There is an old adage in marketing, as much as in politics. If you have to start defending your position or product you have already lost.
A frustrated Phil Goff has dropped the s-bomb, telling reporters in Wellington today that questions about the strength of his leadership are “bull shit”.
The Labour leader was fronting after a meeting of the party’s national council to consider steps against the sacked MP Chris Carter today.
The meeting resolved that Carter has a case to answer if he is to remain a member of the Labour Party. Nominations for Carter’s Te Atatu electorate seat have been re-opened and Goff said Carter would, as of Monday, become an independent parliamentary MP.
He has already been dumped from Labour’s parliamentary caucus after a bungled attempt to undermine Goff’s leadership.
Asked this afternoon if the prolonged saga over Carter’s membership reflected on the strength of his leadership, Goff said: “Well that’s bullshit, frankly. That’s just nonsense.” Goff said he thought the question was non-sensical.
“It’s got nothing to do with my leadership. The party must follow due process – is there anything about that that somebody doesn’t understand?” Goff said that Carter would become an independent MP on Monday when notification was sent to the Speaker of Parliament.
Some-one should take Mr Stayin’ Alive aside and explain that even uttering those few sentences has cooked his already well done goose. Labour are so emasculated though that there are precious few with any testicles to do anything about the “Goff problem”.
Meanwhile his fellow Backbone Club member, George Hawkins is planning his exit from one trough and his entry to another. It should be pointed out to those too stupid to understand that George Hawkins 20 year anniversary in parliament arrives on October 28th, he can resign after that and retain his massive golden pension, one of the few still eligible, and trot off to the new trough, with his wallet still safely being filled by the taxpayer.
If iPredict had a stock for a by-election in Manurewa, I’d be investing heavily in that.
