Don’t Trip on the Way Out…
Everyone seems flustered by the pasturing out of Michael Cullen to the Deputy Chair of NZ Post. AdamSmith1922 at the Inquiring Mind has the agitation well-documented here. Personally, I am puzzled as to what all the fuss is about.
I long ago decided that, no matter how strange and naive John Key acts, the chances are that he is doing something cunning rather than prattish. I came to this conclusion because he has a net worth of $50 million and I have a net worth that is hard to understate. Money isn’t everything, of course, but it is a reasonable way to keep score of acumen, particularly the business kind.
So when it comes the Michael Cullen, I just assume that Key must have a “cunning plan” (as Baldrick would say in Blackadder) and look for it.
I suspect the reason for this appointment is that it stops Cullen from becoming a negotiator for central North Island iwi Tuwharetoa. Such a position would be a massive conflict of interest and it is almost certain that Cullen would have had to give this up, in order to be deputy chair of NZ Post. For Cullen, this would be an excellent position, offering him a shot at the NZ Post chair or even Kiwibank. It is also far less limiting for appointments to other boards than a treaty negotiator would be
So what Cullen gets out of this is easy to see. What Key gets out of it is more subtle. Whale Oil suggests that Cullen will be isolated from Labour in much the same way as Bolger was isolated from National when he became chairman of Kiwibank. I think he is probably right about this, but I also think that the predominant reason is to prevent Cullen being involved in treaty negotiations.
The new relationship between Maori and National is very important to Key. He sees it as both a political move to ensure National’s long-term survival and also a smart move in terms of addressing some of New Zealand’s most pressing social problems (many of which have a strong Maori component). Cullen as a treaty negotiator would be in a perfect position to damage that relationship, either by stonewalling the process or by grandstanding. In reality, this is probably the only area in which Cullen could still cause trouble for National.
So the potential chairmanship of Kiwibank is not too much of a price to neutralise National’s most dangerous opponent. Cullen might actually do well for Kiwibank (where he can’t just tax people to death to cover his mistakes). But even if he does not, Kiwibank, frankly, will not be a great loss. My advice for Dr. Cullen is that he should avoid tripping on the way out, because the knife will be swift if he falls.
The Smiling Assassin wins again…
Related posts:
- Viewpoints Tuku Morgan voices his opinion that: The Government’s denial of...
- I’m not dead There’s a plague scene in Monty Python and the Holy...
- The Right Thing It is rare for the Greens and Act to see...
- Bad Reason for a Bad Idea Garth George broaches the issue of Maori seats in local...
- No Hole on the Horizon Treasury now predicts that the Cullen fund will be $37...
Apr 8 09 9:18 am
“The Smiling Assassin wins again”
Do you not realise when you’re coming across as a dork – or is it just a sophisticated ironic pose?
Apr 8 09 10:00 am
“Money isn’t everything, of course, but it is a reasonable way to keep score of acumen, particularly the business kind”
I can’t vouch for business outside banking, but can state that this is certainly far from a given in the world of banking. Having worked in the industry (wholesale banking) for over a decade, I can state that there is little apparent correlation between acumen and success. Until the credit crisis, I’ve struggled to convince people just how stupid many bankers are. Even now, people think I’m exaggerating.
Of course, there are smart people in banking and Key might well have been one of them. It’s simply that there are so many very wealthy, intellectually sub-standard, bankers out there, that it would be dangerous to assume that wealth implies ability.
Apr 8 09 11:18 am
Rog, ditto, in spades, with bells, whistles, and cherubim and seraphim, etc, etc, etc… You want MD to add /irony tags each time ?
Apr 8 09 1:22 pm
Cullen said yesterday that he will continue with his Maori negotiator role.
Today a lot more is revealed. Don Brash to Transpower, several Labour deputy chairs to take over, Kirk to the lotteries Commission and a Memorandum of Understanding with the Greens.
Effectively we now have a better Labour National representation on boards, and a near 80% Grand Coalition of the political parties and labour gutted of its talent.
JC
Apr 8 09 1:58 pm
JC: Yes, I see that Cullen is still going to be a negotiator. I would have thought that would be a massive conflict of interests but obviously, I am wrong. So much for my penetrating political analysis… (PS Rog: that was sarcasm)
Mark: Yes, I should have pointed out that my opinion is also based on his rise to power and ousting of Helen Clark, not just his money.
Roger, Ed: I’m amazed that you think I might actually care about your opinion of me.
Apr 9 09 10:22 am
MD, sorry if it was not clear, the comment was aimed at the numero uno ignorant troll that you suffer, the rogered one, not you.
And no, I don’t expect you to care anyway.
Thought as much, Ed. Blogger rule number one: If you care about people’s opinion of you – go and write poetry or something, blogging is a bad idea.
Apr 9 09 10:42 am
Ed wack, you impudent twat.
Oh, how desperately droll,
and impotently you troll.
As the the tui whispers,
her sweet silver song
to the Autumnal breeze,
Ed savors his last piece of KFC,
obese and covered with sleaze.
What a lovely piece of doggerel. I see you’ve finally found your metier, Rog.
Apr 9 09 11:29 am
Well i am a singer-songwriter Doc. Though i do dabbled in poetry from time to time.
P.S. – as if i’m going to give you anything but cliched and hackneyed tripe.
You’ll have to visit the Mou Bar on George Street Dunedin if you want to see my genius in action.