MP Georgina Beyer says she's been told by the Prime Minister the door will always be open for her this parliamentary term – the exit door, that is. Beyer confirmed to the NZ Herald on Friday she had been hurt following discussions with Helen Clark in which the Prime Minister told her that Labour would not stand in her way if she found "new opportunities" during the current term. Several long-serving Labour MPs have also been given the "door" speech, as part of a strategy to rejuvenate the party between elections. Beyer thinks she may be a victim of the so-called PC backlash against Labour. "What do I represent? Everything, in lots of ways, that is PC. To my greatest critics I encapsulate everything they think is wrong," she said. Beyer stood down from her conservative Wairarapa electorate at this election and became a list-only MP for Labour. In her absence, the seat fell to National. But while Beyer may be on the way out, the Herald also reports that Christchurch Central MP Tim Barnett's star may be rising. He is reportedly a key contender for the post of Labour's new chief whip.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Sunday, 23rd October 2005 - 12:00pm