Something about deckchairs…

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 pm, February 24th, 2013 - 71 comments
Categories: labour, polls - Tags:

Word is Labour’s reshuffle will be announced tomorrow.

I’m still picking Mahuta, Street, and Sio demoted, Cunliffe to health and the old guard not moving one iota. And Andrew Little will be given Justice.

Given the latest Reid Research poll, a certain phrase about deckchairs springs to mind…

71 comments on “Something about deckchairs… ”

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  1. Colonial Viper 1
    24 February 2013 at 7:34 pm

    National are in their 5th year of Government and still on their honeymoon. You’ve got to hand it to Key and English, they know exactly what they are doing, and they aren’t afraid to keep rewarding and acknowledging their traditional core voters.

    Labour, well they just seem embarrassed of their traditional core voters.

  2. Aotearoean 2
    24 February 2013 at 7:34 pm

    Sio deserves a promotion not a demotion. He had the best result last election, the party vote grew in Mangere more than anywhere else. Pacific people are vital to Labour. Why do they want to muck around with university educated careerists instead of people who represent their supporters?

    Lianne Dalziel should be given Justice but I guess supporting Cunliffe is a career stalling event.

    There has to be a better way.

    This poll hurts. Labour should be all over National but while Key continues to dominate the leadership contest nothing is going to change, no matter how bad things get.

    • George D 2.1
      24 February 2013 at 10:11 pm

      He’s also underestimated. I don’t think most New Zealanders realise just what a huge part of New Zealand tagata Pasifika are, and how big South Auckland is.

      They’re both 10% of the country’s population. Sio does a good job as a representative of both. I suspect he’ll be promoted, and that Shearer’s hedged homophobe comments on bFM recently reflect his reliance on and confidence in Sio. Just a hunch though, I’ll find out soon enough.

  3. IrishBill 3
    24 February 2013 at 7:44 pm

    I’m not sure Cunliffe will get health. I’m expecting the third of caucus that voted no-confidence in David Shearer to get punished for it. It’s bad politics but Trevor and Phil are holding the reins and they’ll put themselves and their vendettas over the political well-being of their leader.

    • Keeping Stock of Vipers 3.1
      25 February 2013 at 12:59 pm

      I somehow doubt that making David Cunliffe the Health spokesman would give Labour a chance of winning back any seats in Hawke’s Bay. Napier used to be a safe Labour seat, but after Cunliffe sacked the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board (and narrowly avoided an embarrassing judicial review) Christ Tremain has turned Napier into a National fortress with a majority of almost 4000.

  4. The Fan Club 4
    24 February 2013 at 7:52 pm

    Hey, Irish, didn’t Cunliffe flog off half the frontbench for votes? I mean, really. Let’s not get on our high horses here.

    • IrishBill 4.1
      24 February 2013 at 8:02 pm

      Did he? I’ve not heard that. Where did you hear it?

      • The Fan Club 4.1.1
        24 February 2013 at 8:07 pm

        Don’t be cute Irish, you’ve heard it before; it’s part of the standard attack on Cunliffe. I suppose, if I had to say where I’ve heard it, I’d end up saying something mealy mouthed and euphemistic like “sources”. But we both know it’s part of the knock on Cunliffe, and we both know it’s true enough.

        • Colonial Viper 4.1.1.1
          24 February 2013 at 8:14 pm

          But we both know it’s part of the knock on Cunliffe, and we both know it’s true enough.

          it’s funny you reiterating all the standard attacks used in the MSM, acknowledging them as part of a co-ordinated campaign, but then still buying into them.

          • The Fan Club 4.1.1.1.1
            24 February 2013 at 8:22 pm

            Yeah there was a co-ordinated campaign against Cunliffe: it started about Friday night at conference. It was pretty boring in the end, all that happened was a steady reiteration of facts, which also, funnily enough, doubled as a pretty brutal attack on Cunliffe.

