Friday, October 21, 2005

Purgewatch: Georgina speaks out

Georgine Beyer has been complaining to the Herald about the pressures used to make her jump before the next election:
Transsexual list MP Georgina Beyer confirmed yesterday that she had been told by Prime Minister Helen Clark the party would not stand in her way if she found "new opportunities" during the present term.

She also admitted to being a little hurt by it.

She is 47 and has been an MP for only two terms, as MP for Wairarapa.
Considering that she's announced her intention to leave Parliament twice before makes her remarks rather strange. Was she hurt because she went to Helen Clark with the usual refrain with the expectation of being talked out of it only to find that Helen now agreed with her?

The article also mentions Russell Fairbrother and Dianne Yates as potential purgees and speaks of the disappointment of Tim Barnett and Steve Chadwick. I suspect Tim was passed over for a ministerial portfolio because of a veto by either United Future or NZ First due to his work on Prostitution Reform.