May 2011

Trevor Mallard is Labour’s campaign manager, so it is with little surprise that the campaign is going to be dirty with plenty of muck flung. Mostly it will be flung by him or his assistants.

Readers need to be aware of Mallard’s history though. His history of telling lies, and his history of defaming people under parliamentary privilege.

So I will start a series looking back at Labour’s campaign manager and his history of muck-raking so we can all be under no illusions that whenever he opens his gob it is likely to be pouring forth lies, innuendo, defamatory comments and muck.

Mostly his slurs and attacks are simply fanciful, given credence only in his twisted mind. But in his long parliamentary career he has never stopped doing it. He continues to this day. Let’s look at the 80s in today’s post.

Tuesday, October 13, 1987

PERSONAL EXPLANATION—APOLOGY

TREVOR MALLARD (Hamilton West): With the leave of the House, I want to make a personal explanation under Standing Order 171 in relation to a supplementary question I asked during question time, in which I alleged that the member for Tamaki was a patron of the Mongrel Mob. It has been pointed out to me that he is not the patron of that gang, and I want to apologise.

So he flung dirt at Muldoon and was wrong. He had to apologise.

Tuesday, March 22, 1988

TREVOR MALLARD (Hamilton West): I request the leave of the House to make a personal explanation under Standing Order 171, about compliance orders.

John Banks: Apologise.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no discussion on this matter. It is a question of the House granting leave. Is there any objection to leave being granted? There appears to be none.

TREVOR MALLARD: When I spoke in the debate I made an error about the method of review of the appointments of chief executives. A review can be done by the High Court, but not by the Labour Court. Therefore the Governor-General cannot be affected. I do not retract the comments I made about the effect of compliance orders on Ministers of the Crown under other clauses in the Bill.

Labour at the time was trying to stop public sector workers who refused to join the PSA access to the the provision of the Labour Relations Act. Not only that Labour’s Bill would have given the Public Service Association the statutory right, for the first time, to insist on compulsory unionism. But Mallard ruined his arguments by lying and then having to apologise tot eh house.

Tuesday, November 21, 1989

PERSONAL EXPLANATION—QUESTION OF THE DAY No. 5

TREVOR MALLARD (Hamilton West): I seek the leave of the House to make a personal explanation relating to a supplementary question I asked during question of the day No. 5.

Hon. W. F. Birch: What’s it about?

TREVOR MALLARD: The Opposition Whips have been briefed.

Mr SPEAKER: The member has given a brief explanation. Is there any objection to leave being granted? There appears to be none.

TREVOR MALLARD: During question of the day No. 5 I asked a supplementary question relating to payments for public relations contracts. I stated that the National Government had produced a green booklet with a photo of its current leader that promised 410 000 jobs, and that that booklet had gone to every household. I also implied that a company involving the member for East Coast Bays was involved. The member has indicated to me that I was wrongly briefed. I make it clear that I accept his word, and I apologise for any embarrassment that I have caused him.

Another day where Mallard has had to make a personal explanation in parliament about more lies he has told. This example is particularly interesting in that Mallard was spreading muck leaked to him from someone, and he got it wrong. It is exactly the same type of thing he doing to this day. Again involving himself in the affairs of another political party, receiving emails and txts from affiliated protagonists including sitting MPs and even Ministers and then repeating those on his blog and in parliament as statements of fact.

Those examples are from the 80s….step forward just a few more years and Mallard was at it again.

Thursday, April 18, 1996

TREVOR MALLARD (Pencarrow): It became clear to me late yesterday that the information that I had that suggested that the Minister had said that President Mandela was “a fat, balding, Maori” was in fact incorrect. The information that the Minister had twice indicated that a photograph of President Mandela was a photograph of a Maori resembling President Mandela was in fact correct. I took some advice as to whether it was appropriate to apologise at that stage. The advice I got was that bringing it up again might in fact further embarrass our relations with South Africa, so I did not. But I do apologise to the Minister for the partial inaccuracy.

Another day  a few later and he was smearing John Banks this time. Another apology. Getting the picture. Mallard lies, then he gets caught, then he has to apologise.

I will cover the 90s in another post. This could take a while there is so much material to work with. Mallard was a muck-raker then and he is a muck-raker now. He was wrong so many times then, he is still wrong today. When I call him an apologist you can see why, he spends a great deal of time apologising for his lies and smears.

