Goff on Mt Albert
The New Zealand Herald on Monday reported that Labour used UMR Research to hold focus groups meetings of Mt Albert voters. One question asked about Ms Tizard in terms of well-known people or celebrities standing for politics.
Mr Goff defended the use of focus groups saying they were a good way of getting a sense of local issues and how people would respond to particular candidates.
And they are common in national politics, but very rare for a by-election, And you have to wonder who will get to read the results of the focus groups? Will everyone at the selection meeting get it, or just the head office appointees?
“I think what we want from Mt Albert actually is a local person, a person who can identify with the needs and aspirations of the people of Mt Albert,” he told TV One’s Breakfast programme.
He disagreed the expensive measures showed Labour was nervous. “I’m not nervous about the outcome, I think we will win Mt Albert but we’re not complacent about that.”
They are very expensive. And Labour generally is thought to be very short of cash. That suggests how seriously they are taking this.
Mr Goff said when a vacancy came up on the list it was automatically filled by the next person on it.
Unless you are in the Green Party and they threaten and harass you to give up your list seat to let someone lower down the list enter Parliament.
Asked how he felt about the potential return of Ms Tizard, who lost Auckland Central to National’s Nicky Kaye, Mr Goff said: “I am very happy to see any former Labour colleague back in parliament.
That’s Nikki incidentally. And if Goff is so happy, why is he spending so much money focus grouping how the public will respond?
“Judith Tizard is a very experienced member, very well respected particularly in the arts and culture community where she has worked so hard for so long.”
If Judith does return, that will make her one of the most experienced members of the Goff team. The only Labour MPs who will have greater Ministerial experience are Goff and King.
So will Goff appoint Judith to Labour’s frontbench? Her experience would suggest she is a logical choice. At a minimum he would have to have her in the Shadow Cabinet, you would think.
And what portfolios will he give her? She is the third longest serving Minister. Cunliffe is doing quite a good job in Finance, so maybe Education or Health?