Twenty five years ago today the Lange government was first elected. Annette King, Jim Anderton, Peter Dunne and I were elected as Labour MPs, Lockwood Smith for National. Annie and I had a three year voter imposed break from 1990-93, Jim and Peter went party wandering. Lockwood’s tenure is unbroken.
I’m doing a bit of writing at the moment on ECE changes this century and don’t intend to do anything tonight but record a few anecdotes.
- As new MPs we arrived were herded into Lange’s office where he greated us for all of a minute and a half and off we went to the caucus room to elect the new cabinet. It is a matter of record that the right of the party were so afraid of Helen Clark they arranged the votes for Peter Tapsell and Margaret Shields to be elected. My newly elected mate from Hamilton East the late Bill Dillon ran. It was an exhaustive ballot with all those getting fewer than five votes dropping after the first round. Bill did. I reckon he only scored the same way as John Terris did on his regular attempts to get into Cabinet – one – his own.
- Early one morning during the first week I was wandering along the ground floor corridor in the main block with one of my pre school kids when Muldoon (still PM) came the other way, by himself, no escorts or DPS in the buildings in those days. “Daddy, daddy there’s piggy muldoon she yelled.” The old fellow was generous enough to give her one of his famous grunty chuckles and say hello.
- Shortly afterwards in the Members and Guests dining room (now Copperfields) where lots of MPs had breakfast Muldoon pointed at me and using his stage whisper asked (now Sir then whip) Don Mckinnon who I was. “That’s Mallard Prime Minister, he beat Minogue.” Muldoon responded “Ah we had better send him a bottle of whisky then hadn’t we.” It never arrived.
As I was writing this I glanced at my photo with the President of China then ‘82, and recalled meeting Gromyko in 1989.
How about attaching some pics Trev? We all want to see what you looked like then.
Dark blue shirts and light blue suits, as I recall.
Career mid point? You will have to be turfed soon Trevor, your superannuation is becoming unaffordable to the nation.
Here’s a question – do you cost more to the taxpayer having you as an MP or if you were turfed and entitled to the super? It may be getting less expensive actually to keep you.
[...] Trevor Mallard waxes nostalgic about his 25 years as an MP: Shortly afterwards in the Members and Guests dining room (now Copperfields)
Can you tell me what you have achieved in those 25 years, what things are you proud of?
Trevor, you recount the first caucus meeting to elect the Lange cabinet after the 1984 election. Who did you vote for? Or would that be telling?
What did you think of Minogue Trevor, his record suggests he was a decent bloke. Must have been tough for him and Marilyn Waring. Congrats anyway. Now if you and Lockwood could just find a way to get along a little better…
Kate – I’m fiscally neutral on the super front. Only those who were MPs in 1992 qualify for the defined benefit scheme. That was during my voter imposed break.
Sweet D I Will leave that to memoirs, don’t have time just now.
I voted for Wilde Anderton and Clark while they were still in the running.
Thanks, Trevor. So, after they dropped off, who did you vote for?
Paul – I’m still not sure about Minogue. He didn’t expect to lose and took it pretty badly. He made some great speeches and stood up for Hamilton but the cynics said he lacked the follow through. Moore coined the Minogueburger expression – half tongue and half chicken. There was an element of truth in that. He did vote against the government but never when his was the vote that would result in them losing.
He didn’t attend most of the joint candidates meetings and shifted to the Coromandel soon after he lost so I didn’t ever get to know him. Marilyn Waring did rate him and I’ve got a lot of time for her.
Helen was there to the end.
Trevor, nice side step. You should be out on Eden Park on Saturday night.
Jennifer I don’t know how to sidestep.
Interesting. What was it like to be in the Labour caucus during those years? It must have been an experience what with the division. The right on one side and the left on the other..
Noted. Didn’t wish for another JoJo Hunt on the NZ taxpayer’s hands.
