Clark Sees The Humour In Marathon Session

A stony faced Helen Clark suddenly sprang to life at the tail end of a press conference dominated by the serious business of Dovergate today.

When asked about the stalling tactics employed by some members during the house’s session of urgency she replied “it’s part of the game,” in the same tough, no-nonsense tone she maintained through her Statement on Dover Samuels.

Then she cracked a toothy grin and repeated the phrase in her best showbiz voice.

The house has been in urgency since last Wednesday trying to pass the Employment Relations Bill.

Among the stalling tactics used so far have been National and Act MPs voting in Maori, delaying the inevitable while Parliament’s official translator gives the English version, and complaining about the state of the Parliamentary toilets at inopportune moments.

Clark reveled in the less contentious subject matter, joking about the grindingly long session that stretched through the weekend.

When asked about the unflattering picture of a yawning Annabel Young, which earned the Evening Post a week long ban from taking pictures in the house, Miss Clark quipped: “I would suggest to Mrs Young that putting your hand over your mouth is the first lesson in politeness.”

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