Flashback: National MPs Praise And Pan Tamihere

Friday, 25 May 2007, 12:25 am
Article: Kevin List

Scoop Flashback: National MPs Praise And Pan Tamihere

This week current affairs show Eye To Eye looks at three terms of a Labour government. Former Labour Cabinet Minister John Tamihere, who will be a panellist on the show, says that Labour has run out of puff. Mr Tamihere who enjoyed the perks of being a Cabinet Minister in Helen Clark's government until it transpired that he had taken a golden handshake after promising he wouldn't was however fulsome in his praise of current National leader John Key.

John Key, Tamihere says, has put National’s cards on the table. “He’s dragged National in to the centre, de-Brashed racism, sorted out the nuclear problem. With Climate Change they were sceptics and now accept it. There are no question marks over National and where they stand explained Mr Tamihere in Eye To Eye's press release. Scoop Media wonders given Mr Tamihere's constantly singing the praises of John Key - even when he was still a Labour MP - whether he was ever in the right party. After checking the Scoop archives it would seem Mr Tamihere could easily slide into the current National Party potentially as a welfare spokesperson.

After a speech on welfare at the Knowledge Wave conference in 2003 John Tamihere found himself being praised as a 'bold leader' by current National's Spokeswoman for Education Katherine Rich

Whether Ms Rich would gel with John Tamihere on education is yet to be known however should the two ever come together in a future hypothetical National caucus to discuss welfare the atmosphere would likely be congenial.

"As a bold leader John Tamihere has proposed some excellent ideas for reforming New Zealand's welfare system, which I agree is "literally killing people with kindness".

Labour must listen to Cabinet Minister John Tamihere and change its attitudes to welfare, says National's Social Services spokesperson Katherine Rich.

"Finally someone within the Labour Party has the guts to say that the patronizing "here's your cash and see you later" approach to welfare may preserve Labour's voting base, but does little to improve people's lives," explained Ms Rich in a 2003 press release.

National's current Deputy Leader Bill English was less fulsome in praise for Mr Tamihere following his Knowledge Wave speech but seemed to enjoy Mr Tamihere's maverick ability to kneecap players in his own team (in this case Steve Maharey).

"John Tamihere's abusive comments about Steve Maharey and Labour's "old left" policy break every rule in the Cabinet Manual, and directly challenge Helen Clark's management of her MPs.

"Mr Tamihere has always prided himself on being a man who doesn't back away from a fight. His prescription for welfare policy completely contradicts Labour's direction, for which he clearly has no regard," was former National Leader Bill English's take on John Tamihere's welfare speech in a 2003 press release.

After some taxation difficulties that emerged in late 2004 and resulted in a report by QC Douglas White Mr Tamihere came in for some stick from those on the opposite side of the House. National's then Deputy leader Gerry Brownlee described Mr Tamihere as an "ongoing embarassment to the Government" and criticised his use of a Toyota Landcruiser.

“Labour MP John Tamihere should do the right thing and return the Toyota Landcruiser that was paid for by the disadvantaged constituents he claims to represent,” says National Party Deputy Leader Gerry Brownlee.

“The Waipareira Trust shouldn’t have to hire repossession agents to get back the vehicle that its offshoot, Westland, paid for. Mr Tamihere has, at the very least, a moral obligation to return the car.”

Mr Brownlee was commenting in a press release on reports of a rift between Mr Tamihere and the Waipareira Trust over the ownership of the $42,000 vehicle.

ENDS

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