Labour’s woes just get worse. We’ve now seen Sio hit hard at fellow Labour member Louisa Wall’s marriage equality bill. This all seems like an electorate MP fighting for his constituents’ viewpoints. It’s unrelated to anything else in the Labour Party and Sio is talking in complete isolation of any other Labour MP. Or is he?
I have heard from excellent sources (yes, they are even talking to me) that Sio’s attack is not so much intended for Shearer, although he is expected to be the collateral damage. Shearer is now considered dead in the water and two sides are wading in to fight over the top of his body.
Sio’s attack is actually intended as a challenge to Robertson. The Sio’s of the Labour Party are trying to claiming the Party back for Waitakere Man, and making way for Cunliffe. The strategy is so obvious that they’ve even got Trotter hitting all the buzz words again.
Cunliffe has been bloody smart. He’s kept a low profile, none of his fingerprints are over current strategy and he’s allowed Mallard to run amok (in his own special way). Better still he may be the first to roll a leader by leaving the country himself.
It would be naive to believe that Sio’s planned attack is not part of the grander plan to provide some push back on Robertson.
The only saving grace for David Shearer in all of this is the highly factionalised nature of Labour’s caucus. One can only hope that the imminent arrival of Helen Clark, back from New York for a speaking engagement will calm the troops.
