Phil Goff – Prime Minister?

Goff switches on the clobbering machine
Would-be Labour leader Phil Goff has fuelled unwelcome speculation about his party's leadership and the possibility of losing the election by making untimely public comments during one of the most critical weeks of the Government's term. Mr Goff, with 25 years as an MP, is usually a highly disciplined member of a caucus that is the most disciplined in 15 years. Yet in his Alt TV interview last night, he canvassed the prospect of defeat - "sure, there's a prospect we might lose the election" - and contemplated the possibility of replacing Helen Clark, "if I felt that I was the best person in that position and that Helen had stood aside voluntarily." Asked if he wanted to be Labour leader after Helen Clark he said "it's not an overwhelming ambition". There is no suggestion that Helen Clark's leadership will be under threat before the election and Mr Goff said he was "100 per cent" behind her. But the controversy over his comment, made before tomorrow's tax-cutting Budget, is bad news for Labour, which is accusing the media of "a beat up". Mr Goff did little yesterday to make amends for his public admission that he wants Helen Clark's job if Labour loses the election. "There is no question about leadership at the moment," he said yesterday when questioned about his pre-recorded television interview. A seasoned politician who wanted to end discussion about leadership would usually give such an answer unconditionally, without qualifications such as "at the moment".

When I talk to a lot of people about politics, there are few who don’t get angry with Helen Clark – for many reasons she has become a personal target, she is seen in very unflattering terms and as the economy has taken a hit people have turned their anger on her. If Labour want to win the next election in an electorate that is yearning change, then you better present with some change – and what change could be better than at the top? I’m sure that the mainstream media right now are polling to see if Phil Goff has any support – what if he suddenly makes a 20 point bounce in the Preferred Prime Minister poll? By removing Helen, a lot of the anger with Labour may dissipate – one could hope for the intelligence of NZers in an election year to realize that National don’t have any policy – OR one could remove the inflammation to the Party and woo back recent supporters of National who are more disgruntled than believers in the National Party manifesto.

So why bother with all of this? Because as desperate a gamble that it is, the risk of National gaining power is much more extreme – we don’t know what their policies are, look at how Bill English just wouldn’t answer any question on Agenda in the weekend, after reading the Hollow Men we know they were focused on implementing a secret right wing agenda of privitisation and their desire to push for change of MMP to a democratic system that favours the elites of society are not the actions of a moderate party, but are the actions of a wolf in sheeps clothing – look at the intelligence Goff used in answering questions on a whole range of issues during the interview with Oliver on Alt Tv last night – he certainly sounded like a Prime Minister.