The Greens have released their list for the election. Farrar comments:

The big mover is Browning. He was No 12 on the list in 2008. The hierarchy put him down at no 16 which is highly unlikely to win, but the members put him up to no 10 where is highly likely to make him an MP.

The press release from Metiria Turei doesn’t mention Browning at all, despite him being the big mover. This suggests they are not too happy with his promotion – possibly he is seen as too old being in his late 50s

This is too good an opportunity to miss.

Meanwhile National still hasn’t finished all of its selections and so can’t even convene the list ranking committee. To be fair the President has probably been a bit distracted lately.

Anthony Hubbard is normally a better repeater than his effort today in the Sunday Star Times where he has basically listened to Trevor Mallard‘s fantasies, defamations and outright lies.

The Lame Duck (or is that chicken) is now crowing all over Red Alert about some evil plot to have a say in a referendum. It is a sad indictment on the cripple and his crippled campaign for Labour that he is attacking the anti MMP campaign. I wonder how that is actually going to help Labour win votes.

Is he worried about his own campaign or just going to spend the next 6 months fighting me?

His hypothesis that Steven Joyce is somehow masterminding and sending forth someone  to do his dirty work, someone he doesn’t even like or speak to is laughable.

As for my part, I’m in the same boat as David Farrar, a few phone calls somehow now constitutes strategic advice.

The thing that amuses me the most is that Labour seems to believe that people aren’t allowed to hold a view about MMP unless it is their view, and that if they do hold a contrary view then they shouldn’t be allowed to have a say.

If there was ever a reason to throw out MMP it is because Labour, to a man, woman and cripple believe that MMP is the best thing for New Zealand.

Matt McCarten eviscerates Phil Goff in the Herald on Sunday:

I can’t see how Labour can keep whistling in the dark over its dismal public support.

I don’t know how its leader, Phil Goff, can keep pretending he has a chance of winning in November.

Two polls this week showed the gap between National and Labour remaining at a yawning 20 per cent. When was the last time a government polled consistently so far ahead of its opposition?

Every poll these days seems to tell the same story: John Key and his party can rule alone. People like Key and trust him.

We have a prime minister whom two out of every three New Zealanders prefer.

That means even voters of other parties support him over their own leaders. Extraordinary but true.

That is why it is completely baffling that Labour’s crippled campaign seems to focus on denigrating the most popular Prime Minister since records began. From the outside it looks like there are actually different factions campaigning. On the one hand the old cripples like Hodgson and Trevor Mallard who seem intent on flinging poo with gay abandon, ably assisted by their Mini-me helpers like Chris Hipkins, and on the other hand smart competent operators like Clare Curran.

Labour has latched on to an anti-privatisation agenda as an election winner, given the fact that more than 62 per cent of New Zealanders oppose those asset sales.

We would normally expect a lift to Labour after this Budget.The party should also have hoped for additional positive profile from its national congress last weekend. But neither opportunity has made an iota of difference.

Mind you, the congress was insipid, at best. Labour barred media from most of the event and spun to a resentful press three policies that didn’t create much excitement.

Replacing the Families Commission with a Ministry for Children isn’t fooling anybody, given Labour was happy to govern for most of its nine years with the present arrangement.

Even Labour’s major policy of massive investment in research and development would have gone over the heads of most people except, of course, the farmers who are being tapped to pay for it.

I imagine the cockies will be adding an extra zero to their cheques made out to the National Party’s re-election campaign fund.

Labour’s policy announcements are dis-jointed and completely un-related except for their inability to pay for anything.

For some reason, though, Goff isn’t connecting. I’ve come to the conclusion that voters have taken their phones off the hook and aren’t listening to anything Goff is saying.

I’ve said it before in this column, but Goff has no choice but to step down and let a fresh face have a go as leader.

He has had two years as leader and the gap between the two main parties has widened. No one, surely, believes that a Goff-led party has any show.

It is clear the whole Labour caucus is made up of a bunch of gutless wonders, resigned to coast along for the next six months and lose, rather than get a backbone and make the change.

Labour needs a new messenger if it has any chance.

Frankly, it’s a dereliction of duty for the current caucus to flag this election away. If it does then it doesn’t deserve any support from its core constituency.

