Wayne Mapp’s commercial legal experience is limited to three years assisting one John Collinge, former President of the National Party who is better known for activity on the the table at the London High Commission than legal expertise.
He spent thirteen years at the University of Auckland but was unable to obtain a chair or a position in the Law School. He then became an undistinguished MP and a lacklustre Minister.
Mapp got the push from the National caucus but has been given a job at the Law Commission – a role normally reserved for distinguished lawyers.
Cronyism again.
Isn’t it lovely how the Tories reward each other so well after their Parliamentary terms. Socialism at its very best.
Gotcha!
But seriously, Mapp, the official ‘political correctness buster’ himself, how inappropriate.
I suppose you’d Madeleine Setchell him, then?
I’ve made it clear in the past that Madeleine Setchell was not well treated.
Haven’t post-MP appointments have been common for a long time? Is it best to grizzle at them one by one or should the whole practice be considered?
- is political experience usually not appropriate in these appointments?
- would it be better to ban it altogether?
- are there always non-ex-MPS good enough to fill the positions?
Sorry Trevor I forgot, which government appointed Sir Geoffrey Palmer as PRESIDENT of the Law Commission? Wayne Mapp was a good Minister and he had many years as a senior member of the commercial law department at Auckland University.
Geoff Palmer was one of New Zealand’s most distinguished academic lawyers before he entered Parliament. He was then Attorney General with a reputation for leaving politics outside the portfolio. Subsequently he was a leading public law expert in the private sector as well as making a massive international contribution. He is a legal intellectual giant and Mapp is a pygmy.
Nice to see you ignoring the temptation for Gotcha politics Trevor.
Might I also point out that Labour had Michael Cullen as Attorney-General and he wasn’t even a lawyer.
The commercial law department… I wonder if that says it all? Was he within the law school, or was he one of the hacks who foisted com law compulsorily on bcom students? No matter, he’s the same MP that accused labour of having us ‘missing in action’ in Iraq. That says it all.
Please do not copy Kiwiblog here without attribution. Trevor
So Trevor you will turn down any offers of a position when you retire at the next election.
After all that’s the least a man of your integrity and ability can do
@Inverness – at this mid point of my career I’m not considering post parliamentary options.
I know, Trevor. You’ve still got another three terms as a minister to go before you retire from parliament.
(sorry, forgot to add the link)
If this is anywhere near accurate it should be a concern here.
I’d like to know what David Shearer thinks.
Nice spiteful post – thanks for reminding me why people have turned off from Labour. Try and be a human being rather than a mud slinger.
Cronyism is alive and kicking throughout New Zealand including the corporate world, (look at who was in charge of most of the finance companies that went belly up).
But surely this is a case of throwing stones in the glasshouse…
And the point of this personal attack is………..? Thought so , the ‘nasty’ strategy once again gets up on its hind legs and rears it head. Are Labour seriously expecting admiration for this kind of childishness?
I won’t say which is which, but out of the two below, who is more qualified to be a Member of Parliament?
1 -
Career:
Former Organiser, Adult Education Programme, Taumarunui
President, Student Teachers Association -1978
Secretary, King Country PPTA 1979-1981
Executive, NZ Association of Community and Continuing Education 1979-1984
Executive Assistant to Leader of the Opposition Mike Moore 1990-1993
Education:
Dip Continuing Education, Waikato University 1982-1984
2-
Career:
Lawyer, Private Practice 1978-1982
Lecturer, Commercial Law, Auckland University 1984-1994
Associate Professor, Commercial Law, University of Auckland 1994-1996
Former Deputy Dean, Commerce Faculty, University of Auckland
Former Chairperson, Maori and Pacific Islands Students Admission Scheme
Former Developer, Diploma in Business (Maori Development)
Author in the field of international trade law and taxation law
Member for North Shore, 12 October 1996-26 November 2011
Education:
LLB (Hons), Auckland University LLM, Toronto PhD, Cambridge University Barrister and Solicitor
But I’m elected to Parliament by Hutt South constituents – not appointed by my crony mates to a job on the Law Commission for which I don’t have the academic or professional standing.
Ok, so it’s not likely you’ll be appointed to the Law Commission in the future then.
How did you get appointed to stand for your electorate?
How did other candiates get appointed to stand for their electorates?
How did your list MPs get appointed to their positions on the list?
How did your leader get appointed to his job?
