Has Andrew Little gone silent? Yes, but only about his Labour leadership ambitions

“But keeping quiet isn’t my strong suit.”

On the front page of the NZ Herald, one item grabbed Alf’s attention: It was headed Little not saying much and it steered readers to an item headed…

Little dodges leadership contest questions.

Oh joy, Alf thought.

Has the Labour MP been struck dumb?

Alas, no.

Rather, he he was being evasive – or had gone coy.

Labour MP Andrew Little has dodged questions about whether or not he will throw his hat into ring of the leadership contest.

Speaking on TV3’s The Nation this morning, Mr Little said he is waiting until after final election results are released today before he starts to make a decision.

“I’m just waiting to see whether I am going to still be in parliament, I won’t know until 2pm today,” he said.

“It is not something I have given thought to at this point, but if I am confirmed today I will have an opportunity to think about it, and if I’m not I’ll find other ways to support the cause.”

Keep an eye on Charlie the Chimp – he gibbers, sure, but he would make one helluva great Labour leader

You can have a loser, or a gay…or me.

Up the road an hour or two from Eketahuna, Stuart Nash has been having second and then third thoughts about Labour’s leadership.

He obviously fancies himself in the job but is running hot and cold on the matter, if we are to believe this report.

A third contender could be about to enter the ring for Labour leadership, with MP Stuart Nash reportedly reconsidering his position.

Mr Nash ruled out contesting the leadership last week, leaving Grant Robertson and former leader David Cunliffe the only candidates in the running.

There is some concern the mood for change in the party won’t be satisfied with Mr Robertson as leader and RadioLIVE reports there is lobbying for Mr Nash who is seen as an electable Prime Minister.

If he can bring in Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis as a potential deputy it would secure crucial Maori votes. Unions have a 20 percent say in the election primary and it’s understood they’re open to the idea. In caucus there’s also a sizable group who would likely get in behind him.

Steve Gibson’s handicap: he’s too fricking honest for the good of the Labour Party

Drink up … it’s a truth drug.

The remarkably stormy political career of a leftie by name of Steve Gibson was entirely predictable.

By his own account, the Labour Party’s Rangitata candidate is “too fricking honest”.

This clearly disqualifies him from standing for any party run by lefties or greenies and Alf is astonished that he ever signed up with any party with those leanings.

It was inevitable that David Cunliffe would soon be saying Gibson has no future as a Labour candidate.

It looks like Standard fare – you celebrate because the Nats’ poll support has fallen to 50%

“If you ask me about a capital gains tax today, I think I know the answers.”

It looks awfully as if a writer at The Standard has been puffing much too much of the stuff that the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party would like to legalise.

Or imbibing too much in Alf’s favourite tipple.

Scribbling his observations under the name mickysavage, he is admitting that a month ago he was very pessimistic about the left’s chances in this election.

And well he might.

The media narrative was very negative and was having its effect. Morale was low. And the Beehive inspired and Slater directed attacks on David Cunliffe were relentless.

Crusher has been thrown (or thrown herself) to the wolves – but the wolves should beware

Kevin Skinner gave us a lesson in the useful application of a bit of biffo.

Alf and his true-blue mates were dismayed by news of Crusher’s resignation as a Minister.

Fair to say, Alf’s dismay was tempered by the realisation – “hope” might be a better word – that this may well mean The Boss promotes him to the ministerial job that has been his ambition for some time.

But for now, those ambitions are being kept very private and for public purposes – well, the Member for Eketahuna North is declaring that he is devastated.

He is also highly disapproving of Labour’s leaping in to exploit Crusher’s plight.

Of course, that’s what one would expect from a bunch of lefties and greenies whose political aspirations far exceed their collective talents.

Hence they are apt to be desperate.

PC responses make it hard to malign political opponents without upsetting Guyon

But this might have offended the Scots. And ducks.

Alf has much the same grasp of Shakespeare as Labour’s Rangitata candidate, Steven Gibson, who has been getting much more of his share of the media limelight than is fit and proper for someone unlikely to be elected in September.

But Alf is aware of a Shakespearean play titled Much Ado About Nothing.

He is inclined to think this pretty well sums up the fuss about something this Gibson feller seems to have posted on a Facebook page, according to this Radio NZ account.

Labour’s Rangitata candidate Steven Gibson is on his last warning after referring to John Key as Shylock in a social media post, the party’s leader David Cunliffe says.

Mr Gibson was commenting on a Facebook post which had a photo of the cup of tea deal between the then Epsom candidate for ACT John Banks and National Party leader John Key in Auckland in 2011.

Cunliffe should be delighted. The irritatingly nit-picking Guyon Espiner gave him a platform of several minutes on Morning Report to discuss Gibson and this Shylock bloke.

No, we shouldn’t be following the bloody wowsers – let’s take our cues on leadership from Churchill

Here’s where prohibition takes you.

Alf was alarmed to learn The Boss has confessed to guests at a fundraising event that he has been on the wagon since his return from a Hawaii holiday last month.

According to this report at Stuff:

Key revealed his abstinence at a fundraising event at Wellington’s Dockside restaurant on Wednesday night. He noted the irony about delivering a speech while standing in the bar.

A spokeswoman said “He is just taking good care of himself for the campaign.” Key is known to favour pinor noir and English-brewed Bath Ales.

Obviously The Boss did not consult Alf before taking what looks like a drastic as well as highly unnecessary course of action.

The Labour Party caucus looks likely to remind Cunliffe that ski poles aren’t the ones that matter

Alf has observed with huge delight the latest issue to divide the benighted Labour Party.

It’s whether David Cunliffe should have taken a holiday.

Cunliffe was in Queenstown last week for a skiing holiday with his family

The Sunday Star-Times today reports that the decision to take a break – or was it the decision to take a too-brief holiday in Queenstown? – has been questioned by Labour MPs according to a party source.

The Boss is taking a break – and Labour should pack Cunliffe off on holiday too (a long one)

Alf will pop down to the Labour Party’s local branch HQ later in the day with his electioneering advice…

It’s a measure of the confidence streaming through the National Party that The Boss is buggering off with Branagh for a pre-election break.

He had confided in Alf a few days ago about his plans, but the NZ Herald has broken the news publicly today:

With only 71 days to the election, Prime Minister John Key is taking an extended overseas holiday, thought to be at his bolt-hole on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

Labour’s exorbitant liquor lark – $100,000 for a bottle of Clark Gargle looks a bit rich

Liu’s partner got wine, Rick Barker got forgetful … and Cunliffe has got the hangover.

The authorities who police these things should take a bloody hard look at the way the Labour Party has got into the liquor trade.

Alf’s good mate Whale Oil drew attention a few weeks ago to a Labour Party fund-raiser in South Auckland, when those in attendance tossed coins at a bottle of whisky.

Alf’s fondness for good scotch might have tempted him to have a go at winning the bottle by these means, but he would have balked at having to travel to Auckland – a sad city he prefers to avoid – and he has been programmed never to do anything that would benefit the Labour Party.