Monday 12 September 2005

Tizard swings the handbag

Judith Tizard, Auckland Central MP, former Minister in Charge of Helen Clark's handbag, and a woman with all the people skills of a large rodent managed to give a room-full of 100 Auckland Central voters a master class yesterday in how to acquire those skills for oneself.

Aaron has his own report here of Labour's eighteenth-ranked candidate arriving late to the meeting, heading to the podium and immediately recoiling at the humorous 'news' that the media "had been excluded from the room." She immediately picked up her toys and her flunkies and flounced out saying there was no point in talking to us peasants then, leaving behind her bemused Epsom colleague Stuart Nash to stand in for her, and we bloggers to stand in for the fourth estate.

If this is Tizard on her best behaviour, I would not like to see her at her worst. As a charm offensive, it was definitely the latter, rivalled perhaps only by Pete Hodgson's wrestling match last week. Under 'arrogant,' see Labour MPs.

About Town's Tristan (whose colleague Xavier did stay) commented at DPF's, "the only people there were candidates or supporters of the Libitrians (sic), ACT, National, Destiny, Direct Democracy and the Maori party... not exactly a friendly audience." Poor lamb. Fancy having to face an unfriendly audience, and not a journalist in sight with whom to sympathise.

[UPDATE: National's speaker at the meeting , Dr Jackie Blue, has given her own account of Tizard's hissy fit. And bar owner and Auckland Independent candidate Thomas Forde has just told Radio Live that he at least was there to be swayed, and he will certainly not be voting Labour this election. He's certainly managed to gain some excellent advertising for his bar out of all this.]

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