Call it crony matism, ‘who you know’, whatever, it’s all a normal part of many processes. Happens a lot inside and outside politics.
The problem is when an obviously ill-considered appointment is made. From what I’ve seen attacking Mapp seems to be more personal and/or petty political. I thought Labour wasn’t supposed to be like this any more. Maybe I listened to the wrong person.
@peter george. I was reselected as a Labour candidate unanimously by a large meeting of a very large membership of the Labour Party in Hutt South.
And re-elected with an increased majority by the people of Hutt South.
On the rest of the process read the Labour Party constitution. It is on the party website
I was reselected as a Labour candidate unanimously by a large meeting
How serious was your opposition? Anything more than token? It wasn’t ever so slightly a done deal before it got to the meeting?
I’m not trying to diss you for getting the selection, just trying to make the point that lobbying amongst ‘mates’ is pretty obviously common, probably more so in other selections than Hutt South.
Have you ever done any lobbying to try and organise the support of enough like minded ‘mates’ to get a preferred result in other electorates, or with the list or leadership?
No opposition for a while. People seem to think I do a good job. That’s why majority went up and Labour people at least tolerate me.
On the list order business. I vote like everyone else regionally and am happy with whatever I’m given nationally. Haven’t been involved in lobbying for other electorates unless you include supporting selected Labour candidates.
And yes I’ve always had views on leadership changes and have shared my views with colleagues. That is the way we select the leadership in the Labour Party. You might be aware that we are currently considering organisational reform that might result in rank and file members having a role.
But all of that is a long way away from the appointment of an under qualified exMP to the Law Commission.
Ok, back to this.
To provide some balance:
I agree with his last point too.
Historically I vote Labour. This win/lose who cares post makes me think of voting Green next time. Get on with supporting Shearer.
Robert Winter:
Yes, room for National improvement too.
Last post a repeat because 4.48 had disappeared but must have now been released from moderation.
Trevor, Stupid and offensive. It is off to moderation for you. Trevor
“Career:
Lawyer, Private Practice 1978-1982
Lecturer, Commercial Law, Auckland University 1984-1994
Associate Professor, Commercial Law, University of Auckland 1994-1996
Former Deputy Dean, Commerce Faculty, University of Auckland
Former Chairperson, Maori and Pacific Islands Students Admission Scheme
Former Developer, Diploma in Business (Maori Development)
Author in the field of international trade law and taxation law
Member for North Shore, 12 October 1996-26 November 2011
Education:
LLB (Hons), Auckland University LLM, Toronto PhD, Cambridge University Barrister and Solicitor”
I’d say give Mapp the benefit of actually having his feet under the table so we can judge him on his merit/work, rather than make wild assumptions about legal capacity. No ‘lightweight’ can hold a PhD in law and be a Deputy Dean of a faculty at NZ’s largest university.
Bernard Robertson the Actoid Editor of the NZ Law Journal is next I guess,,,,,
On paper he certainly seems to have some background for the job. Is it a job or is it always a political appointment?
Anyone in politics objecting to cronyism needs to be sure they are never in a position past or present, to be accused of cronyism.
It seems undoubtedly being in parliament broadens ones expertise. Ms Shipley for example trained, I understand, as a primary school teacher, became PM and serves on a number of boards and heads a number of initiatives very competently.
I must say suddenly some from the right who are usually anti “academics” for their lack of real worldness are in support of an academic. I say good for them because academics also live in a real world, as real as the rarefied air of international currency trading, and in contrary to the belief of many are VERY subject to budgetary constraints and whims.
It sounds to me like Wayne Mapp has had a long career in law and legal academia. Being an MP is legal experience too (on top of his fairly successful career).
If you wanted to have any shred of credibility, Trevor (in this post) you’d have offered a detailed resume of Dr. Mapp’s career, followed by a similarly detailed resume of the career of someone whose appointment to the Law Commission you thought was suitable. Perhaps somebody who Labour had appointed. That way we could judge whether or not he was a “distinguished lawyer” where you claim he is not.
A PhD in international law sounds fairly distinguished to most of us. From Cambridge no less.
It’s time we ended all these crony appointments. I hear old Lockie is going off to London, cronyism at its worst.
Here is a link tot he current commissioners
http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/about/commissioners
That is interesting Tracey. They certainly are a very distinguished group!
Lockwood Smith back off to the Mother Country right up his alley old boy.