David Shearer – The Labour Party’s answer to Fozzy Bear
David Shearer has left Parliament and the Labour Party and it feels like we barely knew him.
Much has been written about Shearer and how he was replaced at a time when Labour were polling in the early 30s and how Cunliffe collapsed that into the 20s.
Much has been claimed that he would have been amazing for Labour if Labour had allowed him to stay.
I call bullshit on that.
I hung out with David Shearer a lot when he first became leader. Wallace Chapman and I would catch up with him for a coffee every couple of months and neither of us could work out exactly what it was that David Shearer actually believed.
He was happy to try and trade on right wing attacks on beneficiaries and he had this total inability to answer any question within a soundbite without actually losing track of his own argument.
Shearer wasn’t the incredible candidate he was painted out to be and Labour’s collapse in vote in 2014 had far more to do with the Parliamentary wing of the Labour Party sulking and throwing a tantrum about being told to have Cunliffe as a leader by the Labour Party membership.
For me the moment when I knew I could never trust Shearer and that he had to go as leader was this moment…
…what none of us knew at the time was that while David Shearer was at this event telling us to our faces that Labour would resist any extension of state surveillance, he had already secretly met with John Key and had tried to find a way where Labour could support the new spying bill.
I considered that the final straw. To tell us to our face that he aligned with our values and concerns while secretly meeting Key to try and get the spying powers past was a total betrayal.
He had to go.
What happens next will be far more important to the Labour Party future than Shearer’s presence. The Mt Albert by-election is another chance for Labour to thrash National and finally cement Jacinda with an electorate. Mt Albert expect Leaders for candidates, and if Jacinda can win the nomination, it sets her up perfectly for that. Jacinda moving to Mt Albert will also open up Auckland Central and with Laila Harre rejoining Labour, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
Good luck to Shearer and his family for the virtuous work he will now be doing with the UN, but I shed no tears at his leaving.
Not defending Shearer, but if he met with Key to find a way around the issue which ensured that real concerns were addressed, isn’t he doing the job? Isn’t that how the game is played?
Not defending Shearer, but being a weasel (as you see him for that action) is not a sign of being out of the end game. Key being a weasel for years in all sorts of ways did not seem to affect his popularity and ability to lead.
That said, I like the acknowledgement made to the importance of honesty.
He was useless as the MP as he never even responded to our letters on transport issues after he was Labour leader.
Good riddance to a bad political wannabe.
Labour learn to choose your candidates wisely in future if you want to get back on the treasury benches.
+1 CLEANGREEN
Laila Harre just rejoined Labour !!!
Laila Harre just rejoined Labour !!! – Yay +1
Great news. Laila Harra has great potential and is trustworthy and ethical. She helped bring up the Moment of Truth which was great on so many levels.
More than I can say for the U.N. loving Shearer who is very deeply involved in the ( not so secret ) plans for world governance led by the U.N.
His priorities have allegedly been more with the U.N. than with N.Z. Glad to see the back side of him.
Never felt he was a leader or even a good politician.
Agree.
Cheers.
Now you’re cooking with gas. Replying to letters as an MP is absolutely easy stuff. And baseline essential even if the response is not what you want. Any MP who doesn’t understand and do that should get a clip round the ear from their bosses.
Maybe David knew times are changing quickly and that even with new spying powers there would be no one on the other end of the line to take the call.
Absolutely spot on!! Shearer is really in the wrong party. Worse his views actually stop progress on civil liberties and human rights, while holding back Labour with ideas like capital gains taxes and decreasing superannuation benefits which tax the middle and cost Labour the election.
I don’t hear him talking about taxing where the real money is, and that is on paper being money laundered around the world by the 1% and the most profitable multinational businesses.
He loves the idea of unlimited migration, but does not seem to be able to reconcile that huge increase in artificial population as correlating to increased house prices, low wages and conditions, slavery, increased demand on already stretched services and worsening poverty.
He believes in all the free market, free trade and globalism but doesn’t understand the negative effects. In fact he looks to penalise those middle class taxpayers into paying for it further.
I totally agree with the assessment of confused thinking – he talked incredibly well about the hardships faced by Palestinians but then his actions were all about protecting the dominant powers in society.
It is no wonder he got a top job in the UN – talking and not doing, talking the talk but behind the scenes being an inside man of Washington and doing the opposite.
Good bye Shearer, sometimes the most dangerous people are the nice guys who have the blind ideologies. And Labour luckily is finally getting rid of them.
P.s shows how loyal he is when the start of his valedictory speech congratulated Key, Bennett and National more than Labour and his own party leader.
SaveNZ;
Well said.
“He loves the idea of unlimited migration, but does not seem to be able to reconcile that huge increase in artificial population as correlating to increased house prices, low wages and conditions, slavery, increased demand on already stretched services and worsening poverty.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/320370/little-pay,-long-hours-and-sleeping-9-to-a-room
No wonder there are no jobs for ordinary Kiwis.
Lets hope any new Gvt will set up a special agency to deal with this.
But I am afraid that Labour is just the same as the Old Boss.
Cheers.
