Cunliffe’s catastrophes
Stuff has counted up Cunliffe’s catastrophes, or gaffes. There’s eight in 10 months which suggests it is the only consistent thing about Labour. They are:
- Denying he knew Liu or had ever advocated for him, the day before a letter reveals he did exactly that
- Attacked John Key for living in a leafy suburb, while living on the most expensive road in Herne Bay
- Setting up a secret trust for his leadership campaign
- A misleading speech on the best start policy which falsely claimed 25,000 people would get a payment they wouldn’t
- Claiming his grandfather won a medal when it was his great uncle
- Breaking electoral law by tweeting on BE-Day for people to vote for the Labour candidate
- Posting Grant Robertson’s leadership candidacy statement as his own
- A CV which had several “mistakes” in it
Stuff are also running a poll on people’s favourite gaffe. Herne Bay leads with 37%, then the secret trust on 22% and Dong Liu on 19%.
One might add on his statement today as a 9th gaffe. The Herald reports:
Labour leader David Cunliffe has issued a veiled warning to his caucus against any move against him, saying he has the support of Labour Party members and affiliates and any who break ranks could be viewed as scabs – workers who break a strike by crossing the picket line.
That’s really going to impress MPs such as Andrew Little – a lifelong unionist. Calling someone a scab is one of the worst insults in the Labour movement, and implying anyone who thinks Cunliffe is not performing well enough as Labour Leader is a scab will go down like cold sick with them.
I understand that two different Labour MPs have confirmed Grant Robertson has the numbers to roll Cunliffe. In fact Grant has had them for a few weeks. But the issue is whether Grant wants the leadership now, or to take it after the election. His preference is to wait, rather than do a Mike Moore. But as his colleagues consider how many of them are set to lose their seats – his hand may be forced.