Troughing old Trot

So the worst kept secret in political circles is finally out - ageing, socialist dinosaur and lone MP Jim Anderton has declared his intention to stand as mayor of Christchurch.
This will pose Anderton - the self-imposed patron saint of the left – to take on Bob “This is your Life” Parker for the role as top political dog in the garden city.
Not wanting to be too unkind but if 72-year old Anderton is the supposed answer to Christchurch’s problems – then it must be a very silly question! He is not so much yesterday’s man, but more like the day before yesterday’s man!
While the political dinosaur known as Jimossaus Anderton may have being around a long time, he has not achieved much – except self-preservation and demanding things be done his way. Anderton has been a member of four political parties and fallen out with virtually every high-profile figure he has ever worked with. Never has it occurred to him that he could be in the wrong.
So how good is a one-man band like Anderton going to be as mayor? Not very good i would guess. His whole career has been based on the mantra of Jim’s way or the highway. Remember this is the same man who during his political career has walked out on two different parties – first with Labour in 1985 and then again with the Alliance in 2002.
Anderton glibly excuses these actions by claiming he never left either party, but they left him. Now to lose one political party might be considered bad luck, but to lose two is a clear case of megalomania and Jim has this in spades!
Former PM Jim Bolger once said that the real difference between God and Jim Anderton is that God does not think he is Jim Anderton! This is not only funny, but also true. He’s a one man band.
But what is probably more obnoxious, than his arrogance and belief that the public wants him – especially in these times of greater public demand for political accountability and transparency – is Anderton’s desire to stay on as an MP even if he is elected mayor.
It says something about his arrogance and huge ego that he would even countenance to continue double dipping as an MP and a mayor and think he can get away with it. Anderton is trying to run the argument that it will cost $600,000 to run a by-election and by not resigning he will be saving taxpayers this cost.
However, Anderton conveniently neglects to mention that staying on as an MP and party leader he will claim something like $700,000 in salary and expenses from the taxpayer. This will not include the $160,000 salary he would command as a mayor – which he claims he give to a charity of his choice.
How benevolent - and appropriate - for this paragon of socialism to be so generous with other people’s money!
Anderton is trying to con people into believing that he can perform the roles of MP for Wigram and Christchurch mayor at the same time. But are not both fulltime positions?
One is based in Christchurch; the other is split between Christchurch and Wellington. Both carry fulltime salaries. As one newspaper rightly opined: Anderton's promise to donate the mayoral salary of $163,113 to community groups if he wins the mayoralty does not resolve the fundamental incompatibility of the two positions. Christchurch ratepayers are paying good money to be represented by a mayor who devotes his energies to advancing the city's interests. He cannot perform that role if he is spending several days a week in Wellington.
It is clear Anderton is not so confident that he will win the mayoralty chains in Christchurch and as is holding onto his Parliamentary role as a safety net. This horrible, old Trotsky needs to get real and get his nose out of the public trough. He should resign now, or at least take unpaid leave for the duration of the mayoral campaign, as other candidates for public office are obliged to do.