Remember that Jacinda Adern also voted against Cunliffe.
“Jacinda Adern also voted against Cunliffe” – that is interesting to know. Hopefully there is a return to real Labour now that the old neoliberals are moving on.
Cunliffe who is one person who is a real loss to the party.
But, saying that I still stand by my view that Labour needs to broaden it’s appeal to Pakeha homeowners (and stop apologising for being them, themselves) to get in power.
I’m all for taxation just need to get everyone paying up especially those that have gained most from globalism – banks, financiers, stock traders, international citizens and stop picking on local Joe Bloggs.
Yes. I was a big fan of Jacinda until she joined the “Anyone but
Cunliffe” gang.
I have always respected your opinions, but for me they have had
their chance to turn things around since the 1984 debacle.
‘Hope’ is meant to be a sin, that was left in Pandora’s Box,because
it is not based on any fact.
The main parties right across the west are all looking/playing up to the Multi-national Corporates/Shadow Gvt instead of looking/playing
down to the people they are meant to represent.
For me, there is only one chance and that is with the only
Nationalist Party we have, regardless of what Winnie has
‘meant to have done’ 20yrs ago.
Remember, the image we have of people/events is largely put
there by the MSM and recently we have found they are the biggest
promoters of Fake News on the planet. There is no going back.
MSM = the Globalist/Oligarchs Fog Horn, with a big fat pumpkin
shoved down its shaft, is the image I get.
What they did to Cunliffe has enraged me further after it looks
like the whole affair probably cost him his marriage.He has children.
The battle of today is between Nation States and the Globalists/
Oligarchs. To me “Left or Right” is truly redundant.
A paradigm shift is required.
Cheers.
100% SAVENZ bang on, David Cunliffe was the best.
Agreed SAVENZ. Cunliffe seemed to be from a similar mould to Cullen – sharp, dry, and canny. Somewhat like Australia’s Keating.
May he thrive in his new enterprise.
Jacinda should stay with City Central. If the Green candidate stood down, Jacinda would stand a very good chance of winning it. (plus she would save on fridge magnets)
Yep ,I think Jacinada would be safer. I’m not so sure that the other name being fielded Chloe is the shoo in that they seem to think she will be, because she will forever be linked to her seemingly anti homeowner/pro developer crusade which are far greater than her core admirers, male suitors and some renters who believe in trickle down development and can be bothered to vote. A bad third at the council elections is not a win, but good on her for trying.
At least it shows that there is room for younger people in politics. If there was a broader appeal in the actual policy she might have got more votes. But she is 22 and has no real life or community experience – and it showed. Careerists are not the rage and voters want real people who are doing something for the right reasons and not just well marketed and looking for interesting CV experiences on good pay and conditions.
Jacinda has more appeal to a wider audience and been and done that before.
The areas of Mt Albert and CBD are changing so radically now, it is hard to pick if the Natz or Labour have the edge. Homeowners hate the Natz unitary plan and supercity forced on them, but at the same time they have changed to a much richer and probably highly mortgaged demographic and more Asian ethnicity. The renters have mostly been priced out of Mt Albert and would be interesting to find out what’s going on in the CBD. It’s no longer $250k for an apartment. Now we have multimillion dollar apartments everywhere and eye watering body corporates. With the amount of leaky buildings, and all the costs, having someone at 22 demanding home ownership 1 year out of uni, not sure how that might go down if the rumours are true.
Has Shearer gone sooner rather than later to trigger a by-election?
Regardless of that, good riddance. He never seemed to fit the party. When he was parachuted in he must have drifted to the wrong side.
Not wanting to hijack the thread, but the conditions for by-elections have me wondering about manipulation to game the system.
Key talks of backbench life until the general election but he won’t have the patience. Will he play truant most of the time?
There are penalties for lack of attendance, which would be no big deal for Key, but what happens if the constant absence is deliberate?
Could a by-election be forced in Helensville if Key skives off before the 6 month window kicks in (May or June)?
Can an MP be absent long term, not officially resign, and still cast his vote?
The balance in the house is teetering. Are the absentia arrangements by mutual agreement or are they rules that must be obeyed?
There could be an opportunity to outvote the government if it is just a matter of niceties and politeness giving them the majority in the House.
I thought about that as well, he he took off for Hawaii and loafing it in the sun and playing golf as soon as he could bugger off after his resignation but I am sure the House is still sitting. Why was he not here until recess for the summer. Are politicians allowed to swan off whenever they feel like it. Of course Helensville won’t miss him, he hardly ever put a foot down in the place. What a tosser he was. Like you I agree that he will bored stiff in his cubby hole in the other building away from the executive until the next election and I expect he will be absent most of the time.
Well said Mr Bradbury, couldn’t agree with you more.
Bloody good riddance, so glad to see the back of Shearer, he belonged in the National party.
And more good news, Laila Harre rejoined the Labour party!!!
…what none of us knew at the time was that while David Shearer was at this event telling us to our faces that Labour would resist any extension of state surveillance, he had already secretly met with John Key and had tried to find a way where Labour could support the new spying bill.
