Here’s a selection of some of the more interesting tweets in response to the appointment of Matt McCarten as David Cunliffe’s Chief of Staff. [Read more below]
With McCarten and Prebble back there's no reason why Judith Tizard can't come back and challenge for Auckland Central
"Matt McCarten is getting way too much attention" "Its OK John, I'll do my 3D printer routine again, they love that."
So we've got Matt Mcarten, Jim Anderton, Winston and I all involved in this election. What year is this again?
@patrickgowernz do you think with Matt McCarten on board with Labour that Mana will do a deal to ensure Hone (+ others maybe) get in?
So Matt McCarten is joining the political party that destroyed his last political party. Strange times...
Matt McCarten, as a staffer, already has more profile than 2/3 of MPs in Parliament. That should be a retirement trigger!!
Tim Fookes Mornings @talkbacktim
Is Labour making a big mistake lurching so far left? I think hiring Matt McCarten, a staunch unionist & fmr Alliance party MP is a bad move
OK, Matt McCarten is totally amazeballs but before the bromance gets too hot let's remember NOBODY is voting for him. #nzpol
The Paul Henry Show @PaulHenryShow
Is Matt McCarten the Simon Cowell of New Zealand politics and could he get the Labour Party moving in One Direction? ...sorry about the puns
@Garner_Live Cunliffe's leaving the middle to Key and betting McCarten can get out the 800,000 who didn't vote in '11. Last roll of the dice
I'm told Jim Anderton told Cunliffe not to hire Matt McCarten. Cunliffe wouldn't comment when I put it to him. Interesting.
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
There are very few "names" in Maori politics. Matt is one. And probably the best. Well, as an operative. A blow for the Maori Party.
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
What's gone unnoticed in the McCarten appointment? Maori. Matt knows Maori, especially urban Maori, and he knows how to organise us.
Matt McCarten enthuses about Shearer on The Nation in 2012. Says unlike Cunliffe people like him! http://bit.ly/OBlT7S
Isn't appointing McCarten more significant because it could help Labour claw back votes from Greens?
Michael Woodhouse MP @WoodhouseMP
McCarten history: Labour, New Labour, Alliance, Maori, Mana, Labour. More parties than Ronald McDonald!
Matt McCarten is a smart political strategist & campaigner. Itll be fascinating to watch what a Matt-infused Cunliffe proposition looks like
I predict that McCarten's appoint will be either a success or a failure, with a chance that it's somewhere in between. #commentary
Claire Robinson @Spinprofessor
So here's the thing: If DC was writing a person specification for his ideal Chief of Staff, would Matt really truly fit it?
I'm delighted Matt McCarten is on board the mother ship Labour. #Labourwin2014
Jordan McCluskey @JordanMcCluskey
Labour seeks to shed their image of undue union influence...by appointing a former union hardman. I love opposite day.
Labour say appointing Matt McCarten as Chief of Staff is a game changer. Shame what they really need is a caucus changer.
So will the next appointment for David Cunliffe be John Minto as Chief Policy Advisor?
> Right Wing Fat Cat @rightwingfatcat
@dpfdpf I heard they exhumed the bones of Micheal Joseph Savage & there'll be some sort of secret ceremony late tonight at Cunner's place
Jessica Williams @mizjwilliams
Spoke to Jim Anderton. He is writing a tell-all memoir! and says contrary to @DavidCunliffeMP's comments he will NOT work on elex campaign.
> Jessica Williams @mizjwilliams
But Jim Anderton did NOT confirm or deny attempts to veto Matt McCarten's appointment.
Labour just levelled up its connection to the working poor though, whatever else.
Matt famous in Auckland left orgs and campaigns for always coming back to "the strategy" when distractions arise. Good choice for Labour.
Katie Bradford @katieabradford
Asset sales, Matt McCarten, Jim Anderton and Richard Prebble. Have I entered a time warp and landed in 1989?
I think McCarten will be better for Labour than Prebble will be for Act. I’ll leave it at that for now.
@publicaddress McCarten led the campaign to oust Prebble from Labour. How nice is this symmetry?
Not often (never) is it big news when a political party appoints a new staff member. Heard the game-changer line. Isn't that meant to be DC?
@LaurieFleming @Garner_Live This is about the political machine. John Key has Steven Joyce, DC now has Matt. Game on!
Missing a chapter in my recent nz pols history- what happened with McCarten and Mana?
McCarten and Prebble both back in the game in one week. It's like the late 80s early 90s all over again.
Congrats to Matt on new role. No one will work harder. Game changing. He and David will make a great team and even have a bit of fun.
Jessica Williams @mizjwilliams
Mining Matt McC's columns for dirt he wrote about Cunliffe feels a little unfair, but LOL at the Cunliffe = Romney comparison.
