Ambitious Chauvel angers PM in reshuffle

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Labour list MP Charles Chauvel's chances of winning the plum Wellington Central nomination have fallen after he spat the dummy at missing out on a Cabinet place in this week's reshuffle.

It is understood that Mr Chauvel, who has been an MP for only 15 months, angered Prime Minister Helen Clark before the reshuffle by saying he would reconsider his future after she indicated he was not in line for a ministerial spot. Mr Chauvel is then believed to have told senior Labour MPs he would not take the minor jobs he was offered after Miss Clark promoted more experienced and longer-serving MPs ahead of him.

Mr Chauvel was offered a position as parliamentary private secretary to Attorney-General Michael Cullen and was the Government's nomination to replace new Cabinet minister Shane Jones as chairman of the finance and expenditure committee.

The committee role is a well-worn stepping stone to eventual Cabinet promotion, and it is understood Mr Chauvel reconsidered the nomination after he was counselled by senior party figures.

However, he again blotted his copybook by issuing a glowing statement on Thursday, welcoming the private secretary job and committee nomination, and further angering an already irate Beehive, as the positions have yet to be confirmed and were not his to announce. There is no suggestion the offers will be withdrawn, but Mr Chauvel's response to missing out on a ministerial post has not done him any favours among the party hierarchy.

It is also understood that he has ruffled the feathers of caucus colleagues who believe they are ahead of him in the queue for promotion and suspect he fed speculation about his chances.

Mr Chauvel would not comment yesterday on what he said to Miss Clark when he discovered he would not be promoted, nor whether he told colleagues he would not accept the jobs on offer.

"These are matters for the prime minister. Reshuffles in the end are her decision and her business. She proposes and disposes, and I think I'd better leave the public comment to that."

However, there is a view he has damaged his chances of winning selection for the Wellington Central seat, which is up for grabs when Marian Hobbs stands down next year.

He is at present in a two-way race with Grant Robertson, a former senior adviser to Miss Clark.

Mr Chauvel was thought to have been ahead as he had strong union support, but it appears some of that support has swung Mr Robertson's way.

Though Miss Clark technically has no say in the selection process, her views will be influential.

Mr Chauvel is the second-most junior of Labour's MPs, coming into Parliament in July last year.

- © Fairfax NZ News