Cunliffe offers Robertson leadership deal

Labour Party leader David Cunliffe gave notice on Saturday that he would resign, while Grant Robertson declared his intention to seek the leadership. Photo / APN

Outgoing Labour leader David Cunliffe has offered leadership rival Grant Robertson the job of deputy leader.

"If Grant is not successful, I would like to hold out my hand to him as my deputy so we can bring both sides of the team together and we can go forward together," Mr Cunliffe said on TV3's Campbell Live tonight.

He also said he had approached Mr Robertson last week with a peace-making deal.

"That's why I reached out to Grant last week and I said 'mate, is there any way we can do this thing to bring people together?' - and that's why I'll tell you now that I'd be very happy to have Grant as my deputy if I am elected by the broader party and caucus to lead this thing for another three years."

When asked to comment tonight, Mr Robertson said: "I'm running for leader. I have not made a decision about a deputy yet."

Mr Cunliffe indicated on Campbell Live he had lost the support of his deputy and finance spokesman, David Parker, who is expected to become acting leader after tomorrow's Labour Party caucus meeting.

A short time after appearing on TV3, Mr Cunliffe appeared on Maori Television's Native Affairs and then TV3's Paul Henry show. On Native Affairs, he raised the prospect of Labour having co-deputy leaders, one of whom would be a Maori MP.

"We need to see more Maori MPs in senior levels," he said "and one of the ideas that is floating around - that is a party matter because it would require a constitutional change - is to examine the possibility of having co-deputy positions where one may be Maori.

"I think David Parker will want to have a fresh look and he is entitled to do that."
Mr Cunliffe will chair his final caucus tomorrow before his resignation takes effect.
A week after the dismal 24.689 per cent vote for Labour, Mr Cunliffe announced his resignation.

He has decided to contest the leadership again, as will Mr Robertson.

Mr Robertson was deputy leader to former leader David Shearer, and who was installed by Mr Robertson's supporters in caucus at a time when only the caucus decided on the leadership.

The leadership is now decided by a party-wide vote made of up the caucus, 40 per cent; the ordinary membership, 40 per cent; and the affiliated unions, 20 per cent.

Photos: Gallery: Cunliffe - Highs and lows

Image 1 of 13: David Cunliffe and wife Karen Price. Photo / Richard Robinson

When the leadership was contested a year ago, Mr Robertson had the support of the majority of the caucus and Mr Cunliffe the majority of the party.

Mr Cunliffe said the culture of the party had to change and that playing "musical chairs" with the leadership was not the answer.

He also implied that the party had become too focused on special interests at the cost of appealing to middle New Zealand.

"We've got to get the alchemy right between being true and faithful to our base, our Maori and Pacific and our affiliates and reaching out to middle New Zealand," he said.
"We can't be seen as a party of special interests. We have to be inclusive. We have to stand for aspiration."

Party president Moira Coatsworth will attend tomorrow's caucus to seek MPs' views on when the review of the party should be conducted.

Meanwhile, Mr Shearer is still refusing to say whether he is considering entering the contest.

Mr Shearer told the Herald from New York tonight that he wanted to be consistent.
He believed a comprehensive review of the party should take place before any leadership contest.

"I advocated for that a week ago and therefore to be consistent with that I believe it is right that that review should happen first.

Previous story: Robertson: Judge me on my policies

"The process went into reverse, and I don't think it has been very helpful or very edifying frankly."

He also said the timing of events was not yet known. And he had not had a chance to talk to colleagues since the election.

"For me I just refuse to comment on it. Anything else that I say will be perceived one way or the other."

Mr Shearer, Labour's foreign affairs spokesman, left part-way through last Tuesday's Labour caucus meeting to join Foreign Minister Murray McCully in New York to help lobby for New Zealand's bid for a Security Council seat in 2015-16.