Robert's fantasy...

Robert Winter blogs about his mind wandering:

As it does, my mind wandered as I walked to work this morning (in part because, again, it was a drear Auckland morning with the odd shower and a chill breeze - where is summer, I wonder?). Anyway, as I fantasised, I imagined a situation where Annette King resigned tomorrow, Helen Kelly won her seat (leaving the excellent Richard Wagstaff to run the CTU with the equally excellent Peter Conway), and Ms Kelly was immediately elevated to at least Deputy Leader. I thought about the noses that would be out of joint in the caucus, but isn't there something about omelettes and broken eggs?

As fantasies go, it was pretty tame (age, perhaps?) but the step was jauntier.  

Unfortunately for Helen Kelly (and for Robert Winter), Annette King's Rongotai electorate takes in the Miramar peninsula which is, of course, the home of the New Zealand film industry. 

Let us not forget that just under two years ago, Sir Richard Taylor was able to mobilise 1500 film technicians with just three hours notice to protest against the Australian actors' union, supported by none other than the CTU and Helen Kelly trying to muscle in on the New Zealand film industry. One can only imagine the carnage that Sir Richard and Sir Peter Jackson could wreak in a prolonged election campaign!

The Hobbit is completed, or "in the can" as they say in the business. Wellington will host the World Premiere later in the year and revel in the international attention directed to a long-awaited movie. That Wellywood will strut the world stage in IN SPITE of Helen Kelly, not because of her.

So maybe Rongotai wouldn't be quite such a good fit for Helen Kelly. Now; if David Shearer was to reshuffle Trevor Mallard into retirement, Hutt South would become available; a much more blue-collar seat. To paraphrase Robert Winter "As fantasies go, it was pretty tame ( middle age, perhaps?) but the step was jauntier...."