Will National MPs snub the next summits too?

It will be interesting to see whether any Government MPs bother to show up at the remaining job summits in Auckland, after the embarrassing National no-show at the region’s first summit, says Labour’s Social Development Spokesperson Annette King.

“Prime Minister John Key must have been left feeling a little hot under the collar in the House on Tuesday, after Labour revealed no National MPs had attended Monday’s regional summit in Takapuna.

“It was the first of three Auckland job summits and one of a number of regional summits being held in the wake of the Prime Minister’s Job Summit, which Social Development Minister Paula Bennett claimed demonstrated the Government’s desire to ‘listen to ideas outside the Beehive,’” said Annette King.

“The failure of any National MPs to attend not only undermined the Prime Minister’s own initiative, it also raised questions over whether National is genuine about listening to ideas from outside the Beehive.

“The fact that only 10 minutes of the three hour-long Takapuna summit was set aside to listen to ideas from participants was frankly laughable.

“I’m assuming John Key has given his MPs a bit of a bollocking about their apparent unwillingness to hear what their own constituents have to say about protecting jobs, but we’ll find out at the remaining Auckland summits being held tomorrow and Monday.

“Presumably Paula Bennett will be fronting at the Waitakere one on Monday. Labour MPs will be there regardless. Even if the Government’s handling of the Job Summit has been underwhelming, we know the people on the ground will have summit worthwhile to say!” Annette King said.