National Party Conference

Have been up in Auckland at the National Party conference and it has been lots of fun.  Speeches from English and Power yesterday went down very well and generated lots of good stories.

Key is up in an hour for his first annual conference speech as Leader.

The dinner last night was great.  Australian Liberal MP Alexander Downer was the guest speaker and he gave an excellent address.  A couple of commentators had suggested this was unusual because he is also Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, but that’s silly as Labour have had many Ministers from various countries speak to their conferences over the years.

The media were not allowed in as he was speaking in a private capacity,and we also had at our table three staff from the Australian High Commission who looked like they were ready to jump on him and knock him out if he said anything “political”. I was fascinated at the thought that if he had said anything wrong, they would have filed a report to the High Commissioner who would have filed a report to umm Downer himself.  Sounds like the SSC independent inquiry.

Downer though gave a wonderful speech on values that motivate him, and his political heroes, and it was one of the best speeches I have heard from a politician.

As the media were not allowed in (which caused much sulking) I won’t report any details, but will just share one ancedote he told which I am sure he has shared many times.

Referring to the protesters outside, Downer told of how once at a meeting he had 500 protesters outside screaming “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Downer Downer go away”.  He then got home that night after the TV news to be greeeted by his very coung children chanting “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Daddy Daddy go away”.  It was obviously a catchy tune!