            Notice that IB’s studiously avoiding denying that Cunliffe was flogging off front bench positions. (And not just front bench; staff positions were for sale as well. Chief of staff, last I heard it was going to be a particularly, ahem, netsavvy individual…)

            • felixviper 4.1.1.1.1.1
              24 February 2013 at 8:29 pm

              “Notice that IB’s studiously avoiding denying that Cunliffe was flogging off front bench positions. “

              He said hadn’t heard it, didn’t he?

            • Mickysavage 4.1.1.1.1.2
              24 February 2013 at 8:31 pm

              Fan Club you are really annoying. Your anti Cunliffe stuff is really predictable. I would place you as someone who is in or around Parliament whose future career prospects depend on the current balance of power remaining.

              Guess what? The party and the movement are way more important than your career prospects.

              • The Fan Club …
                24 February 2013 at 8:42 pm

                Micky, you sure do know how to flatter a girl don’t you?

                “never heard” is very different to denying.

                • Mickysavage …
                  24 February 2013 at 8:47 pm

                  You mean that ABC does not bestow favours?

                  • The Fan Club …
                    24 February 2013 at 8:50 pm

                    Reow! LP, I never thought you were running that kind of joint.

                    More soberly, do you wanna put some evidence on the table for this kind of slur? And do you want to deny that Cunliffe was flogging off positions for votes?

                    • mickysavage …
                      24 February 2013 at 8:57 pm

                      Sure Fan Club but first I am interested in a you do not have to disclose your identity sort of way do you work in Parliament?

                    • The Fan Club …
                      24 February 2013 at 9:00 pm

                      No, I don’t work in Parliament, I have never done so, and am not likely to. I have also never been employed (directly or indirectly) by the Party. Nor have I ever worked for Parliamentary Services out of Parliament.

                    • mickysavage …
                      24 February 2013 at 9:03 pm

                      I ask because you pretend to have information that only someone within Parliament or very high up the ranks of the party would have. If you are neither then with the greatest of respect you are blowing smoke …

                    • Anne …
                      24 February 2013 at 9:07 pm

                      …do you work in Parliament?

                      Was just about to submit following questions ms.

                      1) Does TFC work in the parliamentary office of a member of the ABC club?
                      If not:
                      2) Is TFC an LEC delegate in the electorate of a member of the ABC club?
                      If not:
                      3) What relationship does TFC have to a member(members) of the ABC club?

                      Does anyone know?

                    • The Fan Club …
                      24 February 2013 at 9:10 pm

                      Cute! It is possible, of course, that I am just a humble member who talks to people, pays attention, and keeps their own mind. It’s not, in fact, the case that any of this stuff is particularly secret. It’s just not public. Your obsession with hierarchy and personality is pretty revealing.

                    • felixviper …
                      24 February 2013 at 9:13 pm

                      I think the fact that you categorically denied working “for Parliamentary Services out of Parliament” but won’t do the same for Anne’s questions is far more revealing.

                    • mickysavage …
                      24 February 2013 at 9:13 pm

                      Nah just trying to work out where your information was coming from. Obviously you do not have first hand knowledge of what you claim.

                      Tell me was it Trevor?

                    • The Fan Club …
                      24 February 2013 at 9:21 pm

                      Micky, I’m not going to play twenty questions.

                      You’re right; I wasn’t in the room for all of the things I discuss here. Lots of it is based on reliable sources I’m not going to name; no doubt the same is true for you.

                      (Anne, I’m not going to play twenty questions with you either. In fact I’m not an LEC delegate at all, and my relationship with Labour members of Parliament is a matter for me to worry about.)

                    • Te Reo Putake …
                      24 February 2013 at 9:46 pm

                      Guys, I don’t think identity speculation is wise. The only thing we know for sure is that TFC is a pompous git. My bullshit detector also suggests a high likelihood of speculative bollocks disguised as insider knowledge.

                    • The Fan Club …
                      24 February 2013 at 9:51 pm

                      Do you work in the precinct then TRP? Worried the hounds might be sniffing too close to home? Don’t worry hun, in the Shearer conspiracy on the 3rd floor we’re all in it together, all in the pursuit of the sweet sweet Parl Serv dollar.

