A very prescient pre-election post by Martyn Bradbury tells us why the Labour Party are at war now.
“The NZ First-Labour Party attack strategy against Internet MANA better work”
Despite Martyn Bradbury warning them this Right Wing strategy “Better Work”
As we all know now, Labour’s Right Wing election strategy didn’t work.
Some History:
David Cunliffe became Labour leader with member support, over the objections of caucus, members of whom had previously engaged in a vicious character assassination campaign to demote David Cunliffe.
David Cunliffe the Labour Party Left leaning leader chosen by the membership, was hobbled all through the election campaign by his right leaning caucus, who basically only allowed him to, (figuratively), be wheeled out on a gurney for the leadership debates, (like some sort of Hannibal Lector).
It was the Right Wing of the Labour Caucus who had urged David Cunliffe to publicly decry the Mana Movement and their Internet Party ally and favour New Zealand First over the Greens . (I know this, because just before he was elevated to the Labour leadership by the membership, I had met with David Cunliffe. Unbidden by me, David Cunliffe expressed to me the view that the Labour Party must work more closely with the Mana Party)
Finding himself in the awkward situation as head of a hostile caucus, David Cunliffe did everything they demanded. However despite doing every thing they wanted, on losing the election the caucus were still not satisfied and not prepared to wait till there was another conference, they wanted Cunliffe to resign immediately and hand the leadership over to someone of their choosing, without allowing a membership vote.
So much for loyalty.
Because his Right Wing caucus is in open revolt they have made it impossible for David Cunliffe to continue as their leader.
Cunliffe has stepped down. He has had to do this to allow for a vote by the membership for his leadership.
Make no mistake, if Cunliffe wins this vote, it will not be just a vote confidence in the Labour leader, but more importantly it will be a vote of no confidence in the entire Right Wing Labour Party caucus.
If Cunliffe wins this vote, his victory must be followed by immediate resignations from the leading Labour Party caucus right wingers. First amongst them, must be his treacherous right wing deputy David Parker.
Pat O’Dea is the Mana spokesperson for climate change issues.
I totally agree, Pat O’Dea. I was sickened and angered by the vicious personal attacks the rightwingers made on David Lange almost 30 years ago – extraordinarily destructive of a good man trying to do good for his people. And now again, I am just as sickened and angered knowing these same tactics have been played out on David Cunliffe. It is these people – they know who they are, and most of the rest of the country can guess who they are – who are directly responsible for this 2014 election loss.
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