Transtasman Political Letter – 29 Sept. Digest

Trans Tasman 29th September 2005

The big guns fell silent this week, the Beehive was like a morgue, even the caretaker PM was missing, though there some sightings on southern ski slopes
...but it will be all action next week, stitching together a new coalition
...What price will the smaller parties demand for their support?
...Only now are the potential coalition partners beginning to realise they might have to drink from a poisoned chalice handed to them by voters
...2006 could be a good time not to be in Govt.

Choice Of Speaker Could Be First Battleground

Almost certainly the first chance for the minor parties and National to try to gain some leverage over Labour will be over the choice of Speaker for the next Parliament. If National negotiated the support of NZ First, United Future, Act, and/or the Maori Party, it could restore the authority of Parliament as a real check on the Executive.

Labour’s Problem: How To Rejuvenate Itself

Even though caretaker PM Helen Clark has talked of Labour winning a fourth term, she and others in Labour’s hierarchy must have spent many hours in this interregnum thinking about the chances of maintaining some sort of momentum in Govt, and avoiding the paralysis which could spell doom at the next election.

Divisions Emerge As Cabinet Hopefuls Jockey For Position

Jockeying within Labour for Cabinet positions has already reopened old left and centrist wounds. Former Police Minister George Hawkins is upset at constant uncomplimentary Beehive and party leaks saying he’s for the chop.

Can Small Parties Work Together?

Labour’s task of forming a Govt and pushing ahead with its own agenda will hinge on its ability to work with the Greens, United Future and NZ First, but, perhaps more importantly, on whether those three can work together.

CAPITAL TALK

The good, the bad and the ugly showed up in speculation surrounding formation of the new Govt. Snippets included ACT’s Rodney Hide prospectively being challengeable on his spending levels in the Epsom race ...

PLAY OF THE WEEK
Urban - Provincial Split? Yeah Right

Labour’s loss of a swag of provincial seats has caused some rather overexcited talk about an urban/provincial divide. This has led to speculation voters outside the main centres are in revolt over Labour’s “political correctness.

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