Former Labour leader likens Clark to Muldoon

LATEST: Former Labour leader Mike Moore has lashed out at Prime Minister Helen Clark, saying she is using the "politics of personal destruction" of Sir Robert Muldoon.

In an opinion piece in The New Zealand Herald, Mr Moore – who enjoyed a brief stint as prime minister – said he was expecting cartoons of Miss Clark to appear morphing into the "an angry Robert Muldoon".

Mr Moore said the former National prime minister had used SIS files on opponents, perfected the "nasty technique of personally destroying opponents", intimidated the media and had used the "levers of government" to create stunts, diversions, and buy votes in marginal seats.

There were now "menacing changes" to the electoral law to outlaw legitimate funding that could be considered political in an election year, Mr Moore said.

The attacks had even included on Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer for speaking at a National Party conference, despite Labour regularly getting overseas politicians to speak to its troops, he said.

Labour had been trying to put a "blowtorch down National leader John Key's 'Y' fronts" but it was a bit much to call him a "rich guy" when many Labour Party people had gone to exclusive schools, enjoyed a comfortable upbringing, and did not even have to work during university holidays.

Mr Moore said even the "normally sensible" senior Labour Cabinet minister Phil Goff had joined the chorus, "hoping to ingratiate himself with left-wing MPs for later" – a reference to Mr Goff's leadership aspirations.

Mr Moore said Miss Clark was "superb" at the "politics of personal destruction".

". . . she's destroyed more National leaders than any other Labour leader. Come to think about it, she's dispatched more Labour leaders than anyone else too."

Mr Moore said a major re-shuffle of the Cabinet was needed, as he questioned exactly what "consort" Judith Tizard and the legion of ministers outside Cabinet actually did.

He said "killing" off loyal subjects was the hardest job in politics.

"They are bled slowly, swirling rumours appear, planted from Beehive sources, then, when the victim is anaemic, too exhausted to fight back, someone is dispatched to put the pillow over their head."

If Miss Clark could replace half her Cabinet "and keep the show together, it will mark her out as one of the greatest political managers ever".

Mr Moore had some criticism for Mr Key as well, saying he was happy to campaign as "Labour with tax cuts", which was a bit like "playing a vacuous political air guitar".

But his criticism of Miss Clark has come at a time when National is riding high in the polls with Labour trailing behind.

Miss Clark, who ousted Mr Moore as Labour leader in 1993, laughed off being labelled a Muldoonist telling the Herald through a spokesman: "That's Mike."

Mr Moore said he had been trying to take a humorous line when comparing Miss Clark to Sir Robert in his opinion piece.

"I wrote that because I believe it. I hope I did it in a good-natured way and I hope, perhaps, some of this personal stuff will stop and we'll get on to the politics of substance."

He said he was "pushing it a bit" in likening Miss Clark to the late Sir Robert and she was "not yet" like him.

"I was hopefully doing that in a humorous way."

Fortunately, there were no longer available the levers of government Muldoon was able to use.

"Muldoon had the levers of a controlled currency, of import licensing, of being able to subsidise farmers, he had all sorts of levers that he used and thank God those levers are not available to politicians any more."

Sir Robert gave trade unions money to settle disputes, gave $1 billion to the meat industry and 1 per cent loans to the dairy industry to help him.

Mr Moore said he was motivated to write the column because there was a "pattern" emerging among politicians of personal attacks, of which the National Party was also a master.

Mr Moore said he supported Labour and the idea of National forming the next government was "chilling" because he could not work out what National stood for.

But he wanted Parliament to move on from the trend in attacking personalities and get on with policy.

He believed Miss Clark was a "superb political manager, maybe the best in Labour's history".

"I don't think there's ever been a party leader, including Peter Fraser, whose had so much control. If the definition of political success is getting what you want – by placing the right people, placing the right policies – I mean, she's a dominant figure."

He admired how she exercised political power and said she had to be tough to do this.

He hoped there would be "a bit of a correction" with some policies and attitudes, but he wanted Miss Clark returned to power at the next election and would be fundraising for the Labour Party.

National leader John Key says Mr Moore's attack shows a division in the party over personal attack politics.

"It's a surprising move from a former leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister but one that shows the deep sign of frustration within the Labour Party now at the tactics they have employed."

Mr Key said Labour had stopped focusing on issues that mattered to voters and was caught up in attacking him for making a success of his life.

"I think they look across at me and see me having achieved some financial success rather than greeting that with the joy as an example of a New Zealander doing well its met the other response."

Professor of politics Barry Gustafson said Miss Clark seldom indulged in personal politics and the attack was a bit unfair.

"If anyone has been on the receiving end of some pretty nasty rumours and barbs over the years it's probably Clark."

The case reminded him of Sir John Marshall attacking Sir Robert after being replaced by him.

"I think it's a little precious in some ways to argue that either Clark or Muldoon were the only politicians who didn't try to cut down their opponents."

He said a campaign to get Bill Rowling elected had seen Sir Robert face an attempt to destroy his reputation.

"Almost every politician I can think of in the last 50 years probably could be accused at one stage or the other of trying to win by belittling the opposition leader."

Prof Gustafson said Mr Moore was involved in a number of coup attempts against Bill Rowling before he ended up rolling Geoffrey Palmer just before an election.

"He probably still feels a little hurt at the way he was taken out as Labour leader. He did very well to lead them almost back in 1993 and probably thinks he should have been given another chance at the top job."

However he said Labour had honoured and supported him since in his roles with the World Trade Organisation and other things.

"It's not as if he's been cut adrift."

Prof Gustafson said comparisons could be made between Miss Clark and Sir Robert in terms of how tightly they controlled their cabinets.

But Prof Gustafson said Miss Clark was more like Keith Holyoake than any other politician.

"Quite apart from the longevity. . . I think she has tried to be more of a compromising, pragmatic, consensual politician who seeks to win support for things the Government is doing rather than divide and rule."

He said Miss Clark had cemented her place in history.

"The only question one can ask now about Helen is about whether she's Labour's greatest leader and it would be a choice between I think her, (Peter) Fraser and (Michael) Savage. . . she's certainly at that level now."

Meanwhile, Progressive Party leader Jim Anderton – a former Labour colleague of Mr Moore's – issued a press release calling Mr Moore a hypocrite and challenging him to a debate.

Mr Anderton accused him of being part of a vicious personal smear campaign against then opposition leader Jim McLay, of being involved in the campaign against Mr Rowling and of "muck throwing" when Miss Clark ousted him.

Mr Anderton said Mr Moore was bitter at Miss Clark's success and jealous of the good run the economy had and just wanted the limelight.

"One reason Labour failed so badly in the Moore era was that they were poll-driven fruitcakes who believed coups were some sort of management plan for a political party. Now he wants to start another coup."

Mr Anderton said all Mr Moore ever wanted was the limelight and he was a bitter failure.

- NZPA