i am speaking about me speaking about me

I always worry when a politician speaks in the third person, even when they are just trying to make a point. It seems like a disconnect to me, a slight glimpse into the inner.

Pita Sharples was under a bit of fire about the 3 strikes legislation. This is ACT's big one, before they bow out ungraciously. News that as Associate Minister of Corrections, Pita Sharples was not consulted about the amendments to the three strikes policy released in January, gave labour a stick to deliver a few blows. From NZ Herald

"Labour's corrections spokesman, Clayton Cosgrove, said he found it astounding."

"Labour MP Shane Jones also questioned Dr Sharples over being "sidelined"."

All well and good. I quite liked the fact that sharples had not been consulted - it gave him an arm-length to fend off any association. But then we got an attack from sharples back to labour. From Scoop

"... Sharples says Labour is clumsy in opposition and suprisingly unclear about how multiple Ministerial roles work."

and then the line that bugged me so much.

" “In that capacity I have a very close relationship with Dr Sharples as Associate Minister of Corrections and with Dr Sharples the Co-leader of the Maori Party,” he said."

This type of response, generated by jones very 'smart and knowledgeable slight on mana, is a worry. Jones knows what works and what doesn't - the maori party needs to hone their defenses.