So, ex-Labour Mangere Independent MP Taito Philip Field may be striking a deal with Destiny Church's Brian Tamaki. At times like this, I'm reminded why I supported Labour's abandoned former party-hopping legislationbill. Unfortunately, the Electoral Integrity Act had a sunset clause and is now inoperative. Which is a shame, because we now seem to be back in the land of chicanery and ridiculous ex-Alliance and ex-New Zealand First microparties that were the decrepit Shipley administration's last spluttering attempts to maintain its survival when Winston Peters pulled the plug on the first New Zealand MMP coalition in 1998. As it is now, we have the spectacle of Taito Philip Field flailing around, given that nobody wants him. Apart from the Maori Party, although there is a difference there. Granted, Tariana Turia probably made overtures to irritate Labour, but then she should reflect that she resigned from Labour over a matter of principle, namely the seabed and foreshore legislation. By contrast, Field has been under continued police investigation for alleged use of his immigration portfolio to buy services from one former Thai overstayer, as well as other matters. Note the "alleged" qualifier. Suffice to say that this may be one of two things. It may just be the Samoan version of koha, in which services are exchanged for gifts. Or it could be something else. Only time and completed investigative processes will tell. Not waiting, Field flew the Labour coop early, and has since been fraternising with the Maori Party, then pondered establishing a Pacific Party in Mangere based on his own mana and fundamentalist Christian social values, and now is in close talks with the Bishop of Bling. As for Tamaki, this is sadly usual for New Zealand's twenty first century answer to the late Patricia Bartlett. Unable to win a real constituency seat because Maori know carpetbaggers when they see and hear one, Tamaki has emulated the disgraced Graham Capill and his defunct Christian Heritage Party. This is uncannily like the defection of Frank Grover from the Alliance to the Christian Heritage Party in the late nineties, because Grover didn't like the modern and pluralist ethical stances of the Alliance. Grover promptly vanished without trace, so Capill's theft of an allegedly centre-left MP was all for naught. When New Zealand Herald commentator Matt McCarten reflected at the loss of Taito Philip Field from the Labour caucus, he was motivated to comment that in the old days, Field was at least dedicated to his impoverished constituents, although he has expressed growing apprehension about his behaviour since then, to his credit. I wonder what he'll make of this, as Brian Tamaki and Destiny New Zealand clearly have right-wing values when it comes to economics and welfare policy, as well as its 'family values' nonsense. Mind you, social conservative "leftists" have never let their old trade union or social democratic allegiances count for much when it comes to pandering to the fundamentalist fringe. Coercive moralist politics will always trump their previously professed concern for social justice in such instances. As for me, I hate to say I told opponents of the Electoral Integrity Act I-told-you-so, but... Not Recommended: http://www.nzherald.co.nz Current coverage of Tamaki/Field negotiations http://www.destinychurch.org.nz http://www.destinynz.org.nz http://www.familyvalues.net.nz Destiny Church websites. Craig Young - 28th April 2007