Labour's Finance spokesman won't go too far into the detail. He is saving that for Tuesday's official policy launch. And for those that might suspect the dark hand of Cunliffe's chief of staff Matt McCarten in the timing - the interview was arranged before Jones' resignation from Labour's parliamentary wing was announced.
It's fair to say that Parker does face a hurdle in trying to get broad acceptance for Labour's new policy which is the most significant departure from the Reserve Bank's monetary policy settings since the central bank was given an independent charter in 1988.
He would not be so foolish as to risk the Holy Grail of the inflation objective. But it's also true that while New Zealand was a path-breaker in granting central banks independence to run monetary policy; there are many variants on the theme.
What is clear is that New Zealand interest rates are high by international standards. This excites the attention of "hot money" which flows in and pushes up the NZ exchange rate.
New Zealand - despite having good terms of trade - hasn't posted a current account surplus for several decades.
The commodity cycle may also have peaked. There is a great deal of hard-thinking needed to ensure New Zealand has the optimum policy settings to underpin sustainable economic and business growth outside of the current Government's objective of posting fiscal surpluses (something which Parker and Cunliffe also say they would adopt).
New Zealand has been through a lot since 1988: Banking crises, economic recession, the Global Financial Crisis and the Canterbury Earthquakes.
The world has changed: China is now nudging the US for super power status; populations are surging; Western nations - like New Zealand - are getting older with resultant fiscal pressures.
There is now a global elite, backed in many cases with far cheaper money than our citizens have, which can (and does) buy housing in desirable locations like New Zealand, adding to residential price pressures.
It is not unrealistic to take a look at the inflexion points. How does New Zealand balance our national interest within the changing global world we live in? Are our policy settings correct?
New thinking also requires courage.
Much has been made of the invitation that Foreign Minister Murray McCully made to Jones to be New Zealand's first Economic Ambassador to the Pacific. The Labour MP certainly has the skill set to look at how best to balance New Zealand's interests with that of the Pacific nations to better leverage resources such as fisheries either alongside or preferably with the involvement of other players like China and the United States.
The role is probably as big or small as he wants to make it.
But Labour will miss his courage and deeply grounded sense of reality. Who else will strongly make the case for a Labour-led Government to hold its ground and get openly behind the extractive industries and the jobs they bring? Who else will call time on the "BS" which holds Maoridom back from fulfilling its economic destiny and ensuring young people "get off their As" to work and take part in NZ society? (Hard to do as a Pakeha).
Beer baron Sir Douglas Myers - with whom Jones is well acquainted - used to talk about how corporate life is a bit like a "sack of spuds". New owners would shake the sack and bring up hidden talent. Those who fell might get to rise up again in the next shakeup.
Politics in the Labour Party is not like that. Under the old regime, Jones may have stood a chance of rising to be Labour's leader if the caucus called the shots.
They don't. It's not even clear if he would have got into Cabinet under a 'coalition-style' government. So, he's walked.
The water will close after him as he leaves. Labour's future belongs to those who stay - like Parker.
