NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Goff thinks fresh face has winning edge

Audrey Young
By Audrey Young
Senior Political Correspondent·NZ Herald·
26 Apr, 2009 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Phil Goff with Labour's hopefuls for the Mt Albert byelection - from left: Meg Bates, Glenda Fryer, Chris Tremewan, David Shearer, Stuart Prossor, Rhema Vaithianathan, Farida Sultana and Helen White. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey
Phil Goff with Labour's hopefuls for the Mt Albert byelection - from left: Meg Bates, Glenda Fryer, Chris Tremewan, David Shearer, Stuart Prossor, Rhema Vaithianathan, Farida Sultana and Helen White. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

Phil Goff with Labour's hopefuls for the Mt Albert byelection - from left: Meg Bates, Glenda Fryer, Chris Tremewan, David Shearer, Stuart Prossor, Rhema Vaithianathan, Farida Sultana and Helen White. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey



Labour leader Phil Goff says his party's bid to keep the Mt Albert seat in the coming byelection will be stronger with fresh faces.

He made the comment yesterday after the eight Labour candidates vying for Labour selection this Sunday faced their first meeting with local members.

Mr Goff said the withdrawal of locally based list MP Phil Twyford from the contest had not been raised either in the meeting of about 130 members at Owairaka school or in any of the discussions he had had yesterday.

The Green candidate will be co-leader and list MP Russel Norman, and National list MP Melissa Lee will be a strong contender to win her party's nomination.

It is believed that Mr Twyford was pressured by Mr Goff not to stand because he believed that having an existing MP as a candidate would be a disadvantage.

A win in Mt Albert by a Labour list MP would also return former Auckland Central MP Judith Tizard to Parliament.

Mr Goff said the Twyford decision "is simply accepted that that was the decision taken for the reasons that Phil gave and I don't think there is any ongoing concern about that at all".

Mr Twyford's statement said it was "an ideal opportunity to bring more fresh talent into the Parliament".

Mr Goff described a Herald on Sunday column yesterday by union leader and former Alliance leader Matt McCarten as over the top.

Mr McCarten said that "in a stunning display of political cowardice, the Labour Party national hierarchy this week kneecapped Twyford".

He added: "The political assassination of one of their best and brightest is one of the most disloyal and treacherous political acts I've seen."

Mr Goff said the column was a little over the top but then said, "actually, it was a lot over the top".

There was no substance to what Mr McCarten was saying.

"We have Phil Twyford in Parliament therefore we haven't missed out on the qualities that Phil can bring to us."

Mr Goff would not reveal what advice he had given Mr Twyford "but I think it will be a strength for the Labour Party to have a candidate who is not a member of Parliament".

"Now they will be asking the questions, I imagine, 'Why would we vote for Melissa Lee, she is already there. Why would we vote for Russel Norman, he is already there."

Labour had the chance with its eight contenders for the nomination to put a fresh face to the electorate. And any of them would be a good candidate, he said.

The field of nine was cut to eight with the withdrawal last week of Simon Mitchell, who has just been elected a City Vision member of the Eden-Albert community board.

David Shearer, a former adviser to Mr Goff, is considered the one to beat for the Labour nomination.

At present he is the deputy special representative to Iraq of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Meanwhile the Kiwi Party says it will stand a candidate in the June 13 byelection.

Leader and former United Future MP Larry Baldock said no party in Parliament was committed to "addressing the damage done by the Labour Party's social engineering during their nine years in office". Most people wanted to see the anti-smacking law repealed and the drinking age raised.

Discover more

Opinion

Your Views on the Mt Albert by-election

27 Apr 12:44 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand|crime

Robber stole woman's $2k pokie winnings and left her unconscious outside bar

08 Jul 07:00 AM
New Zealand

'Avoid the area': Pedestrian injured after accident with car in Blenheim

08 Jul 06:30 AM
Crime

'Terrified': Father and daughter hostages speak of Nelson standoff ordeal

08 Jul 06:16 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
'Spiralling costs': Auckland cafe named after Jacinda Ardern motto closes
Lifestyle

'Spiralling costs': Auckland cafe named after Jacinda Ardern motto closes

08 Jul 07:00 AM
Robber stole woman's $2k pokie winnings and left her unconscious outside bar
New Zealand

Robber stole woman's $2k pokie winnings and left her unconscious outside bar

08 Jul 07:00 AM
'Avoid the area': Pedestrian injured after accident with car in Blenheim
New Zealand

'Avoid the area': Pedestrian injured after accident with car in Blenheim

08 Jul 06:30 AM
Tanah time: Boyd to make Warriors debut against Tigers
Warriors

Tanah time: Boyd to make Warriors debut against Tigers

08 Jul 06:27 AM
'Terrified': Father and daughter hostages speak of Nelson standoff ordeal
Crime

'Terrified': Father and daughter hostages speak of Nelson standoff ordeal

08 Jul 06:16 AM

Latest from New Zealand

Robber stole woman's $2k pokie winnings and left her unconscious outside bar

Robber stole woman's $2k pokie winnings and left her unconscious outside bar

08 Jul 07:00 AM

She was dragged by the robber’s car when she fought to get her money back.

'Avoid the area': Pedestrian injured after accident with car in Blenheim

'Avoid the area': Pedestrian injured after accident with car in Blenheim

08 Jul 06:30 AM
'Terrified': Father and daughter hostages speak of Nelson standoff ordeal

'Terrified': Father and daughter hostages speak of Nelson standoff ordeal

08 Jul 06:16 AM
Health NZ backs down on proposal to cut maternity and gynaecology beds

Health NZ backs down on proposal to cut maternity and gynaecology beds

08 Jul 05:50 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search