EVER THE DIPLOMAT

David Shearer may be a masochist. When you consider his career choices, you do have to wonder. He was a short-lived leader of the then-beleaguered Labour Party before resigning and being replaced by a similarly short-lived leader, David Cunliffe. He then, aft er barely enough time to lick his wounds, took a job as the United Nations head of mission in beleaguered South Sudan. Beleaguered is putting it mildly. He seems to have a propensity for stepping willingly into civil-war zones.

The Labour Party was at war with itself; South Sudan was at war with itself. Both were savage theatres in which blood was drawn, the difference being that in South Sudan, AK-47s were used and hundreds of thousands were killed. You’d think what might have been killed in the political fight that was his Labour leadership debacle would have been his spirit.

There is now chatter about the possibility that he will run for the Auckland mayoralty next year if Phil Goff, who is rumoured to be the top pick for appointment as the next Ambassador to Washington, doesn’t stand again.

The Auckland mayoralty would not