It’s all on you Beaumont:
 From the Greymouth Star archives: Shunned O’Connor lashes out
http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/shunned-o%E2%80%99connor-lashes-out
West Coast-Tasman Labour list MP Damien O’Connor sent shockwaves through his own party yesterday by withdrawing from the party list, declaring that it was drawn up by “a gaggle of gays and self-serving unionists”.
That leaves the veteran Westport-born MP with just one chance of returning to Parliament in this year’s election — by beating National’s Chris Auchinvole to win back his old electorate.
He opted off the list before the rankings had been confirmed: “I was not given a position on the list. I pulled out before, having been given an indication that I was not going to be treated fairly,” he said today.
Many of the newcomers to the list were sanctioned by the union affiliates, including the former party president Andrew Little who, as secretary of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, was given 15th place, just below Labour’s front-bench MPs, and guaranteeing him a seat in Parliament.
Mr O’Connor said the composition of the list gave “straight shooters” like himself little chance of gaining a fair deal.
As I predicted – O’Connor’s ideals are more politically aligned with Camp Cunliffe than Shearer:
http://nowoccupy.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-labour-trifecta.html
Chris Trotter’s most recent post on The Daily Post:
With God on their side: explaining Labour’s factional divisions:
This post places O’Connor in Camp Shearer:
Team Shearer (14)
David Shearer, Phil Goff, Annette King, Trevor Mallard, David Parker, Clayton Cosgrove, Shane Jones, Damien O’Connor, Damien Fenton, Kris Fa’afoi, Ross Robertson, Carol Beaumont, Maryan Street, Ruth Dyson.
The Young and The Restless (9)
Grant Robertson, Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Phil Twyford, Clare Curran, Megan Woods, Ian Lees-Galloway, David Clark, Andrew Little.
Cunliffe’s People (11)
David Cunliffe, Lianne Dalziel, Moana Mackey, Nanaia Mahuta, Louisa Wall, Sue Moroney, Parekura Horomia, Rajen Prasad, Rino Tirikatene, Su’a William Sio, Raymond Huo.
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My recent analysis called O’Connor for Cunliffe. Which makes the numbers above start to dance in front of your eyes if you have more than a passing interest in politics.
If Cunliffe gets 14 MP’s behind him then he’s got a reasonable crack at the crown.
