break-ins of course but the likely suspects were close to him at the time. The police conducted a Clayton’s investigation.
17. Policy Parrot 17

    26 May 2015 at 2:41 pm

    Sounds like MW does not want to take his medicine – i.e. the medicine dished out to John Hayes, Paul Hutchison, Colin King et al. in turn for a severence package.

    Obviously sees more in himself than any one else does/or has.
18. gnomic 18

    26 May 2015 at 9:44 pm

    Mozza is a conceited dork, a legend in his own imagination. Greatest lifetime accomplishment getting himself an electorate where the Nats could run a donkey . . . . Oddly enough his predecessor in the eastern zone was dork’s dork Trevor Rogers who jumped off the National waka to remake the world alongside one Ross Meurant. As a minister he was a conspicuous failure and do-nothing, especially with respect to telecoms. One might think that he and ACT deserve each other, but alas it seems it is not to be, for now at any rate. Well past time to retire and take up a perks job if one is forthcoming given his vexed relationship with the leaders. That scar in Bill English’s back must ache from time to time. Maybe the phantasy is that he could win Pakuranga in a bye-election?

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