How do you know he wasn’t attempting to do precisely what he said at the event… trying to ensure there was no extension of state surveillance? Of course, he had to do it quietly without public knowledge. Had he trumpeted the meeting to all and sundry, he would not have got the chance to make the attempt in the first place.
I’m getting really sick and tired of MPs from all parties who don’t stay the full term and swan off to other jobs. Then we have to foot the bill with by elections.
Maybe we should start taking it out of their salaries or dock their holiday pay.
I know if I tried quitting a contract job with a set term before my time was up, my employer wouldn’t be terribly happy!!
Shearer? Who?
Interesting juxtaposition.
Cunliffe: holds his job until the general to spare the party the expense of a byelection.
Shearer: so long, and thanks for all the fish!
Agree with Martyn re David Shearer. He’s a blue politician and what Labour was thinking at the time voting for Shearer as leader over Cunliffe, still for me beggers belief! This was before the party changed its leadership voting method.
I do remember the time he met with Key re spying. Key in his usual nasty manner was having a go at Shearer in Parliament, mentioning the “secret” meeting, viciously raising the point that Shearer had asked Key not to say anything to Russel Norman about it. Says a lot about both men. Shearer was being dishonest and deceitful in that regard and Key as expected, betrayed a confidence.
Goff’s gone, Key’s gone (or will be going), Shearer’s gone … Parliament is beginning to look a better place already.
Two constructive moves – one out & one in. Now, a healthy byelection margin would cement matters nicely.
I hope Shearer prospers in the Sudan – there are surprising numbers of MPs whose real talents lie elsewhere, and it’s good to see one following their vocation. I’ve often thought Gerry Brownlee would make a splendid lion tamer, and while Bill is clearly more suited to prosaic roles in animal husbandry than politics, Judith’s dramatic talents would suit her admirably for a role as mother-in-law in a remake of the Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.
I thought Shearer was more of a Muppet.
More of a “stool pigeon” for the one world government elitists I think DAVE.
The comments I read here show exactly why Labour will fail to increase support much beyond where it is now. We have to realise that most New Zealanders felt that David Shearer was a decent person and could be trusted and that Laila Harre has almost zero credibility.
Whether that is true or not it is, I suggest, the way the majority see it and they will vote accordingly.
Self deprecating trolling – A new low – I’m just suggesting.
Rubbish NatZ Troll WANMAN go back to Hawaii with your mates.
You people are full of opinions. I don’t see any of you going out and doing what David Shearer has done to help those people who are so deprived that you cannot even begin to imagine. When you have achieved what he has then you can criticize him.
Remember this is the country where people wanted Shearer hung drawn and quartered for being the most corrupt person in the universe over not initially putting his NY bank account on his Parliamentary disclosure list.
And moaned and bitched about his sinecure at the UN.
The same people who lauded a blatantly lying Prime Minister and put up with the corrupt practice of his Ministers.
The same ones who had only the guts to tap on their keyboards in the safety of their own homes with their heads up the orifice of the Lying One.
@ JERKO.
That’s funny? I never saw him out feeding the poverty stricken beggars in OUR streets. I do know, however, that he never baulked at getting his $-6 figures plus entitlements for years from NZ tax payers.
And when those aforementioned beggars and poverty stricken are supported by various means, doesn’t the value of that attract 15% GST ?
Oh the irony.
Shearer’s a fake. A fake on a fake mission for him.
He, like Little, should be getting arrested for causing mayhem in parliament while galvanising those many of us who’ve had a guts full of rich wankers making life difficult for little more than their ego and their narcissism. Instead of trying to woo God by doing a little fluffy wuffy, diddums do-good, he should be sending NZ / Aotearoa into a revolution. He hasn’t, didn’t, now won’t, so … fake.
100% Countryboy.
I’m glad he’s gone, one of the worst electorate MP’s ever. I know he had big shoes to fill because H.C ran a exceptional office, with great staff. That said, it was like Shearer seemed to think that serving his local electorate was not part of his job. The next labour MP better show some skill in that department.
H.C. did not run an exceptional office at all, I tried to see her several times and got fobbed off. H.C. knew that the grounds of Western Springs high were a bog but nothing was ever ever done about it. When she didn’t get in at her final election she said she was going to concentrated on being the best MP for Mt albert, yeah right, she left remember to take up a job with the UN. Not only that, as PM during 9 years of great economic times she left 150,000 children in poverty. An appalling legacy for any government but for Labour of either of the two main parties to do this is unforgiveable in my book.
Glad to see shearer go, these people are in it for themselves nothing to do with the good of the country.
Personally I think it is sad to see that Laila has joined Labour again, seems to me she wants to be a politician at any cost.
Please! Labour did nothing about spying on the public when they were in power – remember what happened to Tuhoe in operation 8? Remember Clark linking Achmed Zaoui to Al Qaeda and keeping him in detention? I agree Shearer was a right wing putz, but so are much of the parliamentary labour party including Adern.
And Cunliffe? He was doomed from the minute he didn’t have the nous to publicly back Shearer as labour party leader (whether he meant it or not) and couldn’t get his foot out of his mouth once he was leader
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