                    • Te Reo Putake …
                      24 February 2013 at 10:16 pm

                      Yeah, as I said, bollocks. Those who need to know already know.

                    • geoff …
                      25 February 2013 at 9:05 am

                      It’s obvious, TFC is Shearer.

                    • geoff …
                      25 February 2013 at 9:18 am

                      No scratch that, not enough stammering.

                  • The Fan Club …
                    24 February 2013 at 9:36 pm

                    And, Micky, you still haven’t started putting up any evidence. I’ve been admirably open to your questions: your turn to play the transparency game.

                    • Anne …
                      24 February 2013 at 9:40 pm

                      No you haven’t. ms asked:

                      Tell me was it Trevor?

                      You haven’t answered.
                      Tell the truth now.

                    • The Fan Club …
                      24 February 2013 at 9:46 pm

                      Anne, like I told him, this isn’t Q&A time. You and MS asked a few questions, I answered, and now it’s my turn to get a bit of honesty it’s all quiet on the western front.

                    • felixviper …
                      24 February 2013 at 10:24 pm

                      Funny, it was Q & A time right up until the Qs got a bit close and he stopped Aing.

                    • The Fan Club …
                      24 February 2013 at 10:40 pm

                      I’ve never talked about the leadership, or parliamentary staffing, with Trevor if that helps your conspiracy theories felix.

                    • felixviper …
                      24 February 2013 at 11:09 pm

                      You’re the one claiming to have inside knowledge of a conspiracy TFC, not I.

                      Another revealingly specific answer by the way. That’s the nice thing about egomaniacs, they just can’t keep a secret if there’s a chance to show off.

                • The Fan Club …
                  24 February 2013 at 8:47 pm

                  ps Micky maybe you could have had a quiet word to your mucker David about the whole “party comes first” thing

                  • Jim Davis …
                    24 February 2013 at 10:23 pm

                    One of the rumours TFC repeated earlier (about who Cunliffe had apparently shoulder-tapped for chief of staff) gives him away. This rumour has been doing the rounds on the third floor and is transparent nonsense to anyone who knows the people who are supposed to be involved. If anything this rumour is indicative of the paranoia that’s taken hold on the third floor, particularly among the staffers who have unwisely allowed their positions to become politicised and know they face the sack if Shearer is rolled. So it’s very interesting to see TFC repeating this particular paranoid rumour. He’s definitely one of the following: an ABC insider, a staffer or the proxy of an ABC insider.

            • mickysavage 4.1.1.1.1.3
              25 February 2013 at 6:14 am

              Chief of staff, last I heard it was going to be a particularly, ahem, netsavvy individual…)

              Fan Club please say who.

              • lprent …
                25 February 2013 at 8:07 am

                Especially as actually being netsavvy and the NZLP are rather divergent concepts. Very few that I have met in the party who know their HTML from their TCP stack.

        • the sprout 4.1.1.2
          25 February 2013 at 7:51 am

          You’re full of shit Fan Club.
          You have no credibility. Give up your day job.

  5. Anne 5
    24 February 2013 at 7:57 pm

    If you are correct IB then:

    1) the ballot counters (president and gen. sec?) leaked the information.

    2) how would the counters know who exactly voted no-confidence?

    If Trevor and Phil are continuing their pathetic vendetta then Labour loses the 2014 election.

    • IrishBill 5.1
      24 February 2013 at 8:05 pm

      In a late rule change they added the whip (Chirs Hipkins) to the ballot count.

      • Aotearoean 5.1.1
        24 February 2013 at 8:14 pm

        You mean Hipkins the guy who should be disciplined for his anti Cunliffe comments?

        Who proposed and what justification did they have for adding Hipkins to the voter counters? Sheesh there are only 34 MPs and surely Barnett and Coatesworth could be trusted to do this.

        If Hipkins was involved in the count this is deeply, deeply disturbing.

      • Anne 5.1.2
        24 February 2013 at 8:19 pm

        OMG!

        Do you know who was responsible for that rule change IB?

