It’s more of a melodrama than a classic Shakespeare tragedy but Michael Woods departure from Labour’s cabinet yesterday reveals him as a Macbeth or an Othello – a principled person with many fine attributes but brought down by a fatal flaw.
By all accounts Michael Woods was a well-respected parliamentarian – efficient, likeable and capable in his ministerial portfolios. No-one seems to have anything bad to say about him at the personal level. He comes across as genuine and knowledgeable in media interviews and seemed to be on top of his portfolios.
However his failure to deal with the most simple and basic of public accountabilities – declaring potential conflicts of interest related to personal shareholdings – reveals a disastrous flaw.
It’s inexplicable because no one is seriously suggesting he was personally profiting from this failure. It seems his flaw lies somewhere between arrogance and stupidity.
It’s right that he has gone from cabinet and good the rules around accountabilities are likely to be toughened as a result of his failures but repairing the damage to public confidence of recent failures won’t be easy.
In recent years too many MPs and ministers from across the board have not taken their accountabilities to the public seriously.
Stuart Nash and Michael Woods are just the latest examples. Nash was keeping his rich donors updated with government decisions in breach of the cabinet manual, arranging a dodgy workaround to get a rich acquaintance appointed to a committee Nash was responsible for and screwing the Official Information Act out of any recognisable shape. Woods failings by contrast are inexplicable rather than dodgy.
However, in both cases what matters is public confidence and at a time when parliamentary leadership faces high levels of public mistrust both politicians have done us a grave disservice.
Chris Hipkins updating the cabinet manual won’t make a difference to improve public confidence but the independent report into our electoral system could do so – provided the proposed changes around the party vote threshold and political donations can be strengthened and the main political parties forced, against their own self-interest, to accept and enact then.
Nash and Woods are reminders the public generally has poor oversight of ministers and MPs. For this reason alone I agree with others that governments should be kept on a short leash – a three year parliamentary term is plenty of time to get stuff done (provided of course a party wants to get stuff done – with the current Labour government that’s not at all clear) – four years is a year too many.
Submissions in the Electoral committee’s proposals for changes to our electoral laws are here and the deadline to respond is Monday 17 July.
I’d like to see an investigation in to any ties with consulting firms – this guy blew $55 million on the dopey Auckland cycle bridge to not build it, and even more on consultants on “lets get Wellington moving” (65 mill?) with 100 mill blown all up to build one rainbow crossing. Interisland ferry fiascos, worst ever road maintenance.
Competent? The guy is either a serial idiot or dodgey as hell.
Sorry mate, but all credit for a pretty silly costly rainbow crossing must go to the Wellington City Council, virtue signallers par excellence, magnificently myopic about trivia like pot holes, and doing their damndest to slow vehicular traffic so that commerce diminishes and sheep may safely graze.
More left wing stupidity.
More right wing trolling.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/i-despair-seventh-councillor-has-no-confidence-in-lets-get-wellington-moving/YASGFLIRORHOFPD4WCU2RV7YEQ/
“ LGWM is a three-way partnership between Wellington City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, and Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency. The Government’s preferred option for the plan includes light rail to the south and a second Mt Victoria tunnel.
The plan has been criticised for moving too slowly with few construction projects to show for itself.
Transport Minister Michael Wood has confirmed that, as of March 31, LGWM has spent $105.3m in total since the programme started in 2015.
Of that, $61.6m has been spent on consultants and $4.5m on construction.”
Honorary brickbats for Wellington council for being fucking useless, but yeah Woods involved again in sponsoring consultants.
Then there’s Auckland light rail
He’s both,a typical Labour MP.
And you a typical right wing fuck wit troll.
Thank you for acknowledging my strength.
Yes, you are a strong right wing fuck wit troll. Thank you for acknowledging that.
Has he resigned from parliament altogether yet?
How odd after all these years to find Mister Minto in complete and utter agreement with me. Good one John,
Same here.
We live in weird times…
!
