NZ Politics

David Shearer quits as Labour leader

As speculation rises around who will replace David Shearer as Labour leader, MPs say he was too nice for the job.

Stuff,

22 August, 2013

Shearer stepped aside this afternoon, saying he didn't think he had support of his full caucus.

His resignation would be effective once a new leader was elected, which would happen in three to four weeks.

Wellington Central MP Grant Robertson, heading into the House with list MP Jacinda Ardern, said he was the acting leader while remaining deputy leader.

This afternoon iPredict, the prediction website which allows traders to take bets on economic and political events, said there was a 69 per cent chance that David Cunliffe would be the next leader of the party.

Bryce Edwards, a political commentator who lectures at the University of Otago, tweeted that the "new Labour leadership will be Cunliffe (leader) and Robertson (deputy) - I understand it's predetermined."

Cunliffe is widely believed to have the backing of Labour grassroots, while Robertson is likely to have significant support in the caucus.

Robertson said he would talk to colleagues and party members before making a decision on whether to stand to replace Shearer.

''I'm not ruling it out and I'm not ruling it in."

Robertson said he had been Shearer's ''loyal deputy'' and had tried to support him for the past 20 months.

''Everybody in the caucus, as everybody in the wider Labour Party, would like to see us doing better in the polls and David's obviously reflected on that. He made his own decision today and I respect that.''

Robertson said he first learned of Shearer's decision mid-morning today.Under Labour's rules, there would be a run-off for the leadership with the party having 40 per cent of the vote, the caucus having 40 per cent, and affiliates, including unions, 20 per cent.

Wildcards could be front bench MP Shane Jones, who was on a trajectory toward the leadership before blotting his copy book for running up blue movie bills on his ministerial credit card, while former Labour Party president Andrew Little may also be a contender.

David Parker ruled himself out of the running. He was part of a three-way battle for the leadership in late 2011, but said he was not going to stand again.

He refused to comment on whether he was surprised by Shearer's decision, or who would be a good leader.

"I'm sure he did it with sadness and we accepted his resignation with sadness, but support him in the decision.''

"TOO NICE"

Reaction to Shearer's resignation has ranged widely among MPs.

Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell praised Shearer as a person and said he was "shocked", but his downfall was inevitable because opinion had moved against him.

Mana Party leader Hone Harawira said Shearer was too nice.

"I always found him to be very friendly, very open and that's probably his downfall. Nice guys don't last long in this game," he said.

Justice Minister Judith Collins said it was obvious Shearer did not enjoy the support of his caucus. He was obviously not up to the leadership, which was a "tough job".

"I think the fish thing [a reference to Shearer producing two dead snapper in the House on Tuesday] was the last straw, frankly," Collins said.

She did not expect to see a stronger Labour emerge under new leadership.

"No, not from what I'm looking at over there."

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett said Shearer had not impressed as Labour leader although it was a shame to see a career end in such a way.

"I found him to be quite ineffective but that's easy for me to say from this side of the House," Bennett said, adding it was not that Shearer was too nice, "but I don't think he really ever hit his stride".

"You've either got it or you haven't and he proved not to."

She would not guess at who would be the next leader, but said: "I don't think it's Cunliffe."

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei said she and Russel Norman had enjoyed working with Shearer, and it was a matter for the Labour Party to select its new leader.

She was surprised by the timing of his resignation.

"I think it's very brave that David has resigned, rather than being removed," she said.

Turei had no information about what was behind the departure and had no view on who should be the replacement.

"I hope that it leads to a strong Labour Party who are as committed as we are to removing this Government," she said.

SUPPORT LACKING

Shearer told reporters this afternoon it had been a privilege to lead the party for the past 20 months.

"But we do need to do more," he said.

"So the time has come for me to hand over to a new leader who can take Labour through to 2014.

"We need to do more and we haven't had the lift (we want). To really take the country forward we need a Labour government.

"The ambitions of one person should never be larger than that greater purpose."

Whoever became leader would have his full support, he said.

Shearer said there was no letter of ultimatum on his leadership, and no vote.

"But from the soundings I have taken from colleagues I realise I no longer enjoy the confidence of a number of my caucus colleagues," he said.

"THERE NEEDS TO BE A NEW PUSH"

Voters in Shearer's Mt Albert electorate were surprised to hear of his resignation but believed change was needed if Labour was going to topple the Government.

"There needs to be a new push. Something needed to happen to get the National government out, especially now the GCSB Bill is through," said Alie McPherson, 42, a Mt Albert mum and teacher's aid.

She voted for Shearer in the last election, but felt he wasn't that charismatic and had failed to make an impact as a leader.

She didn't know who could replace Shearer.

However, she believed Kiwis would support a gay prime minister.

"I think New Zealand is ready for that. It could be interesting," McPherson said.

"Something else had to happen.Hopefully with the power of the Greens they will be able to work together and smash them out."

RUMBLINGS

The first rumblings that something might be afoot came yesterday when Jones was apparently asked about Shearer's "dead snapper" stunt which backfired on him this week.

Jones reportedly told Maori TV that when the rot started, it began at the top - an apparent reference to the rot in Labour starting with Shearer.

Shearer has been dogged by bad polls. His resignation comes just a day after a Fairfax Media-Ipsos poll which showed Labour had got no traction on big ticket policies or dented National's support despite controversies such as the GCSB bill.

The poll put Labour on 31.6 per cent compared with National's 48.3 per cent.

But the big concern for Labour would have been the four-point drop since the start of the year.

Shearer was chosen as Labour leader in December 2011, in a two-man contest with David Cunliffe.

He took over from Phil Goff, who resigned following election defeat to National.

Shearer had entered Parliament in 2009, after Helen Clark quit to take up the top job at the United Nations, winning the Mt Albert by-election with a majority of 9718.