        This is the MP who called a colleague (Cunliffe) a “fink” on a TV interview. He is the one who should be demoted because he clearly isn’t yet sufficiently mature to hold any position of responsibility.

        I’ve had enough of these finks – the real ones that is!

      • QoT 5.1.3
        24 February 2013 at 9:08 pm

        *headdesk* Oh my god you’re fucking kidding. I didn’t think I could give less credence to the Many Prosperous Votes in Favour of Glorious Leader.

      • MichaelLP 5.1.4
        25 February 2013 at 12:25 am

        Get the fuck out. I cannot express my distaste for such pathetic practices in our once proud party. Is this really for real?

  6. bad12 6
    24 February 2013 at 7:58 pm

    TV3 = MediaWorks = Government Guarantee of 43 million dollar loan = does Steven Joyce still own MediaWorks shares held within His ‘Blind Trust’,

    Fair and unbiased political coverage from the MediaWorks/TV3 cartel would be an oxymoron and presented by the Alfred E Neumann of NZ TV Patrick Gower simply has that channel presenting us all with an oxymoron by a moron,

    Considering that a week ago the Roy Morgan gave as a result a Labour+Green+Mana Government i will choose to be very disbelieving of TV3,

    Will be an interesting reshuffle tomorrow if it happens…

    • Matthew Whitehead 6.1
      24 February 2013 at 10:41 pm

      Roy Morgan does tend to overestimate support for the Left a bit compared to elections, remember. (Granted, this could be natural variability, or it could just be down to poor campaigning rather than demographic bias) I’d want a positive trend across polls, including a good margin on the Roy Morgan, before assuming we’re doing well.

      • bad12 6.1.1
        24 February 2013 at 11:14 pm

        Yep, and Reid Research/TV3 have a really realy bad habit of massively over-inflating Nationals % as well,

        In June 2011, (or was that 2010), Reid Research had National polling at 57%, would you or anyone else (except maybe the National Party and a handful of manic depressives), really believe that these people are serious,

        Hell the crazy old bat that owns the place is probably hell bent on being made a Dame befor She kicks the bucket…

      • bad12 6.1.2
        24 February 2013 at 11:25 pm

        Why anyone would beleive anything that comes out of the MediaWorks owned tv# is actually beyond me,

        These are the people that set David Cunliffe up and i don’t necessarily believe that Cunliffe was set up by Mallard or Robertson or even both,

        There’s a crew, with the means of control over MediaWorks who had cause to fear Cunliffe far more than anyone in the Labour Party,

        That crew being Slippery’s National Government…

  7. xtasy 7
    24 February 2013 at 8:00 pm

    I fear no matter how much shuffling may be done, the 10 fold face on the website of Labour shows where a re-shuffle should first of all begin.

    Sorry for the sting, but the polls tonight show that under this leadership now the whole left and opposition suffers, as “the Leader” of the opposition is also the one of the largest party in opposition.

    Voters do not see the leadership and competency in the set-up of the opposition as it is, and there are only so few to replace others on the frontbench of Labour. Yes it is overdue, but do not expect too much, I fear.

  8. Afewknowthetruth 8
    24 February 2013 at 9:38 pm

    It makes no difference how many times you reshuffle a pack of dummies and denialists you still lend up with a pack of dummies and denialists.

    • Jenny 8.1
      24 February 2013 at 10:04 pm

      But Cunliffe is neither a dummy or a denialist.

      His promotion could make a real difference.

      Cunliffe could be a kiwi version of Al Gore.

      As the government record is nowhere weaker than on addressing climate change. Cunliffe should be promoted. He would tear the government of denialists and climate back peddlers a new one.

      • bad12 8.1.1
        24 February 2013 at 11:30 pm

        A kiwi version of Al Gore, that i find hilarious, we are talking about Al gore the tycoon are we not…

    • Ed 8.2
      24 February 2013 at 10:04 pm

      Indeed that has been John Key’s problem for a long time now, and he is running out of people to throw on the fire as each disaster needs a scapegoat.

