The gutting of Shane Taurima’s career – autopsy of a candidate selection

By
Martyn Bradbury
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5
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game-of-thrones-parody-star-wars_designThe Daily Blog tipline is running hot with the behind the scenes machinations of the the recent Labour Party candidates nomination in Ikaroa-Rawhiti.

The biggest loser in all of this has been Shane Taurima’s media career. He would not have made such a large jump if he hadn’t been promised the seat by the leadership. Being outplayed by Meka Whatiri wasn’t calculated in (hence David Shearer’s promise to include ‘candidates’ on the Party list for 2014).

Communications to the tipline suggest that Meka beat Shane by only one vote after Meka’s very own brother was elected from the floor of the meeting to vote, meaning Meka won by a pretty narrow margin against the wishes of the leadership in a manner to have everyone else’s nose out of joint.

How far out of joint? Well the third runner up, Henare O’Keefe’s stronghold of Flaxmere was the biggest polling station in the last election and his turn out will be vital for Labour Party success and he isn’t happy.

The media haven’t focused on it, but there has been blood on the floor of this candidate selection and that could spell a lackluster level of support if some quick talking behind the scenes management isn’t entered into quickly.

The by-election will be fascinating.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. A news report a few days ago, on TV3 (?), stated that membership in the Labour Party for Ikaroa-Rawhiti jumped by about 600 in the last few days/weeks.

    I wouldn’t have thought it was legal for new members to be given immediate voting rights.

    If I recall correctly, the Alliance had a 6 month “probation” period before new members could vote. The purpose, obviously, was to stop mass-sign ups of supporters for any one candidate…

    • It is the same in the Green Party – 6 month membership before you can vote on candidates. I raised my eyebrows at that particular bit of information myself…

  2. New members to the Labour Party are granted an indicative vote – which the panel considers – at selection meetings. People who have been members of the Party for a year prior to the calling of nominations are granted the substantive vote – the result of which counts as one formal vote on the selection panel. This has been the case for many years.
    Jenny Michie
    Labour Hawke’s Bay Campaign HQ coordinator

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