Hawkins won’t go

George Hawkins has obviously read in the Dom Post that Helen wants him gone, because he has just put out a press release saying he is definitely restanding in 2008.

They could try to deselect him, but Hawkins is pretty popular with his locals, and it would not be easy.

Hawkins is probably (in my opinion) the most incompetent Minister of recent times (and there is a fair amount of competition for that title) and he has no chance of ever making the Executive again. So I am surprised he is so determined to stay on, but if he enjoys being a backbench MP it will be hard to stop him.