      As far as Labour is concerned I wish them well for the reshuffle; it is important to recognise that while there will be some purported “winners” and “losers”, the only winners most of us care about is getting a government that cares about the country, that can work together and use all its resources well; that recognises that “Leaders” are not always any more important than those forming the team; they just have a different role. Regardless of the past, I want a the Labour Team that is looking to a future in government, with strongly held aims of fairness, integrity, a desire to help all New Zealanders, a wish to see more people employed, and a preparedness to be hard on those who have unfairly profited from some of the current government’s stupidities.

      John Key must look at the reality that Shearer has choices with some envy – he is not even able to replace clearly incompetent ministers as there is no-one out of cabinet even he would trust . . .

  9. Peter 9
    24 February 2013 at 10:07 pm

    All this dirty washing on display in public is too much!

    • Pascal's bookie 9.1
      25 February 2013 at 7:45 am

      Nah bollocks.

      I think give it 5 years and all parties will be doing most of their business in public. You can’t stop people writing things on the internet, so why try?

      • lprent 9.1.1
        25 February 2013 at 8:02 am

        As the costs of publishing and communicating plummet, yep… Won’t be everything. However the bits that are not will be endlessly resurrected.

  10. hush minx 10
    25 February 2013 at 12:01 am

    From my perspective I know if the announcement is tomorrow all the dealings will have been done. But if they haven’t found a tangible way to get the MPs to work together, rather than by punishing those who the power elite regard as the enemy then they still have time. Let the TV 3 poll serve as a reminder that nothing on politics comes for free. No sleepwalking to victory, but hard work and a team that plays to it’s strengths. I hope they do give cunliffe health, as a former minister with some good political years still ahead of him, plus the finance savvy to argue the numbers, he can really do some good. Fingers crossed.

  11. mickysavage 11
    25 February 2013 at 6:26 am

    The Herald is speculating on the reshuffle (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10867507).

    The demotion of Sio and Dalziel if it occurs will be retrograde and stupid. Both are experienced and hard working local MPs. Sio had the biggest increase in the party vote last time and Dalziel’s work in Christchurch is legendary. This will make divisions worse.

    • Alanz 11.1
      25 February 2013 at 7:15 am

      Oh dear. Let’s hope the Labour leadership can sort itself out in time to put together an alternative government for 2017.

  12. Alanz 12
    25 February 2013 at 7:14 am

    Oh dear. Let’s hope the Labour leadership can sort itself out in time to put together an alternative government for 2017.

    • Sanctuary 12.1
      25 February 2013 at 8:54 am

      in 2017 Mallard will be 62, King will be 69 and Goff will be 64. So don’t expect any of them to retire before 2020. In that scenario, Labour will have drifted down to the mid-high 20’s in the polls and leader Grant Robertson will announce shortly before the election he has taken a job in the office of UN secretary general Helen Clark…

    • Sanctuary 12.2
      25 February 2013 at 8:54 am

      in 2017 Mallard will be 62, King will be 69 and Goff will be 64. So don’t expect any of them to retire before 2020. In that scenario, Labour will have drifted down to the mid-high 20’s in the polls and leader Grant Robertson will announce shortly before the 2020 election he has taken a job in the office of UN secretary general Helen Clark…

  13. millsy 13
    25 February 2013 at 7:35 am

    Not too sure about Little being given justice. Seems to he would be better suited to an economic/labour portfolio. Cosgove seems to me a better fit.

    Labour will have to get this one right though.

    • mickysavage 13.1
      25 February 2013 at 7:45 am

      It should be Dalziel and Little should be given Labour. So why isn’t this happening …

      • yeshe 13.1.1
        25 February 2013 at 10:31 am

        and where wouldyou/theyput Cunliffe ?

        • JBug 13.1.1.1
          25 February 2013 at 11:57 am

          He should be back on the front bench. Regardless of what portfolio, he will make a difference. He’s their best debater in the House.

        • tc 13.1.1.2
          25 February 2013 at 12:40 pm

          DC can do serious damage on the floor and in the MSM given a role such as shadow environment, Health, education, transport gosh so many choices.

          reckon the mallarfia decided last year already who gets the lollies, let’s wait and see.

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