Labour ponders over election defeat

ONE NEWS: The new leader of the Labour Party, Phil Goff, is planning a review of why the party was voted out of office.

But Goff believes the election result is not an indication of anger at the direction the country was being taken.

He believes it's because  people wanted a change after nine years of the same government.

Goff says the result of he review will be studied to ensure Labour can mount a strong challenge at the next election in three years.

Labour's caucus on Tuesday elected Goff to take over the leadership of the party from Helen Clark.

Annette King will be the deputy leader, with David Cunliffe the party's finance spokesman.

Cunliffe, who could have challenged Goff, ruled out standing for the leadership earlier.

Goff had been tipped to take leadership of the party before Tuesday's announcement, but had previously said he would support any decision taken by the party's 43 MPs.

Clark announced she was standing down after Saturday night's election result, as did her deputy, Michael Cullen. She has been named as Foreign Affairs spokeswoman.

Darren Hughes and Steve Chadwick have been elected the Senior and Junior Opposition Whips respectively.

Goff says Labour would be a strong and effective opposition.

"In government, Labour succeeded because it had a united, disciplined and motivated parliamentary and ministerial team," he says.

"The outcome of today's caucus demonstrates that Labour will be a strong, united and determined opposition."

Goff first came to parliament in 1981 and was a minister in the Labour government which was in power from 1984 to 1990, and from 1999 to 2008.

He was foreign minister from 1999 to 2005, when the position was given to Winston Peters as part of its support deal with Labour.

Goff took on defence, trade and corrections. He was previously ranked fourth in the cabinet.

King first came to parliament in 1984 and like Goff has also has wide experience as a minister.

She held the employment and immigration portfolios in the previous Labour government and was Minister of Health from 1999 to 2005. Since then she has held the justice, police and transport portfolios. King is ranked fifth in the cabinet.

Labour is known to want a man and a woman in the top two positions, believing that would be the most effective way to take on National's John Key and his deputy Bill English.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's incoming Prime Minister John Key says he is not worried in the slightest by Labour's new leadership of Phil Goff and Annette King.

He wasted no time in attacking the decision to appoint Goff as leader.

"It (the choice of leader) is about as inspiring as their election campaign was," Key told Radio New Zealand when the decision to appoint Goff appeared likely.

"If they want to make a generational change I would have thought they would look to a young leader," he says.

United Future leader Peter Dunne says the decision to make Goff leader, was a clear choice.

"I think probably in the circumstances it is the obvious choice whether it is more than a transitional team though is still to be resolved."

Act leader Rodney Hide was more gracious. He congratulated the new leadership and recognised the extraordinary service of Clark and Cullen.

"Phil Goff and Annette King are politicians who clearly have the qualities required to lead the Labour Party. They are well respected and we look forward to working with them for the good of our country," he says.

"We don't always agree, but I know Phil Goff and Annette King put their country first."

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons also congratulated the pair.

"Well they are both very experienced and they are both very competent and I wish them well."
She held concerns about the process," she says.