And there is Matt making a pitch for the Mana party, or more likely the Greens to step up to the proper and fitting role of an opposition party. But Matt is right to say the phone is off the hook. I have been saying that for two years, voters don’t care what labour has to say right now, whereas Labour is still believing that the naughty voters just made an awful mistake and they will return if they can just show them that John Key is evil.

It would have a better chance in November if it put the names of its current MPs on a wall and then have some kid throw a dart at it.

Whoever gets their name lanced by the dart gets the job.

It’s a bit over the top but it’s a better strategy than the one Labour’s running now

I’m not sure that there is any great need for Labour to change right now. Julia Gillard waiting till closer to the election to roll Kevin Rudd and then go on to win. The one thing that national fears though is a someone other than Goff leading Labour because right now anyone is better than Goff, and the two political cripples, Mallard and Hodgson, being axed and replaced with someone competent like Clare Curran.

It is now obvious that Mallard and Curran have had a falling out of sorts over strategy. Mallard has now openly slagged off Curran on Kiwiblog and on Twitter.

Matt McCarten is right Goff needs to go and someone who can run the sandpit should take over.

On Friday Labour started another of their online strategies, a survey about cost of living. Trevor Mallard has just admitted that it is rooted.

Another of Labour’s online strategies crippled.

Trevor Mallard has issued a challenge. As is usual for the cripple he has picked the one sport he is good at it (if you can all it a sport) and he has also picked on the wrong person for a challenge.

So Trevor, I accept your challenge, however some things need to be sorted before we go head to head.

Firstly, I need a bike, not just any bike the same bike you use. We have to race using exactly the same equipment. It is only fair. The only difference will be the riders. A Cripple vs a Whale.

Secondly, the race will be on August 15 and I pick 60kms for the distance, if you are going to go, go big.

Thirdly, since you picked a sport that you excel at, it is only fair that there be a counter-challenge and I choose boxing. You mentioned your “fear” of my excessive bulk. I currently weigh 105kg. You stated in the comments on Red Alert that if I got training then I would lose 30kg and you’re are probably right, therefore there should be no reason other than your cowardice for rejecting a boxing match 8 weeks after our cycle race.

You have 48 hours to accept all conditions. The NBR are following this story closely so best you step up and leave the washing for the woman of the house

John Banks has been confirmed as the new ACT candidate for Epsom.

Former Auckland Mayor John Banks was confirmed by the Act board this morning as Act’s candidate for Epsom in the November election.

The announcement was made at a press conference this afternoon in Newmarket, Auckland.

Mr Banks was favoured by new leader Don Brash, who last month ousted former leader and sitting Epsom MP Rodney Hide in a very public coup.

Mr Banks is a former National Party MP and cabinet minister. He, like Dr Brash, only recently joined Act – on May 18.

Act’s polling has improved since Dr Brash’s leadership bid, with a recent poll showing the party would pass the 5 per cent threshold to get into Parliament.

Now it will be interesting to see if Aaron Bhatnagar wins the nomination for National. What will be more interesting is to see other ACt candidates in vulnerable seats. Tamaki is vulnerable with National’s candidate barely breathing. I understand that there is sweepstake running in Wellington on whether or not he makes it to the election.

Dick Quax has cleaned out all the opposition in the by-election in Howick ward.

Former Olympic runner Dick Quax has won an Auckland Council seat in his second attempt.

Mr Quax yesterday won the Howick ward byelection called to replace councillor Jami-Lee Ross.

Mr Ross resigned from the council after he won the Botany parliamentary byelection caused by the resignation of National MP Pansy Wong.

Mr Quax, a former Manukau City councillor, won 41 per cent, or 11,600 of the byelection votes.

Well done Dick, now go get stuck into Len Brown and his furtive and sneaky mayoralty.

Very strange developments in the Sarah Palin camp. It appears they have hired Pauline Hanson.

I know a couple of senior MPs lurk on the Trademe message boards, reading and digesting what is being said. Yesterday I noticed that Clare Curran has taken that one step further and actively asking people for advice.

I guess after braving my site with a guest post she felt suitably trained for the bear pit of the Trademe message boards.

Nice to see that not everyone in Labour thinks Trevor’s latest great social media experiment isn’t so great. Refreshing too such honesty outside the caucus tent from a Labour MP.

The benefit of course of the Trademe message boards is you can usually get some very good advice.