Tasering Mallard

Helen Clark had an excellent and funny line yesterday in response to a question about Travor Mallard threatening to “dish the dirt on National MPs’ personal lives”. It was:

“I’m thinking of asking the Minister of Police for a Taser gun for Trevor.”

Now it was a very good one-liner and no doubt like Churchill’s, had been prepared well in advance.

Because while it was an excellent device to portray Clark as distancing herself from Mallard, the reality is he was not acting as a rogue wolf on this issue.

Pete Hodgson made clear on Agenda that the Caucus and leadership had agreed that if National continues to call them corrupt, then they would hit back with everything they could.

So have no doubt Helen Clark personally authorised Mallard to make the threat. And having got burnt for the threats, she now distances herself. I almost admire the political strategy behind it!