Exile ends for Labour's hard man as Goff rejigs team

Trevor Mallard's attacking skills will be an asset to Labour in the House. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

The rehabilitation of Trevor Mallard is complete with his return to Labour's front bench as its education hitman.

Mr Mallard was dropped from the front bench in 2007 after assaulting National MP Tau Henare outside Parliament's debating chamber.

He was returned in yesterday's mini-reshuffle by leader Phil Goff and given the role of education spokesman, which will pit him against Anne Tolley who Labour views as a weak link.

Mr Mallard took a conciliatory tone about Mrs Tolley yesterday, saying he was looking forward to working with her on issues of common interest.

However, he said her helicopter ride to get an "overview" of Auckland failed the standard test of "what will this look like on the front page of the Herald?"

Mrs Tolley said she saw Mr Mallard's appointment as a sign of her strength.

The loser in his promotion is Chris Carter, who was given Helen Clark's foreign affairs portfolio after failing to make an impact in education.

Mr Mallard was ordered to undertake anger management by former Prime Minister Helen Clark after the fight with Mr Henare. He refused to comment when asked yesterday if he had done this.

He said the incident had taught him "not to go toe to toe with Tau again".

The two men sit opposite each other in a select committee and now get along - Mr Henare yesterday paid him $20 over a bet on the Hurricanes-Blues Super 14 game.

Mr Mallard is well suited to Opposition and has taken on a "kaumatua" role for Labour in the House, launching many of its attacks.

His confrontational nature was also put to good use when he went live on Close Up and tried to check into the Palmerston North motel that banned customers from Wainuiomata, which is in his Hutt South electorate.

"I'm sure if I had dropped the guy on national TV the first time he touched me it wouldn't have helped [my promotion]."

Mr Mallard said there had been attempts by people, particularly when drunk, to engage in some "push and shove" since the incident with Mr Henare. He said the fact that he had not taken the bait was a sign his attitude had improved.

He would not rule out getting into another fight in the future, saying "you don't know what is going to happen down a street in Wellington".

The other big winner in the reshuffle is first-term MP Kelvin Davis, who got tourism, opposing Prime Minister John Key.

Nanaia Mahuta has relinquished her role as environment spokeswoman and moved off the front bench at her own request for personal reasons. It is understood she is pregnant.

Mr Goff's reshuffle was mainly to replace Helen Clark and Michael Cullen. He said he would have another reshuffle next year.