At the personal level, Mr Woods referring to fellow New Zealanders as “ a river of filth”, wasn’t what many of us would consider a good thing any more than Luxon calling people “ bottom feeders.” Whatever the Parliamentary protestors were about, no politician should be referring to the electorate like this, well not publicly anyway, more so when the antics of Ambassador Mallard helped escalate an unravelling demonstration into a disruptive violent costly melee. Shakespearean may be a little hyperbolic also. The guy stuffed up, for whatever reason, but at this point in time Winston Peters is looking the most Shakespearean character on the political horizon, and this is a consummation devoutly to be wished, in lieu of anything better appearing, and for further violence, verbal or otherwise, being avoided.
King Lear?
Cordelia, but he better transgender – be elevated into that elite band of sisters.
Thank he’s no longer Minister for Auckland. Oh no…now we have Carmel.
Who would have thought it. A good little socialist hiding shares in a trust like one of the capitalists that Wood and Co openly despise.
More arrogance and hypocrisy from yet another Labour Minister. The mind boggles.
It is extraordinary – a reasonable minister, better than most of them. You’d think when he lost the transport portfolio and he knew the enquiry was to start that he would have sold all the other shares to be squeaky clean, how humiliating, arrogance, arrogance arrogance, like Stuart Nash who also seems to think he hasn’t done anything wrong. Rules for the public not for us.
Neither of them are ever going to ‘humble’ themselves to the public.
I almost feel sorry for the PM.
Michal. “ I almost feel sorry for the PM”. Don’t. Weep for yourself and your children. The PM is the previous PM sanitised, that’s all, and none of the current political leaders in Parliament are anything other than socially damaging neoliberals. Hipkins was the Min of Education under whose watch children started to be sexualised and parents undermined and kids in state schools slipped more and more behind in the essential basics which they go to school to learn. They missed out on school during the pandemic, were adversely affected by all of that, and now their minds are being messed with, IMO, and regrettably some have never returned to school at all, a political inconvenience for politicians, but a life- diminishing blow for the children of the poor.
The obvious issue is Wood has failed, fudge it as he might, to give a plausible explanation. Firstly for the lazy $16k of airport shares down the back of the couch, (if that figure is to be believed), that he would not sell. Then after coming clean and reassuring us that was it, the next tranche of investments having more conflicts than the eastern front in Ukraine, surfaced. What else is going on my little capitalist?
He should resign forthwith. He has nothing to offer the public but questions!
And I don’t buy the “I was too busy” crap, and that is been all we’ve ever had from him.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/key-caught-out-over-rail-shares/6USXEACH6DEXR3FAI4V2SD5RQE/
Please tell me hard right wing Xray, what is the difference when comparisons are made with the above?
No comparison at all.
Wood has to do the right thing and resign immediately.
Why do people defend this arrogant little upstart?
Why is it no comparison Bob, enlighten me?
It’s obvious, look beyond your nose.
Your normal response, nothing as usual, no evidence, just trolling. Even after I give you the opportunity to counter Key being caught out over his shares.
You are a sad little man.
The old 2 wrongs make a right argument. Actually I have commented on TDB some years back about how dodgy that was by Key. His over active interest in tax havens etc was why I didn’t like him or National, and I naively hoped Labour were better than that. How wrong was I. But if being “far right” is hoping MP’s stop feathering their own nests, then I’m right of Margaret Thatcher!
Good reply Xray, you may want to teach Bob about comparisons. He is clearly thick as fuck.
Dopey he XRAY is in my camp.
Your need to use abusive terms reveals your personality and limited vocabulary.
I seriously think you should consider not commenting any more.
Ole cancel Bob, deranged as usual you dopey fuck. Read xrays post again, you insignificant trumped up prick, he said he commented on “dodgy Key ” previously and admits Key was also wrong . That’s why applauded his reply.
Your grammar is appalling.
You need to lay low for a while, as you continue to embarrass yourself on this site, you seriously do.
It’s laughable. Minister has shares all over the place so must declare presumably because we think he/she may use their power to benefit themselves and be conflicted in making decisions. Take millions from vested interests in donations and that does not make your decision making conflicted? Bollocks. Large property portfolio, campaign on driving up the value of your portfolio and changing laws to make it tax free. No problem? Bollocks.
Its laughable you can’t see the corruption possibilities for Ministers holding shares in organisations they have the ability to manipulate!
