Little to stand in New Plymouth?

Written By: - Date published: 6:45 pm, July 1st, 2010 - 14 comments
Categories: labour - Tags:

Paddy Gower has the scoop that EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little is planning to stand in New Plymouth.

Labour high-flyer and union boss Andrew Little will launch his Parliamentary career by standing in the New Plymouth electorate.

Nominations open today, and 3 News has learned Little will put his name forward – confirmed by top-level sources in the Labour hierarchy.

But the man himself seems a little (excuse the pun) less definitive on the matter, telling NZPA:

Labour Party President Andrew Little says he may put his name forward to stand in the New Plymouth electorate but hasn’t made his mind up yet.

While just about every Labour Party president has become an MP at some stage (Bob Harvey is one of the few recent exceptions I can think off) it is unusual for a President to stand while holding the office and Little would need to handle the move carefully.

Having said that, in his ten years as the leader of the EPMU Little has shown he is capable, well organised and principled and he’d be a good asset for Labour and for the people of New Plymouth.

Of course there are already murmurings about Little as a future leader which the right are likely to be used by the right to try wedge the party. I’m not saying he wouldn’t be a good leader but it’s worth remembering how many others have been “the next leader of the Labour Party” and how few of them have actually done so. And let’s also not forget how unexpected it was that Clark would become the leader and make such a thorough job of it.

Hopefully Little will stand but he’s well known for playing his cards close to his chest so I reckon we may have to wait a while to find out.

14 comments on “Little to stand in New Plymouth? ”

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  1. The Voice of Reason 1
    1 July 2010 at 7:21 pm

    Good news for the ‘naki, good news for Labour. The EPMU has just done a deal on the oil rigs where kiwi workers get paid aussie rates. That’s Taranaki workers actually closing the trans Tasman wage gap. No bullshit “aspirations”, just cold hard cash. I guess it might finally pay to be one of the Little People, eh?

  2. fredo 2
    1 July 2010 at 7:56 pm

    Good to see Little getting on the front line. Does this mean he’ll stand down as President?

  3. Jenny 3
    1 July 2010 at 9:35 pm

    Bloody good news.

    A sitting union leader in parliament.

  4. Bill 4
    2 July 2010 at 2:01 am

    Maybe some on the left would go with Hooten in reckoning that Goff is just right for Labour? (unintentional pun)

  5. Selwyn Hammond 5
    2 July 2010 at 10:12 am

    I’m not sure it’s true to say: While just about every Labour Party president has become an MP at some stage (Bob Harvey is one of the few recent exceptions I can think off).

    Here’s the list of Labour Party Presidents since 1995. How many have become MPs?
    Michael Hirschfeld
    Bob Harvey
    Mike Williams
    Andrew Little

  6. randal 6
    2 July 2010 at 11:21 am

    about time the party put up some people with nous and substance and no sexual agendas.

  7. Steven Cowan 7
    2 July 2010 at 3:39 pm

    Little is a right wing careerist so being a Labour MP should be right up his alley.

    In his capacity as a a union ‘leader’ he has betrayed workers time and time again, This guy is so right wing he thinks the Alliance is ‘radical’.

    Now he wants to shaft the good people of New Plymouth.

    • Jenny 7.1
      3 July 2010 at 4:42 am

      Not true.

      After a decade of falling incomes for working people, Andrew Little was the author of the extremely popular, 5 in ’05 campaign. Which was spearheaded by his union and taken up by other unions as well.

      As a sitting union leader, now with the raised profile of parliamentary candidate, taking the example of the 10% rise accorded MPs to go on.

      Andrew is perfectly placed to revive this campaign.

      10 in ‘010

      I say.

      Go Andrew.

    • The Voice of Reason 7.2
      3 July 2010 at 9:58 am

      Top comment, Steven. What a sell out Little is.

      Firstly, forcing forty thousand Kiwi’s to ‘volunteer’ to join his so called union, and bullying them in to paying $6 a week for the privilege. And only getting then regular wage rises and defending them against bad bosses in return. What a rort.

      Not to mention ripping off oil and gas workers in Taranaki with aussie rates of pay. Pathetic. What a sell out.

      And as for thinking the Alliance is radical. Ridiculous. The only other people who think the Alliance is radical are, um, members of the Alliance.

      Yep, you’ve really hit the nail on the head, Steven. And don’t bother citing evidence of his many betrayals of working people. We’ll take your word for it, because your commitment to the workers is just so well known, nobody could possibly doubt you.

      Come the revolution, the traitor Little will be first up against the wall. Bop bop bop!

  8. Jenny 8
    4 July 2010 at 9:47 pm

    3 News July 1st 2010

    Nominations open today, and 3 News has learned Little will put his name forward confirmed by top-level sources in the Labour hierarchy.

    It has been four days since this news was posted.

    Does anyone know of any update?

    • Carol 8.1
      5 July 2010 at 6:26 am

      On yesterday’s The Nation as reported by Bomber:
      http://www.tumeke.blogspot.com:

      The only thing Duncan wants is to hear Andrew Little say is he will take over from Goff, pointless question seeing as Little doesn’t even have a seat yet. Duncan is using these cheap bullshit brainfart polls to demand that Labour is over and they need to all commit suicide. Little points out Labour are doing okay in the electoral cycle, Little could have also pointed out that these polls don’t tell us what the weighting is, what the call back was or if the polls used cell phones or just land lines. The Polls are bullshit, Little should challenge Duncan on their veracity.

      It does look like Little will run in 2011 and it also looks like Duncan will be running for National in the next election as well.

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