Posted by Blogger Name. Category:
Barbara Stewart
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Bill English
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Brendan Horan
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Budget Debate
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Denis O'Rourke
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Jan Logie
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NZ First
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Winston First
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Winston Peters
Winston Peters has been away from Parliament the last couple of days. He told reporters that his absence on Wednesday was because he was addressing a Grey Power meeting in West Auckland. However, as Pete George disclosed yesterday, the Grey Power meeting in question was actually held yesterday afternoon. Mr Peters seemed to have got his wires crossed.
But in his absence, his caucus has been an absolute shambles. We blogged yesterday about their attempts on Wednesday to stop Brendan Horan raising legitimate concerns about the possible misuse of taxpayer funds on party politicking. They were at it again yesterday as Mr Horan asked questions about workplace bullying. We've blogged the video of that question and the unsuccessful points of order here, and the Herald has also reported on the ongoing feud between Messrs Horan and Peters.
But the NZ First caucus was at that point yet to reach its nadir. Bill English closed the Budget Debate with his right of reply speech, after which Parliament voted; first on the no-confidence amendment moved by David Cunliffe, then on the Budget itself. Check this out; if you don't want to watch a spirited speech from Bill English, jump straight to about the ten minute mark:
They took the vote on Mr Cunliffe's no-confidence amendment first, and both the Greens and Winston First voted against it. The Greens realised the mistake before the count was made and corrected it, but NZ First did not. Watch the video; Denis O'Rourke is staring at Jan Logie as she amends the Green vote, and the penny hasn't dropped; what a plodder.
We can understand the Greens' error; when you are against everything the Government does, voting to oppose is your default setting. Jan Logie paused before announcing the Green vote, but at least was able to correct it with minimum embarrassment.
Denis O'Rourke's cock-up however was a real embarrassment, given the scrutiny his party and its leader have been under this week. One really has to wonder what NZ First adds to the current Parliament.
The story didn't end there however. Barbara Stewart had to come back into the House an hour later and seek leave to correct the result which initially saw Cunliffe's motion defeated 50-71. That it took NZ First an hour to grasp the effects of its stuff-up when it was causing mirth on social media at the time it happened is telling.
It hasn't been a great week for Winston First, or for its aging leader who is a shadow of his former self. Without Peters, the NZF caucus is a shambles, and there are now real doubts as to whether this is really the beginning of the end.
