"Fuck off", Jenna.
Labour's O'Connor speaks for the nation.
Emerging from a five hour caucus meeting to go to the loo Damien O’Connor pleased a great many Kiwis yesterday when he said to Jenna Lynch, who pounced on him asking if Chris Hipkins was still the Labour leader, “Fuck off, I’m just going to the toilet”.
My first thought was - there should be more of that sort of thing. I wondered whether he told his caucus colleagues when he returned from the facilities. “That bloody Jenna Lynch is waiting in the corridor, I told her to ‘fuck off’.” Imagining a great cheer going up in the room and the lurking reporters speculating as to why on earth the party was so happy at such a time.
Life in opposition is hard, especially after the sort of defeat that Labour have had. Perhaps they could take a collective approach and agree that every question from Jenna, over the next three years, should be answered the same way. That phrase certainly would’ve come in handy for another Labour MP.
Helen White, who is ahead by 106 votes in the Mt Albert electorate, was asked as she passed if she was embarrassed about the result on Saturday. Helen clarified whether the reporter meant the party’s result, or her electorate. It was the latter. She shook her head and said she was really proud of her result. The vulture with the microphone then asked how did she do so badly in Mt Albert, to which Helen said “what a ridiculous question, I didn’t do badly, I did really really well”.
Firstly, even if Helen had lost, why should she be embarrassed? She hasn’t done anything wrong. She stood for parliament for the party she believes in, win or lose why on earth should she be embarrassed? I’m feeling a bit embarrassed about New Zealand right at the moment, but that sure has nothing to do with the Labour Party.
All of the advances in this country, all the law changes to benefit people and give them a better quality of life, and a fairer deal. All of them, not a few, not just some - every single bloody one comes from the Labour Party. Why on earth would Helen White feel embarrassed at doing her best standing for that party?
On the night Helen was ahead despite the electorate vote being split and the Green candidate, Ricardo Menendez March, receiving over 6,000 of them. Helen received almost 2,500 more electorate seats than Labour received party votes. If I had any advice for Helen it would be to go and have a chat with ole mate Damien, and he’ll sort her out with a few choice phrases for such an occasion.
The truth is the media like to give it out. Their poisonous assertions cast without regard for their target. But they don’t seem to like it when the person being interrogated gives some back.
As Damien O’Connor returned from the toilet to the caucus meeting a still waiting Jenna asked “Do you want to reconsider that answer?”, in a somewhat threatening tone. Damien simply replied “what are you doing here?”
Still unhappy Jenna demanded of the Labour leader at the media standup “Is it right what he said to me?” I wondered how many people were yelling at their TVs at that moment - “say yes!” But diplomatically, and a little disappointingly, Chippy said “Emotions have been running very high today and I think people would forgive a little intemperance.”
I’m really not sure people like Jenna deserve that sort of respect. For example, let’s see what she and others were saying about that caucus meeting. In this article Jenna said “the mood of the meeting was one of sadness and disappointment rather than anger.” Whereas in this one Jenna said of Labour’s meeting “for nearly five hours [Labour] thrashed out their thrashing. Some failed to keep their temper in check as they emerged.” Well, which is it Jenna?
Even Heather du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB was honest about having no idea what was going on in the meeting. In this article she said “it could be that they were debating what to do with the leadership, could be that some people were cross in there - or it could just be something as simple as taking longer to farewell their departing colleagues, who knows?”
One bright moment yesterday was seeing the Green Party’s new caucus. Unlike the new crop of National MPs I wrote about yesterday these people look like my Aotearoa. Good Green people, and it was heartwarming to see after so many low points. But it didn’t stop me really feeling for Labour.
Truth is the sorting hat wasn’t supposed to make me a Green. My family background is Labour through and through.
My first memories of an election were in 1981, and how disappointed my parents were when Muldoon won. This despite Labour getting more votes than National. Then in 1984, when I was 12, family and friends were elated and there was great celebration than Muldoon was finally gone. David Lange became my political hero.
But like so many over the next six years, I felt betrayed by Labour under Rogernomics. I wasn’t old enough to vote but I could see on the news how tough people were doing it as that government set about smashing the egalitarian society that I’d grown up in. So a few years later at University, seeing Jim Anderton and Pam Corkery speak at the Maidment Theatre, it was to the Alliance that I looked, rather than Labour.
But Labour has always been there in my family. I remember going to see my folks on the day that Andrew Little stood down as the leader of the Labour Party. Yelling out through my car window after seeing my Mum in the street - “have you heard the news?”
Andrew Little announced his retirement as an MP yesterday. In my opinion a very good man. I thought the way he was treated as leader was awful, John Key sneering “Angry Andy”, in one of his pathetic Trumpisms. Some questioned Little’s reasons for stepping down as leader in 2017, not me. I thought it was an incredibly selfless act to step aside from what would realistically be his only tilt at becoming the Prime Minister, in the interests of the party.
In a parallel universe, where Little didn’t stand down, Bill English would’ve won the 2017 election, and quite possibly the 2020 one as well as the Covid incumbent. I’ll always be grateful to Andrew Little for enabling us to have Jacinda Ardern as Prime Minister through those years, as a result of his selfless act of putting his party first. Having said that changing the leader isn’t always the best bet. Even after a defeat.
Helen Clark was Labour leader for six years before she was elected Prime Minister in 1999. She stared down a leadership coup lead by Phil Goff prior to the 1996 election, and then remained leader despite Winston Peters selecting a National government at that election. Clark went on to become the second longest serving Labour PM, after Peter Fraser, and the longest serving PM we’ve had since Holyoake in the sixties.
If you don’t mind, here’s a comparison with my favourite football team of these last 40 years or so, Manchester United.
Alex Ferguson took the reins as manager in 1986, with the club not having won the top division for twenty years. It would take him six years to do so, during which time there were multiple calls demanding his sacking. In the 20 years from 1992 United won the top flight thirteen times, making Fergie one of the most successful managers in the history of the game. In 1989 he’d been just one game from being sacked.
Chris Hipkins was an excellent Minister during the sixth Labour government (2017-2023), and while it took me a wee while to get used to Jacinda being gone he has been a very kind and decent PM.
The electorate has made a decision that many may live to regret, but I see no reason for Labour to change leaders. He was the best option last week and he’s the best one this week. I for one am glad to see him stay, don’t forget the setbacks Helen Clark had. Chippy will come again and be stronger for this experience. A bit of time ripping Luxon a new asshole ( to go along with Seymour ) will do him good.
In the meantime it’d be nice if he took a leaf out of Damien O’Connor’s book. Respect is earned through actions, not by position. Chippy has my respect, as does Helen White, and Damien O’Connor. Jenna Lynch on the other hand…
Good on you Damien .... he's a top man too, like Chippy and Andrew Little. Pretty sad that Maureen Pugh (climate change denier ..) is leading and likely to win the 'West Coast-Tasman' electorate, over Damien.
Jenna is a parasite, with a wayward moral compass, and lacking in judgement ... everything is about her. Thanks for your candid writings and ability to clearly put things in perspective, Nick
I thought the media might have let up on Labour once they had their way but Anna Burns Frances on Breakfast this morning was just cruel to Chippie!! Straight after a sad item about Shane Rettie going back on what he said about funding for a hospital that had been ring fenced by labour. I just felt saddened. If only Chippie had said, Fuck off Anna!!! I know he never would of course.