Deborah Coddington: Labour undone by its own pigheadedness

You could almost hear the four dissenting Green MPs blow raspberries at Labour when they voted for David Carter's amendment excluding working dogs from microchipping.

Good on Keith Locke, Sue Bradford, Sue Kedgley and Nandor Tanczos for tipping the vote so this stupid law could be rendered unworkable. They probably knew they were in for a growling from co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons, but it's a bit like staying out late - you know you'll be in trouble when you get home so you might as well make the most of it.

National must have been peering out Parliament Buildings' windows on Wednesday night, searching the sky for flying pigs. While relations between the Tories and the Greens have not, as far as I have observed, been as acrimonious as those between United Future and the Greens, the Nats probably never in their wildest dreams envisaged the day when a controversial amendment tabled by one of their most conservative MPs - Carter - would be passed by a Green vote.

Perhaps, in return, the Nats will henceforth refrain from their usual eye-rolling and belly-aching every time Locke asks a supplementary question sympathetic to refugees and suspected terrorists.

Maybe some of the warmer National MPs will think more carefully about supporting Sue Bradford's bill to amend section 59 of the Crimes Act, and stop misrepresenting it as an anti-smacking bill.

Gerry Brownlee might even borrow Kedgley's book on healthy organic food; and Dr Don Brash could consult Nandor about hemp and its illegal botanical cousin. Then again, perhaps not.

In truth the Greens will have to be careful. There would be a large Green membership who'd rather super-size on KFC and Big Macs than cuddle up to the National Party.

It's doubtful New Zealand First will survive having done exactly that with Labour, though only a fool writes off Winston Raymond Peters.

But dedicated Parliament watchers were pretty excited by Wednesday night's turn of events, and just in case Dr Michael Cullen's reading this, it wasn't because the press gallery are all lifestyle farmers and want their dogs exempt from microchipping. There was the glee of seeing Labour being undone by its own pigheadedness: "One law for all dogs," Nanaia Mahuta repeated like a wind-up toy.

Helen Clark herself refused to be swayed by Jim Anderton's plea for mercy for working dogs, and it became more a test of the Government's strength than a safety issue about dogs and children.

United Future's Gordon Copeland was all gung-ho seven days before the vote was taken, telling media he was going to show the Prime Minister who was boss; he wasn't going to back down.

A few days later, Copeland's tummy's tickled and he's rolling on his back like a puppy, quoting research from Australia in support of his u-turn to support Labour's law. Then on Wednesday night United Future voted against Labour, but by that time nobody was taking any notice of Copeland's "I'm the king of the castle" antics and the four Greens were the farmers' heroes.

Meanwhile, people in the South Island must wonder why parliamentarians are scrapping over microchipping dogs, when they've been without electricity for two weeks and are freezing their butts off.

The ruddy-cheeked mothers we've seen on television, struggling to wash and dry nappies and keep their babies warm and nourished, put the rest of the country to shame. At a time like this they'd be justified in having a major grizzle.

Belatedly, one Cabinet minister paid a brief visit, but when the East Coast's Matata was demolished by floods, the Prime Minister was there in her gummies, hugging bereft families and promising action.

Where are the shareholding ministers in Transpower when they're needed? Minister of State Owned Enterprises Trevor Mallard can command SOEs to diversify from their core businesses, so can't he crack the whip and order up whatever's needed to restore and repair power poles and electricity lines?

It's surprising that as private telecommunications companies were responsible for the misery forced on these farming families, chief executives Annette Presley and Theresa Gattung were not up the ladders, yellow helmets and blue overalls, clashing with bling and lipstick, trying to quieten customers' gripes.

In a country where the squeakiest wheel gets the most oil, you have to wonder if the Mainlanders are being penalised by their own stoicism. Still, at least they won't have to microchip their dogs. Actually, I predict none of us will - all dogs will overnight be working dogs.

My old labrador tells me she works damn hard all day, following the sun around our house, making sure no food is wasted, and digging new holes in the garden for me to plant more vegetables.

I can't argue with that.