Spot the contradiction

When John Key ruled out working with Winston Peters, Phil Goff said:

Mr Key was arrogant for ruling out NZ First prior to voters having their say.

“I’m going to let the voters make the decision.”

That was in February. Now, just a little more than a month later he’s saying he won’t work with Hone Harawira:

If the MP is re-elected in November this year, Labour leader Phil Goff says his party would not enter talks with him on forming a Government.

Mr Goff says Mr Harawira would not be a reliable coalition partner.

However, he is not ruling out working with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters if he returns to Parliament.

It’s not just the contradiction between last month’s “I’m going to the voters make the decision” and this month’s refusal to consider working with Hrawira, it’s also his willingness to work with Peters when he’s been kicked out of three coalitions – including one in which Goff was a senior minister.

I could almost feel sorry for Labour supporters like Imperator Fish who posts:

I’m willing to cut the new leader of a political party a bit of slack. Even if they have been around the political scene for years.

But I can barely listen to or read a thing Phil Goff says without groaning. He really needs to be taken aside and given the hard word about gun safety. How can anyone shoot themselves in the foot so many times?

. . . But Goff’s happy to work with Winston Peters, despite Peters being at least as widely reviled as Harawira. The main difference between the two is that Harawira speaks from the heart. He may be unreliable and unstable, but you know where you stand with Hone.

Apropos of  where Peters stands, his infamous NO sign is being auctioned at a Press Gallery fundraiser at the Backbenchers.

John Key says he’ll bid $5,000 for it and David Farrar and Cameron Slater are asking for contributions so they can bid for it.

If we win it, we guarantee it will turn up to most of the public meetings that Winston attends during the campaign. E-mail me if you are willing to contribute towards buying it at the auction, and how much you are able to contribute. If we get it for less than the amount pledged, we’ll divide it up pro-rata. And remember it is all for a good cause – money for Christchurch relief.

Two good causes – the earthquake relief and the fun they’ll have with it at election meetings.