Although, come to think of it, McCarten was always supportive in his column of Shearer's centrist strategy. So he may not be so divisive.
I see the left wing of the left wing is taking over running the Labour Party. #newlabour1989
Can't wait for John Key to counter with his Bill Birch announcement. #exciting
Here's hoping McCarten continues with this new trend of a loquacious chief of staff. No longer shadowy back room operators.
Not sure Matt McCarten is the answer, particularly with the rocky patches in the relationship between Unite and actual affiliate SFWU.
Wow. Matt McCarten back for Labour and Prebble back for ACT. Just like a rerun of Auckland Central in the late 80s. #backtothefuture
Half of the labour caucus must be having conniptions. To be a fly on that wall would probably be quite dangerous.
The chemistry between McCarten and Cunliffe is extraordinary. Great, but they're looking to win an election, not make a rom-com.
Jordan McCluskey @JordanMcCluskey
The election is still not competitive but I expect Labour to fuck up slightly less, and for discipline to be stronger. #mccarten
Martyn Bradbury @CitizenBomber
Bad day to be an ABC
If new Labour CoS Matt McCarten gives @DavidCunliffeMP a spine where Winston Peters is concerned, he will deserve everyone's thanks. #nzpol
McCarten and Prebble, eh? #weregonnapartylikeitsnineteenninetysix
In a response to Matt McCarten's appt as Labour chief of staff, @johnkeypm announced he has appointed Cameron Slater as National's COS
Matt McCarten as NZ Labour Chief of staff is significant-Miliband in an MMP environment? NZ politics gets interesting http://www.policy-network.net/pno_detail.aspx?ID=4551&title=Labours-bold-break-from-Third-Way-triangulation …
Will Matt McCarten advise @DavidCunliffeMP to finally sit down with Greens and MANA for a deal? If so, could this be the year of the #Left
who is going to put an iPredict to see how long Matt McCarten will remain as Labour's chief of staff?
Oh man - Matt McCarten vs Richard Prebble Auckland Central re-match. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited. #nzpol
GCSB Intercepts @GCSBIntercepts
"Good grief, first Prebble, now McCarten. Can someone please check to see if Gary Knapp is sprucing up the bouffant."
Hey now. If Matt McCarten gets this Labour Party gig does that mean Trotter and Pagani get more 'and on the left' spots? #heynow
Is the McCarten thing roughly equivalent to selecting Mark Latham as the party leader?
McCarten to Cunliffe. But how many dead rats can he swallow?
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
One thing the Matt and David appointments tell us is that DC is running a turn out strategy. That's both men's strength isn't it?
Getting ready to condemn McCarten for his links to Mana and Alliance but conveniently forget strong links between Nats & ACT #franksbrashetc
Interesting if Matt McCarten gets Chief of Staff. Social democratic movement finally back together after 1984? http://www.stuff.co.nz/s/98lJ
McCarten as chief of staff, and Prebble running Act's campaign: only one shall survive.
GCSB Intercepts @GCSBIntercepts
Well, as it happens we do have a file on Matt McCarten, if by file you mean shipping container.
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
If Matt is a left wing extremist, does that make Prebble a right wing militant? Fundamentalist? Dogmatist? Radical?
I don't know why he'd want a job herding cats, but if McCarten wants it........ Hell, Labour couldn't do any worse than they are now.
Megan Campbell @MeganCampbellNZ
Why the hell would Labour want McCarten?What happened to battling for the centre?If he goes there it's proof Labour have a 2017 strategy
"It's either an act of lunacy or a stroke of brilliance." Mike Williams on Matt McCarten. But who can tell which is which?
McCarten would be an inspired choice if true. There's a cat by some pigeons... Wonder what will happen 😎
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
I can't imagine Matt taking the job, but his organisational skills - and political and personal management skills - are formidable. #GoMatt
If Matt McCarten is joining Labour, does that mean he's leaving Mana? and does THAT mean @CitizenBomber will get a MORE powerful role? #shit
@MorganGodfery Matt McCarten would rule in that job, but it might kill him. Again.
Matt McCarten returns to his political roots? brings memories of his gung ho days in the1980s roll-Prebble campaign http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9763705/Matt-McCarten-tipped-for-top-Labour-position …
Jeez Matt McArten working for Cunliffe! We're in for a good old fashioned political dust up this election.
It'd be fascinating to know how Labour's ABC are dealing with the McCarten appointment. McCarten will certainly knock some heads together.
Two old dogs are re-entering politics this week for another electoral brawl. First Prebble, and now his old nemesis McCarten.
Will McCarten exacerbate divisions in Labour? For 10 years he papered over big cracks in Alliance v successfully and kept things together.
> Kaine Thompson @pointoforder
@bryce_edwards only if divisions are result of MPs more focused on themselves than those who vote for them. Those MPs should leave if so.
