Mallard realises his career in politics is still not over

The new polls are changing things for a lot of people. Labour’s Trevor Mallard, who took a purposefully low list placing of 32 so he would come into Parliament only if Labour had a chance of forming government, told the House yesterday he had expected a routine debate speech on Standing Orders to be ‘‘basically my valedictory’’ when planning it last week. Now, he’s essentially guaranteed a spot in the new Parliament, and if Labour wins power, the Speaker’s chair.