Labour’s new faces

Audrey Young in the NZ Herald has a summary of likely new candidates for 2008, and also MPs on teh way out. New candidates are:

* Andrew Little
* Phil Twyford
* Stuart Nash
* Grant Robertson
* Helen Kelly

Nash is the only one with private sector experience. Three of them are unionists and Little and Robertson are both former student association presidents.

I’ve been impressed with Andrew Little since I first met him at NZUSA in 1986 when he was President.He has been a very sucessful (and modern) leader of EPMU and if he does join the Labour Caucus I would not be surprised if he becomes Leader in due course. One to watch.

Grant Robertson is also a pretty smart operator.

On the way out, Audrey has listed:

* Dover Samuels
* Paul Swain
* Georgina Beyer
* Dianne Yates
* Marian Hobbs
* Ann Hartley
* Phillip Field

On top of that I would list Jill Pettis, Russell Fairbrother and maybe even Rick Barker as MPs who lost their seats. Tim Barnett may seek the Christchurch Mayorlty. George Hawkins and Ross Robertson might decide they have no Ministerial futures so time to go also.

So Labour may be well placeds to get a long overdue injection of new talent – maybe up to 10 new MPs.