Audrey Young: Labour president damned by a 'good idea' and a tape recorder

If a scale of consistency were applied to political resignations, Mike Williams would have been gone before breakfast this morning.

The Labour Party president walked into a trap on TVNZ's Agenda yesterday morning over what he told his party congress.

He denied having endorsed the distribution of Government department brochures in an interview with the very journalist, Guyon Espiner, who had a recording of him saying it was a "damn good idea".

Once the tape was aired on One News last night, Mr Williams was discredited.

The issue is no longer about the distribution of Government department leaflets but about whether the damage to Mr Williams will damage Labour enough for him to go.

Mr Williams has offered to resign for less - trying to shut down bad publicity for failing to tell a reporter about an interest-free loan that businessman Owen Glenn had given Labour.

Cabinet Ministers have been sacked for less. But Mr Williams is not a cabinet minister and that is in his favour. He is not a household name. He does not represent the brand in the way that an MP does.

Timing is on his side as well. If Parliament had been sitting for the next three weeks instead of in recess, National Deputy Bill English could have been devastating.

Labour will be damaged whether he stays or goes.

Prime Minister Helen Clark will not have made up her mind yet. Her instinct will be to tough it out rather than to allow the opposition to crow about such a trophy in election year.

But Mr Williams' value to Labour this year is his organisational skills and his role as campaign manager. That will continue whether or not he wears the president's hat.

Union chief Andrew Little is lined up to be the next party president. He may be needed sooner than expected.