The election of Speaker was held today and David Carter was elected Speaker.
With a shabby little stitch up by Bill English and his mates in order to get Nick Smith back into cabinet, John Key pretended that caucus had decided to nominate David Carter. Many caucus members I have spoken too were wondering if they had missed the caucus meeting where they decided on Carter, even those with perfect attendance records. The only thing missing from the dirty smoke-filled back rooms in this deal was the smoke.
Labour had a chance though to upset the march towards the speaker’s chair of Carter, if only the immense personal ego of Trevor Mallard hadn’t got in the way.
Labour, nominated Mallard against David Carter and so forced a vote. It was a silly move and although they would have guaranteed the votes of their own party, the Green Taliban and NZ First there simply wouldn’t have been enough to peel off one or two votes from National.
A far better plan would have been to nominate Maurice Williamson, then the pressure would have been on Peter Dunne, a stickler for process at parliament to resist the bullying from Key’s office and likewise with John Banks… A quality candidate like my mate Maurice would have had the possibility of splitting off some votes from Carter and then the possibility of an upset…because Williamson would have voted for himself as well.
Instead they let ego get in the way, proved nothing other than a delay and annoyance and ultimately lost the chance to embarrass the government and instead made themselves look like bunny draughts players.
They must really hate Trevor Mallard to put him up on a losing proposition…then again this was probably thought up as a master strategy by Trev himself.