Wheel the chief government turd polisher has to polish, xray.
Just smile and nod.
Why don’t actually read what I said. The theatre that goes on is if anything completely inconsistent
Union trained arrogance.
What the fuck is that?
But Key was never in a union and he was/is the most arrogant prick in history.
Keepcalmcarryon great argument, did your boyfriend come up with that, or are you his chief knob polisher.
Mmm … shareholder manipulation of large corporations … not unless you’re on the board.
Or a cabinet minister with responsibilities for regulating said industry.
Or writing laws that affect taxation on housing portfolios. No defending Wood at all, just pointing out that not seeing the huge donations and vested interest in housing portfolios as an issue is rather bizarre
Granted Trev. A bit more clout than a minority shareholder.
Wheel is not denying the corruption implications of Ministers holding shares, he(?) is just pointing out that politicians receive donations from vested interests & can have many properties yet it is assumed that any decisions they make related to those interests are unbiased for some reason. Sport insists on neutral referees for major games yet for some reason it is accepted that politicians can referee themself on most things.
I am saying I don’t see the difference I am not defending Wood. Tell me the difference
Many people fail at basic reading comprehension & just read what they want to believe, I think it is called confirmation bias & explains how people can receive information and then go away totally convinced that something different was taught, indicating at roundabouts is an obvious example.
It’s laughable you think there is a difference
Mr Wood is off to the woods looking for Christmas trees.
Very immature Bob, are you 3 years old?
If it is such a nothing burger, why they heck did the dude not disclose his holdings. That is all he is asked – and the rules apply to all sides.
Wood is both arrogant and a bit thick. I doubt he’s actively malicious, but he’s definitely very very entitled.
Keepcalmcarryon But nobody has yet equalled John Key’s list of lies, which must surely qualify for publication in the Guinness Book of records, nor Sir Bill, Samoan chief, for being the most slippery little papist south of Vatican City.
John Key exited the building almost 7 years ago. Wood is/was in government now.
So what, I want Wood punished as harshly as Key was as that was the standard, silly sausage, oh wait Key was knighted!
Yes his Union days taught him to be an entitled bully boy.
Yes, Key’s finance days taught him to be an entitled smug and arrogant bully boy.
Wood has no excuse at all. My point is I am struggling to see the difference in terms of what is deemed a problem and what is not a problem ( but really is)
I feel like Chris Hipkins is a government operating like the Battle of Britain of so few owed by so many in their party. I hate the fact they haven’t given a chance to so many others – many whom won their seat. However, I blame JA for this and not Hipkins. He has no choice now before the election – however, now it is who can you vote for who will actually be involved.
Like what does Jamie Strange do when he won Hamilton East for one example. Why would you vote for him again when he has not contributed if you are in that community?
Martyn – Just another brick in the road to Labour defeat on October 14th election
It’s different when the other side does it. Far more corrupt if it’s not your team.
“Nash and Woods are reminders the public generally has poor oversight of ministers and MPs”.
Now ain’t that the truth. Out of sight out of mind. But no longer the case it seems. One would hope the current media scrutiny is applied to all in positions of power not just to a few low hanging fruit in an election year.
Nash and Wood are both reminders that arrogance, a smooth hair do and a sub par IQ don’t make good ministerial material.
They learnt from Key, arrogant smart prick.
Whoops Key National,Nash and Wood Labour.
Thought I would point that out Countryboy.
No shit , you really are quite thick Bob.
Nash and Wood were both in parliament observing Key when Key was corrupting the place , just thought I would point that out. Whoops!
Funny.
You are funny Bob, yes, but not in a humorous way.
Not making excuses for Mr Wood but here’s yet another fairly competent white guy being removed from the upper levels of the Labour party, what’s going to be left after the election? Fewer progressive liberals and more woke factions? It’s starting to look that way.
no worse than the uk BUT WE SHOULD BE BETTER THAN THEM
oh I forgot what my investments were…2 answers liar or idiot…pick one
Shakespeare is more subtle than Mr Minto acknowledges. Macbeth knows what his wife is planning is wrong, but she breaks him down, emasculating him via threats of sexual withholding. That’s not a fatal flaw; it’s succumbing to extraordinary pressure. The old Aristotelian definition of character analysis is well past its due date. Shakespeare portrays the power of a sexually magnetic woman and the capacity of the male erotic intelligence to sidestep conscience. Othello was dealing with the deadly manipulative schemes of a psychopath at close quarters, a scenario that could do in anyone. These extremes of situation and evil manipulation have nothing to do with the Michael Wood scenario. He faced no fraught manipulation. He is a dunderhead for not tiding up his personal bureaucratic affairs.
