Former Labour MP Shane Jones has joined NZ First and will run in the Whangarei electorate in the coming election. The former cabinet member under Helen Clark, who retired in May 2014 and is usually known solely for his scandals, will become a conspicuous lieutenant for Winston Peters.
Since capturing the Northland electorate following National MP Mike Sabin's dodgy resignation, NZ First leader Winston Peters has touted contesting neighbouring Whangarei as a step towards solidifying his insurgency against National's hold in the north. Rumours have swirled for more than a year that Jones would be the candidate.
At Whangarei's Pure Bar & Grill, Peters introduced the former Labour MP. Wearing a cap that read 'Put New Zealand First Again', Jones addressed the crowd:
“I was coming here this morning and a mate of mine put on a song, ‘There’s Something in the Air’. And you know as well as I do, there’s something in the air. It’s been sensed by voters in America. It’s been sensed by voters in Australia. Voters in the EU. Voters all around the world. Our friends from National, they deny that there’s something in the air. They’re too deep in corporate clover. They’ve ended up being the upper crust of politics whilst they expect our regions, Whangarei and the broader North, to survive on a few economic crumbs. Those days are over.”
Jones ran for Labour's top spot in the 2013 and 2014 leadership races. Since leaving parliament, Jones has been the government's Ambassador for Pacific Economic Development. Jones’s reported scandals included purchasing a pornographic movie and chartering a private jet with his work credit card, and the suspect approval of a businessman's citizenship (William Yan, who had an outstanding warrant for arrest against him in China and had multiple identities).
Putting aside these scandals, Jones still has an uphill battle ahead. In September, he will face National's Shane Reti, who won the seat with a majority of 13,169 votes, while NZ First's candidate in 2014, Pita Paraone, finished in fourth place with a total of 2,944 votes.
Despite the odds, some commentators have been sympathetic to Jones's situation. Newhub’s political editor, Patrick Gower, says that if the bombastic 'Jones Boy' does the rounds in the electorate's town halls and village centres, showing off his maverick style and making some noise, then he will have more of a chance. Jones will also need National voters to vote tactically.
Jones has warmed to NZ First’s stance on immigration, a topic that is taking shape as the loudest, most colourful talking point of this election. Early last month he said, "The Government's become conceited, it's got an unhinged immigration policy, international education is now synonymous with butter chicken – rancid."
This is exactly the kind of rhetoric that NZ First (and arguably everyone else) are betting on this election. In this, they are seeking to emulate what they've abstracted from abroad: giving the middle finger to the foreign elites AND immigrants is the way forward in energising the masses. Jones definitely plays on being a black sheep of Labour, supposedly exiled by the identity politics elitists - however, politicians like this are always the most in of the insiders. Let’s not forget that Jones has had a cushy, tropical diplomat job for the past three years.
Some of Jones's ideology (if that still factors into a politician's make-up at all) could rub up against Winton Peters in the wrong ways. Jones may have been sporting the Trumpian hat, but his past has involved advocating policies – from Maori rights to foreign aid – that Winston Peters thrives on ridiculing.
Some higher-ups in NZ First have dissented on the Jones nomination, including some members of the party's board in the Whangarei electorate. These aren't quite ideological or policy clashes. Rather, some of the party see Jones as incompetent and compromised, due to the aforementioned scandals.
Regardless, Jones has the backing of Winston Peters. While he is obviously no formal equal with party deputy Ron Mark, Jones will still become one of the leading voices associated with the party, a party that will likely influence what form the next government takes.