Is Shearer here for the long haul?

In the aftermath of the Mt Albert by-election win by David Shearer The Inquiring Mind questions whether David Shearer is in politics for the long-term.

David Shearer has never lasted more than five years in a job: when he gets bored, he moves on.

“You’ve got to be able to make a difference and make some change and it has to be challenging,” he says. “When either of these things start to disappear you tend to move along.”

The 63 per cent of Mt Albert electors who yesterday voted him their new MP may be taken aback by this. Their last MP – Helen Clark – held the job for 28 years.

As quoted by Anna Rushworth in the HoS.

Given the attitudes in NZ Labour and their penchant for gestures over substance and for dirty tricks, will David Shearer last 5 years?

If he cannot satisfy his own criteria will he move on?

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