Quote Originally Posted by GTM 3442 View Post
You're a National MP with big political ambitions.

You've put in the time and effort - stood in a safe Labour electorate, been rewarded with a marginal electorate, made a decent showing - maybe even won it, been rewarded with a safe National seat, you make it onto the party list, you get a shadow portfolio, you ask the patsy questions, you defend the indefensible, you swallow all the dead rats that come your way, you're an undersecretary, then a secretary, then a junior minister, then a senior minister, and then . . . .

The party helicopters in Don Brash. . . . or John Key. . . or Mister Luxon. . .

As a Senior Figure in the party, as a Senior Minister in the government - bang! wham! you've just hit the glass ceiling.

Your career path now ends at Deputy Prime Minister.

As they ask on TV - "How do you feel. . . "
If Luxon or anyone else proves popular it's hardly likely to affect morale; no more than Fred Bloggs if Fred stands and gets in. Should only those unlikely to be popular stand?