Russel Norman on how to win friends and influence people!

Murray Webb-Stuff 5 June 2008

Tuesday was Red Russel’s first day as an MP.

Here is what happened on :-

TUESDAY Russel Norman’s big day. The Greens’ co leader receives a smattering of applause from Labour MPs and a handshake from the Prime Minister after being sworn in as an MP. He then sets about exhausting Labour’s reservoir of goodwill.

Norman obviously doesn’t believe in Keith Holyoake’s famous dictum about MPs breathing through their nose for their first few months while they get the measure of Parliament; instead he kicks sand in ministers’ faces on his first day.

For his first parliamentary question, he picks that most sensitive of subjects— ministers’ VIP transport. Norman demands to know when ministers are going to get out of their Crown cars and catch the bus to work. Transport Minister Annette King bristles, telling him a large number of her Labour colleagues walk to work, while she has on occasion caught the bus. But Norman persists. King suggests Norman work co-operatively on improving public transport rather than ‘‘whipping up a political storm’’.

What she doesn’t say is that Norman had better watch out he is not caught cadging a ride in a ministerial limo, ever. Having ruled himself out of using a limo— perhaps the firstMPin history to have ever done so— there is the small question of what Norman will do if he becomes a minister in a Labour-Greens coalition. They may be a perk, but the limos also have a purpose. Ministers simply don’t have the time to jump on a bicycle between engagements, let alone bussing or walking. And is getting a taxi any better carbon footprint-wise than hopping in the back of one of the ministers’ swish new fuel-efficient BMWs?

Boy, that Red Russel really knows how to win friends and influence people does he not? No learning the ropes for Red Russel. Up and at’em.

And on :-

WEDNESDAY Norman has another question, this time to Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton.

It is the Young Turk of the left up against the Not So Young Turk still very much of the left.

Norman is fired up about the water quality in the rivers and streams in the Manawatu-Wanganui region. He claims the Ministry of Agriculture, state-owned enterprise Landcorp and Federated Farmers made almost word-forword submissions opposing steps to improve water quality.

Rather than do battle, Anderton plays the wise old uncle offering the new boy some sage advice.

Rejecting Norman’s claim that his ministry has been hijacked by Federated Farmers, Anderton mentions the Holyoake dictum. ‘‘I suggest to the member that he takes a little bit of quiet time after getting into Parliament . . . and stops making cheap political points.’’

Now you might think that after 2 days of this Russel might be getting the hint, but no there is more:-

THURSDAY Norman is still talking about water— and continuing to plunge in the deep end. The Greens give their co-leader his third question in three days— their total allocation for the week.

This time he is up against against Parliament’s most skilful debater— Michael Cullen.

Norman’s sermon today concerns the threat to Auckland’s drinking-water posed by dairy conversions in the Waikato River catchment. He wants a moratorium on such conversions.

However, as his questions get lengthier, some MPs are not so quietly wanting a moratorium on Norman. Winston Peters raises a point of order: ‘‘The reason why you are hearing a rising tempo in the House is that this is not a question any more. It is becoming a speech.’’

Speaker Margaret Wilson reminds Norman he needs to be succinct. He tries and isn’t.

Cullen refers him back to the answer to Norman’s first question ‘‘from which the member continues to draw a false conclusion to base his pre-written supplementary questions on’’.

By Cullen’s standard, it is a mild rebuke. When Norman returns to the chamber after the coming two week recess, he will be just another MP. He might find his stroppiness is repaid in kind.

The above is taken from John Armstrong’s Political Diary as published in the NZ Herald today 5 July, which is not as far as Adam can find on line. It can be found at the bottom right of Page A20. This is a regular feature by John Armstrong each week.

Red Russel, from the above vignettes has got off to a flying start. With any luck he has irritated Peters, King, Anderton and Cullen such that down the line they will happily take him to pieces in the House on a regular basis. Whether he likes it or not, places such as the House have their own rules and conventions and Russel will be taught one way or another to play by those rules.

What did his posturing achieve. Nothing. His delivery in the House was stilted, ah what the hell he irritates me!

Though Adam got considerable enjoyment from reading John Armstrong’s piece and determined to share it with others.

Tags: Fun, Greens, Irritants, John Armstrong, New Zealand, Parliament, Politics, Russel Norman