When Helen Clark resigned the leadership of the Labour Party on election night three years ago, there was no competition for her job.
Phil Goff was handed the worst job at the wrong time.
Leading a party thrown out of office after nine years in government in opposition to a new government and very popular Prime Minister is a thankless task. It was made worse by the ill-discipline and disloyalty of caucus.
In spite of dissatisfaction with him and his leadership, none of his colleagues had the courage to challenge him, preferring him to take the fall for the inevitable election loss.
Now that’s over and Goff has resigned, there are at least five lining up to replace him.
Among those to put up their hands for the leadership or deputy role were David Parker, David Cunliffe, David Shearer, Grant Robertson, and Nanaia Mahuta, although Mr Goff said he could not rule out other candidates.
With that many contenders it is possible the new leader won’t be the most popular, but the least unpopular.
Homepaddock 
When I look beyond John Key and see Judith Collins,Tony Ryall, Paula Bennett, Craig Foss Amy Adams et al I am encouraged.
When I look at the Labour party and see the contenders apart from David Shearer I see very little hence my fear sanity might prevail and Shearer comes through to give a bunch of free spending socialists bereft of commercial expertise and hell bent on taxing NZ inc to oblivion camoflaged by a competent leader.
Please let them choose the Fiscal Creep.
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GD – I thought Cullen was the Fiscal Creep.
Cunliffe is PAP – Pompous, Arrogant, Prick.
I shall always remember him as the man who gave the two Labour safe seats of Napier and Tukituki to National for as long as Tremain and Foss want them by sacking the democratically elected and competent HBDHB.
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@pdm, my colleague Adolf coined it for Silent t and it applies equally to both.
I will give Cullen kudos for accepting such a mix of arrogance, nasty and smarmy was unpalatable to too many for electoral success whereas Adolf’s Fiscal Creep is incapable of seeing over his massive ego.
Agree on the HBDHB factor and to quote the another man who suffered the barbed tongue of “Toxic Labour”: “to be fair” Foss and Tremain have grabbed the opportunity and Hawkes Bay is the Winner.
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I once heard Cunliffe on the radio talking calmly and in a friendly tone. It was hard to be sure it was him!
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