Oh Gary go away, we get the just!!!!
Thanks for the psychological explanation of those plays Gary.
Makes me want to read them again.
Wood was ‘efficient, likeable and capable in his ministerial portfolios’…
No he wasn’t. The Harbour Bridge Bike thing was a complete fiasco and not a stone has been turned for light rail up Dominion Rd
He was a disaster
He was a disaster the record is there.
Where’s there?
The guy is clearly pretty stupid (not surprising given he’s Labour). Everyone know you need to do your dodgy privileged information profiteering using the John Key model. i.e. You have to put all your market portfolio holdings into a family trust that is managed by your golfing buddy! The fact Woods was caught out like this proves he, unlike all his peers, is utterly incapable of being a successful politician. If you can’t even get the basics of corruption correct, you have no place in NZ politics. Good riddance.
Radioactively funny
On the button Nitrium,completely incapable Michael Wood and not surprisingly joining a long list of other incompetent Labour politicians.
Minto is a left wing radical stirrer but by god he makes sense
Nice is meaningless. Nice to one’s friends is self-interest.
What this shows is the elitism of being above the rules and the haughty indignation of those who consider themselves superior, feeling unfairly ‘cast down’ by being subject to them.
“Woods exits stage left like a flawed Shakespearian character”
Aesop Rock https://youtu.be/zQrdKtPJxI0
“…money,money,money,money,money,money,money,money,money,money,money,money,money,money, ”
We’re only 5.2 million on a rich, fertile, beautiful, gloriously safe and wondrous few islands bigger than the UK by 29 thousand square kilometres and we’re being played by a deep and deadly hunting pack of greedy narcissistic sociopaths. Bleach the spangles and you got the facts.
Woods exits stage left like a fucking crook.
Our free market elite is ignorant, wrong, careless but not vicious, Countryboy. Maybe the generation after them, like Seymour tweeting ‘subhuman actions’ about the gang funeral in Opotiki. Entirely surprised that wasn’t reported in the national news.
Hendrix being forgotten is a crime against humanity. His music is amazing and everyone should know it.
Very hard to come to any conclusion except that his shares were to him a big turd he couldn’t shit. The question is Why Risk Your Career over a turd.
LC
What is a career? 3 years doing something before voters say You’re Fired? So you invest in your retirement but then you’re told Nah can’t do that! Tricky business. I wouldn’t have given up those shares and I eould have told Chippie that “I’ll sell them if every politician sells every investment they have. Every share and every rental so there’s never a conflict with anything ever.” Maybe that’s Woods’ thought process?
More dog caught out hiding bones than Shakespearean tragedy. However he looks more like a squirrel hordin nuts for a rainy day. Or Guinea pig, if they did things like hoard.
Well being an ex union boss he’s above the law.
Anti union propaganda and very childish.
The chap from Otago Uni has a post about this attitude we’re trying to understand.
Labour as a career progression, rather than a war? A zertain carelessness?
To my mind, it was just carelessness for all three ministers. The elite doesn’t have to be careful. The 30s crowd were careless for much different reasons.
Sung to Queens “Another one bites the dust.”
Who is next? LOL
Plagiarism Andrew, that song was used during Nationals leadership debacle.
he exits to a comfy lifestyle rather than a prison cell
They all do. Home D.
Agree with you John 100% except I have to say I am not a fan of Woods, he very much comes across as smug and arrogant. The epitomy of PMC despite his union beginnings.
Just another Neo-Liberal hack biting the dust.
Will they ever wake up from their self-induced delusion?
I see Tinetti joins the very,very long list of dishonest Labour MPs.
Do they have any honest ones?
Chippy fails,remember what he said when MP for covid.
Bob the troll.