Your food and entertainment bill seems to be shrinking these days, now your girth appears a 10th the size of Jonathan. Well done, one less pie eater at Copperfields for the taxpayer to pay for.
millsy – character forming esp in the period from mid 87 on.
Kate apparently my bike racks have been replaced by a big fridge and pie warmer on the 7th floor. Though I understand that the more pies eaten at Copperfields the lower the taxpayer subsidy. Best pies are at Naenae pie shop run by Vietnamese family. Esp Steak and Kindney.
Shh Trevor, don’t tell name deleted Trevor or there will be taxi chits to Naenae on a daily basis.
Trevor, did you see Backbenchers last night? Young Patrick gave you an honorable mention.
No – good that someone does. I was at a union forum in Chch – went well.
Cactus Kate, Trev can eat pies because he spends lots of time at Bodyworks (the best gym in Wellington)and riding his bike. On ya bike has a a whole different meaning for Trev.
Best pies are at Nada Bakery in Johnsonville and it’s locally owned.
Hilary, Patrick Leyland was a star on Back Benches. It repeats on Friday 9pm on channel 97.
Not sure that twice a week is lots of time – but the pies certainly add less when I’m getting exercise. Biking is good.
[Deleted. Unconstructive abuse isn't welcome here parasite - admin]
Re Minogue, he gets praise in Templeton’s book, All Honourable Men, and I’d noticed he passed away recently. Interesting to note how many of Muldoon’s cabinet are still rattling about in various roles.
Trevor, re this post. I really hope you are writing your memoirs as this was an extraordinary era of NZ politics with so many contradictory things happening, such as the Royal Commission on Social Policy, the anti-nuclear and other environmental battles, the foreign policy initiatives, and lots of equity stuff going on, above the rust-never-sleeps Rogernomics agenda. If you, and/or some others of the left, don’t write it up, Michael Bassett’s version will become to be seen as definitive, over time.
I think it is Michael Cullen’s job – even though he says he doesn’t want to. He was in the Cabinet 1987-90 and Senior Whip 1984-87.
You could dictate your memoirs into a recording device while cycling.
Miss the days of Lange and Muldoon, how honest they were, the best of times, Lange made me switch my vote…
“Shh Trevor, don’t tell name deleted Trevor or there will be taxi chits to Naenae on a daily basis.”
Rather disappointing to see you edited Cactus’s comment above Trevor. Surely you should be not be enabling Mr X in his addiction ?
Bryan Spondre
Bryan we have decided to try and keep comments at a reasonable level rather than join the sewer with the blogs you are associated with. As you know this involves judgement.
Fair enough Trevor – though perhaps your previous post where you implied David Farrar looks like Danny DeVito playing “the Penguin” sunk to the level of “the blogs I am associated with”.
I am reasonably sure that I could track down footage of you making similar jokes (to those made above by the divine Miss Kate) about Gerry Brownlee during question time.
Bryan Spondre
Yep and thats not Red Alert.
Good point Trevor – it’s all about context. I make comments at Whaleoil & Cactus Kate that I would never tolerate at interest.co.nz in my role as Web Community Manager.
David has made a mistake by letting a troll culture develop at “Kiwiblog”; oddly I can’t see Cameron tolerating the same thing at “Whaleoil”.
It’s good that Labour has decided to ditch “The Standard” and learn from “Frog Blog” by having it’s MP’s post under their real names here. It has much more credibility than when Mike Williams was posting as “Batman” at “The Standard” last year. I don’t think it did your party credibility do much good.
Bryan Spondre
The Standard has never been Labour’s to ditch. I’m not sure if any MPs posted there but I certainly didn’t. My decision to always blog and comment over my own name comes from a mixture of wanting transparency and knowledge that technical people would catch me if I did otherwise. I think it has been a real strength of Red Alert. The fact that it is only MPs has made it easier to moderate as well. We trust each other to delete or edit comments from each others posts, and you might also have noticed that a couple of times i have ended up with format problems that others who are tidier and more technically savvy have sorted for me.