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Cunliffe silent after being demoted
Labour's caucus has given party leader David Shearer a unanimous vote of confidence and his rival, David Cunliffe, has been stripped of his portfolios and banished to the back bench.
Mr Cunliffe, the party's fifth-ranked MP who was the spokesman for economic development, avoided media when he left Tuesday's caucus meeting.
Mr Shearer called his MPs together because Mr Cunliffe refused to endorse his leadership at Labour's weekend annual conference and persisted with his campaign to undermine his position.
"I no longer have confidence in him, he has lost my trust," Mr Shearer told a press conference after the caucus vote.
"I have demoted David Cunliffe from the front bench to the unranked section of the caucus."
Mr Shearer hasn't taken action against any of Mr Cunliffe's supporters, thought to number fewer than 10 in the 34-member caucus.
They weren't prepared to show their hand on Tuesday but Mr Cunliffe will be able to use the summer recess to muster support for a challenge at the leadership review in February - if he wants and if he can gather enough backers.
To trigger a leadership vote in February he will need 40 per cent of caucus to back him - 14 votes - and after Tuesday's vote that seems unlikely.
Mr Cunliffe had previously said he would support Mr Shearer in the caucus vote, but wouldn't give an assurance that his loyalty would last through to the February review.
Mr Shearer says he is demanding a united caucus and expects to win in February if Mr Cunliffe mounts a challenge.
"I will win, I can count," he said.
"I have the confidence of my caucus, I've spoken to many of them and February isn't an issue."
Mr Shearer will announce a new economic development spokesman in the next few days.- < Previous
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44 Comments
How come John gets more than 500 characters ? ? ?
ReplySo "G" says this is all a plot by John Key. John Key he says is manipulating Cunliffe. It really scares me at times that some people are allowed to vote! I honestly believe that there should be an IQ test of some description that people have to pass before they could vote. That would of course spell the end of the Green Party and Labours vote would be halved BUT that is not a bad thing!
1 ReplyEssentially under MMP--that's what the left voted in--the left fractionated the vote.Never again will their beloved gay dominated-Union rabblerousing/mischief making lot gain total power.No.Have to share it with Extreme Lefties and Money printing hyenas like the Crazy Greens and opportunists like Winnie and maybe the racist Maori Party.A Recipe for chaos.Disaster and mayhem unheralded in the History of NZ.At your doorstep.Meanwhile the strike action by their affiliated mates is drawing near.Holiday time.Summer.Xmas near.Yes sir.The usual strike on the Cook Strait ferries is rolling in on the next wave.This is of course the Gay Labour Way.The lefty means of creating disorder and ego chasing opportunities at the expense of Mr and Mrs Public and kids.Local rail will be next.Keep it up lefties.More chaos.Less votes.More associations with Crazy parties like Aussie Norman and his tulip munching Money printing band means less votes.But thickness comes in various sizes.And the thickness of the Left wouldn't breach a ships container.
ReplyRichard. The social engineering carried out by Helen Clark and Sue Bradford should have told you that it isn't about any benefits for 'us', its about control and power. Clark sent NZ into a Socialist Welfare State on behalf of the UN and today a large percentage of the population now relies on this 'welfare' and moan when a sensible govt. like National comes along and tells the bludgers to stand up for themselves. How do you think Clark got the UN job ?
ReplyWhat we need is a party that is there for all of us. we are fast becoming more devided, in the long run if we sell state assests it will hurt us deeply. state assest sales is only a short term fix.we have only red and blue party there is no nutrual white color to find the balance in all of us.we all need to unite and find a balanced party.
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