Knowing when to go

You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, and David Clark has finally accepted it’s time to walk away, if not exactly to run. These days, it seems, there is a choice of only two or three excuses when ministers succumb to the mounting pressure to quit. ‘‘Spending more time with my family’’ was clearly not going to fly for Clark, who had already spent most of lockdown at home with his family, leaving Ashley Bloomfield to take the reins in Wellington. So it was left to Jacinda Ardern to trot out the alternative line that Clark had ‘‘become a distraction’’ to the Government.

The other favourite is ‘‘looking forward to my next career’’ – code for ‘‘I can’t stand another day with these backstabbing clowns’’. That was Paula Bennett’s chosen phrase when she opted to leave after being rolled by Todd Muller. Interestingly, it’s not too far from the line used by Amy Adams when she quit last year. Now she’s back as Muller’s No 3 – different clowns, same old circus, some might say.

Meanwhile, on both sides of the House, there are those who just don’t know when to walk away, and one who would never be caught running. Phil Twyford bravely continues to tiptoe through the minefield, waiting for the next one to blow up in his face – America’s Cup, anyone? And whenever life throws lemons at Judith Collins, she crushes them as swiftly as a boy racer’s car. One can only hope that, when it’s finally her turn to walk away, the queen of the acid quip won’t leave us with cliche´ s for her parting lines.