* What Tamihere told Investigate magazine

"Out of 51 in the caucus, 10 would back me to the hilt, another 15 say they would, but who knows? But that's a solid block in any caucus. What I'd do is promote (Social Development Minister Steve) Maharey immediately, make him wear all the bullshit that'll come out."

"I tell you what, if I was on the other side mate I'd have cut the bloody Labour Party to pieces over moral issues. There's a huge pendulum swing against what my leadership stands for."

"Unions, I can't stand them... It's always about threats and intimidation, and 'we've got big balls, what have you got?' "

"When you look at the (party) list, the union movement have got four new members coming in, end of story... They don't deserve to have that level of influence. I'm going to lead a charge against that, very shortly, because the party has to be updated to reflect where our society and communities are, as opposed to where they used to be."

"You can spend two hours with Maharey and walk away none the wiser but you've got three screeds of paper full of notes. So there's operators like him who are very smarmy, very clever, but no substance. It's all about status.'

"(The Parliamentary press gallery are) utterly and totally useless. And sycophantic. You know and I know there's no investigative journalism done in that bloody gallery. In the information age, we've got more ignorant people out there than there's ever been."

"(National Party finance spokesman John Key is) going to be very good. I've got the greatest regard for John. One more term, he's a formidable character. He's the one that scares the s...t out of me the most out of the whole bunch."

"I think Bill English will make a comeback after the election, but give John Key one more term to get blooded in the House... If I was to pick National's dream team it would be Key and (Katherine) Rich -- Rich for the south."

"Heather Simpson -- Helen's assistant -- wanted me in the tent as damaged goods. Too tough to lose completely. She's dangerous, a very dangerous woman."

Asked what was the most powerful network in the Labour executive "the Labour Party Wimmins division... it's about an anti-men agenda"

"We wouldn't survive without (Finance Minister Michael) Cullen -- he can cut a deal on a piece of legislation, he can change a single word in a piece of legislation without those other bastards (coalition partners) knowing about it."

"I hear Maori talking about how they were burnt out of the Orakei marae in 1951 and so on. Big deal."

"I've got a right to think that sex with another male is unhealthy and violating. I've got a right to think that."

"(Prime Minister Helen) Clark has been brutalised by people who have called her lesbian, no children and all the rest of it. Her key advisor Heather Simpson is a butch, and a lot of her support systems are, Maryann Street and so on, and she's very comfortable in that world and comfortable with it. I'm not."

"(Helen Clark) goes to pieces. She'll fold on the emotional side and walk away or not turn up. She's knows it's going to get emotional and it upsets her."

"Men's problems are traditionally dealt with by the criminal justice system. Women, on the other hand, get a bloody Cartwright Inquiry and get millions of dollars thrown at their breasts and cervixes."

So what do you think?
Was his startling frankness due to naievete, a bad night on the piss, or some kind of brilliant political plan to take Helen's seat?

It seems like a really well planned election strategy actually......

haha

ppl will prob think this is a strange conclusion!

So let me get this straight, someone in a left wing party is saying unions are bad? I am a little confused as to why he would say this. it only makes it look as though he should be in National.

Having said that I do get your point, someone ina left wing party has said right wing policies in sarcasm and because the ideas are presented in such a way they will seem rediculous and thus National will lose votes. Is this the line you were working on?

well I think that all this, at least on the surface, gives Tamihere the impression of being honest - and this is something that is severely lacking in most politicians.
It also exposes negative aspects of Labour's government, so I don't think that it serves their election campaign as a party though. However, if Tamihere was to make a leadership push, or was to split and form his own party, this would help his cause.
He won't make a leadership push unless Labour loses this coming election (which is unlikely), but I think it is possible that he might split if his relationship with Helen has become too stormy.

In my opinion, obviously the most tightly watched contest this election will be the Maori seats. Tamihere can be seen as distancing himself from being part of 'labour' and hence could garner votes for himself in his seat.

Furthermore it could be seen as a contrast between the 2 main parties. For national, lately it seems that if u disagree with Don Brash's policy, u get demoted, sacked and thats it. But Labour has smartly(IMO) come out and gone 'hey look its stress, we would want an apology but we're not gonna exactly kick him out, its his decision where he wants to go'. It plays the whole image of family and unity and the caring nature in the sense that, everyone had backed him when he was under investigation and so by asking him to take one week of 'stress' leave shows this

Could it also invoke sympathy? Maybe. Can the greens/united/progressives(the other lefty parties) make use of this. Prob not apart from refuting his comments that they can get played which again helps discredit the inital comments as being said in a heat of passion.

Can national/act/nz first use this? Yup, and they have. But its a fine line cos if the public buys into the whole stress thing, by attackign someone when they are down wont cast a favourable light. Like it or not, politics are built on image, perception.

Honestly this could have been and would have been a HUGGE blow to Labour, however i am quite impressed on how they have handled it. Compare to how National has handled their internal disagreements.

This is only my opinion of course.

That makes sense, but I'm not sure how far the public are going to by into the stress thing. Tamihere has been giving the impression that he is becoming increasingly disilusioned with the labour inner circle.

I can see him being pretty pissed off at Labour right now. He doesn't really fit in there anyway.

I'm predicting he will bow out and join the Destiny Party. He is a smooth talking Maori and his homophobia is in the right place. Brian Tamaki can't run so Tamihere is an ideal candidate to lead the way.

I know i'll be voting for him.

John Tamihere always has something interesting to say. It seems all too convenient that this unintentional truth article print has revealed his importance through the great efforts Labour's making to keep him.

Tamihere would not team up with Tamaki. That party is destined to collapse.

John's had his ass thrown out for saying he's "sick and tired of hearing how many Jews got gassed" - what's this boy upto? He obviously wants to get the boot.

maybe he wants to go independent, and is trying to steal asshole votes from National?

tamihere is almost starting to resemble someone here by the way he's been spamming crap :blink:

i saw on holmes that he said something along the lines of 'see, the jews are always trying to find an excuse for everything. they're just like the maoris.'

dangerous waters those....

On Campbell Live that was.

Labour made the right decision in suspending tamihere indefinitely for the comment on the jews and the haulicast, apparently he was drunk but it is no excuse for him saying what he did. Also, it does not directly affect him, and is not directly aimed at him personally. I say he needs to get his ego in check.

Maybe a break from parliament will allow him to do so.

i didnt know he was drunk. if david irving can say the holocaust didnt happen, why cant tamaihere say the jews should stop complaining...

ego in check....

he just was incredibly arrogant with the way that he said it. Tamihere is a disgrace to the labour party.

I concede, dave irving never should have denied the haulicast and I shouldn't have said last year that he is not a racist, it does reek of racism in actual fact.

:clap: yay for me for conceding.

It isn't right for a politician, or any public figure to say something so confrontational, and he's been reprimanded by Ms Clark which is excellent and wise if the party wishes to gain votes.

Johnny's still in the game. I forgive you bro. Now all you have to do is stop that marae hopping whale Tariana from making it in.

nice work lizzy.

i think in the context his point is valid, although i dont agree with it. he should just know better. not a disgrace tho.

cant touch this....

dananana na na

^Agreed.


*does running man*

?!

well that makes sense to me. sounds as if Liz wants to see labour become a disgrace so that good ol Brashy can have a go

Of course, how silly of me.

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