By Emma Brannam
Phil Goff has promised to let Labour MPs know today whether he wants to continue as party leader.
It's widely expected that he will stand down from the position, but may wait few weeks before handing over the reins while his party choose a successor.
Front runners for his job are seniors MPs David Cunliffe and David Parker.
Politics is often about timing. In 2008, the slightly strained look on Phil Goff's face said it all.
The party had lost that year’s election, the world was in recession and a charismatic, boyish new Prime Minister had the country enthralled. But Mr Goff remained optimistic.
“I've got to tell you I'm not old enough to be John Key's father. Maybe his older brother, slightly wiser and slightly more experienced,” he said.
Mr Goff has been in politics for 27 years. He left home at 16, paid his way through university with a job in a freezing works then became MP of Mount Roskill in 1981. Three years later he was the youngest cabinet minister in a new Labour Government.
“I first met Phil when he was at high school and we joined him up into the Labour party, he's his own guy, he's focused, he's disciplined and he's real smart,” says former Prime Minister Michael Moore.
Under Helen Clark, Mr Goff was widely regarded as a highly competent minister with portfolios including foreign affairs and defence and disarmament. But during his time as leader it's been his own troops that have been hard to rally.
The Darren Hughes affair was a telling example of how Mr Goff was often on his own.
“He was like a 16th century Scottish king. If he could count on the loyalty of one in 10 of his lords he was doing well,” says political commentator Chris Trotter.
In the end some of the greatest support has come from the enemy.
“He's a hardworking parliamentarian and he's always had New Zealand's best interests at heart,” says Prime Minister John Key.
For Mr Goff that'll have to be enough.
“In the end it wasn't our time. We gave it our best shot, we fought that campaign hard and we fought on issues that we believed in,” he says.
Mr Goff is expected to fall on his sword today with an announcement about the Labour leadership after a morning meeting with caucus.
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