Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Labour List MPs to retire?

Helen Clark has indicated that she "expected several retirements from list MPs". She does not rule out the possibility that Jim Sutton will retire although elsewhere it's said that he will stay on as a supernumerary cabinet minister until Christmas. The Labour List MPs are:

Rick Barker: Not likely to retire as he is still in Cabinet.

Georgina Beyer: A good possibility. She's recently retired her electorate seat and presumably remained in Parliament to oversee the passage of her bill against Transgender Discrimination. Since that's now unlikely to pass, she'll probably go.

Ashraf Choudhary: Unlikely to retire as he's only served one term and is a member of a minority that Labour hopes to court.

Michael Cullen: Not at all likely to retire at least until Helen throws in the towel.

Russell Fairbrother: I doubt that he'll retire as he's only served one term and helps out Michael Cullen with his legal homework.

Darien Fenton: Just entered Parliament and so won't be going.

Ann Hartley: Ann has only served two terms and has risen to Deputy Speaker. I think it unlikely that Helen will ask her to go.

David Hererora: Only been in Parliament for one term. Won't be going.

Shane Jones: Since he just got in, he won't be getting out.

Moana Mackey: She entered Parliament in 2003 when Graeme Kelly retired. Hence probably won't go.

Sue Moroney: Just got in after years of trying. Won't be going out.

David Parker: Just got into Cabinet and hence won't retire.

Jill Pettis: A possibility. She's been around since 1993 and has been sinking down the party list (from 14th in 1996 to 27th now) for most of that time.

Mita Ririnui: A strong possibility to retire. He has been around since 1999 and when he was appointed associate minister outside cabinet, he was widely considered to have been promoted beyond his ability. SInce he has just lost his Maori electorate seat, his electoral utility to Helen is minimal.

Dover Samuels: A strong possibility to retire. He has been around since 1996 and has just lost his seat. But his high list ranking (11th) meanings that making him go will require lots and lots of gentle persuasion.

Maryan Street: A friend of Helen's that just entered Parliament and hence won't retire.

Jim Sutton: Already indicated that he will be going.

Margaret Wilson: A possible. Helen's already shafted her by making her Speaker. Considering that her position is not assured, it is possible that Helen has assented to her demise as part of Winston's secret protocols.

Dianne Yates: She has been around since 1993 and is currently ranked 29th on the Party List (down from 16th in 1996). She'll probably be asked to go.

So that's about seven List MPs identified of which three are male and three are maori. Who would their replacements be?

Charles Chauvel: Described as a leading lawyer. Unfortunately his speciality is Labour Law.

Lesley Soper: A Trade Unionist that entered Parliament this year when Jonathon Hunt retired. Purportedly, Jonathon delayed his retirement for so long to stop her finding her feet in Parliament.

Louisa Wall: Serves in the Human Rights Commission. Despite being a netballer, yong and a sports columnist for the NZ Herald, she managed to lose to the untelegenic Paul Hutchinson by over twelve and a half thousand votes.

Su'a Sio: A Samoan Councillor on the Manukau City Council. Probably big among the Samoan community.

Brendon Burns: Head of the Government Media Unit. There seems to have been a lot of politics involved in his running. He won the Labour nomination for Kaikoura unopposed yet he was placed 48th on the Party List. Hence I get the impression somebody wanted him out of their hair for a few months.

Hamish McCracken: Studying for a Ph.D. in politics.

Denise MacKenzie: A special needs teacher that Labour picked to succeed Georgina Beyer as MP for Wairarapa. Supposedly she won the nomination as a compromise between Labour Head Office and the local electorate branch.

Considering that the replacements seem to reek of more of the same for the Labour Party, I doubt that the intake will rejuvenate the Party caucus to any great extent.