Saturday, July 07, 2007

reshuffling Labour


For those who don't know, the Herald's Audrey Young has a blog, as does Colin Espiner of the Press.

Young opines that Phil Goff should be the next finance minister, preferably before the next budget. This is what I said last month, but perhaps he should also be deputy leader now. Interestingly, last year David Farrar thought Maharey would win a deputy leadershp contest against Goff hands down. Wonder if he still thinks that after Maharey has made such a hash of things lately.

Young goes further and says Goff could be leader after Labour loses the election. I agree. It appears that Shane Jones and Maryan Street are heading for bigger things, despite both being list MPs. But our first lesbian deputy party leader?

Labour would have a much better chance of being in Government at the end of 2008 if Goff was leader and Jones were to be deputy sooner rather than later. I`d put Goff on Finance now. I`d also take Hodgson off Health - perhaps swapping jobs with Jim Anderton or even better, letting Damian O'Connor have a go at Health and pointing Hodgson to the backbenches where he can spin quietly. Also, later this year I`d put Annette King on Corrections, give Clayton Cosgrove the Police portfolio, Cullen can have Social Development and his other portfolios and Benson Pope can stick to this Environment portfolio and see who else he can fire from their jobs. He can have a few associate portfolios - like Associate Minister for both Archives NZ and the National Library. He`d be good at that. He`d get on well with Achives Minister Judith Tizard - he may even be allowed to carry her handbag.

I`d give Trevor Mallard Finance once Goff becomes leader. As for Jones, he could swap portfolios with Steve Maharey. Maharey can sit next to Hodgson in the back benches and say "f**k you" to anyone he likes without being noticed - that is, if he doesn`t want to be Massey Chancellor.

Helen Clark should resign from Parliament like Tony Blair did - and go to the UN.

Do this and Labour will coast through in 2008.

2 comments:

Just my opinion said...

The problem with Goff being leader is that he is on the right of the party and he would be hamstrung by having a majority left wing executive that will keep a very close eye on him. Sure he can do the job, and would get a lot of support from both sides of the spectrum, but I don't see the screaming feminist hoards within Labour wanting him there.

Anonymous said...

david
What an expose.
I 100% agree with only one part Labour losing and Helen going to the UN.
Please please let it be.

Goff's not bad really but he's totally outnumbered in caucus by the left left socialist GLBT crowd.

No Labour need three terms in opposition for this country to come right.

I doubt we'll get it though, Kiwis are a stupid bought bunch.
MikeNZ
MikeNZ