David Clark resigns as Health Minister following a 'frank' discussion with the PM, who agreed he was a 'distraction' from the covid response; Chris Hipkins to take over until the election

Oh yeah, that's who he reminds me of!

Necessary now the middle man Jami-Lee Ross is gone. The "contribution" will now be safe and sound in a diplomatic pouch.

Not a tantrum so much as an authentic look at the real Simon.

Can we even credit Bridges as a worthy adversary even? I wouldn't be worried about him if I was Muller. Bridges pulled his own pants down, in public, several times. Muller didn't have to do it. Just let Simon Bridges open his mouth or loose at a keyboard and its an insta-cringe. Bridges has no instincts, he can't read a room. He's a liability not a threat.

I was discussing this recently with a family member who was an MP for several terms.
Her response was two-fold: first, being an MP is a horrendous job that very few competent people want to do, especially once they've seen it close-up; secondly, that leadership (of every party) are scared of competent individuals coming through the ranks because they're seen as a threat. Thus you end up with the leader and just one or two competent lieutenants; the rest of the leadership/shadow leadership shouldn't be too successful or they'll start getting ideas above their station.

Those of us who may have once thought about flinging their hats into the ring, have had quite long enough watching from the sidelines, to discern that it would be a huge personal mistake. Pity about the country and all. And as with Councils, it's the unelected and virtually unfire-able Staff who actually run the joint in any case. Politicians and Councillors are a set of fame-hungry buffoons around a very distant table, to staff. I've been on both sides of That fence, decades ago, and it has degenerated since into a Self-Serving Swamp on the staff side, and a set of Vainglorious Show-ponies on t'other.

Having spent time in the Wellington environment, working among a number of government agencies, if you're competent you get punished for that as you're a threat to those above you - so they literally crush, silence, bully and abuse you until you no longer want to be apart of it (happened to a number of colleagues and self). So they leave and want to have no further involvement in political/bureaucratic environments. It breeds incompetence and corruption. I was actually quite surprised how corrupt NZ is/was after the time spent in Wellington - it changed my entire view on NZ and western society. My views were that we were for the good and lived in well run and free/competent society, but left thinking somewhat the opposite.

It's not enough to be smart, or well informed, you have to have the gift of the gab and present well, and it is bloody hard to juggle with kids - an electorate MP (most of National and a few of Labour) generally only sees their kids for a day or two a week, and even then will be pulled away on other things often. Few partners are willing to sacrifice their lives like that.

Wow! One of the best comments I have read of late on Interest.
The old saying that...'nations deserve the politicians they elect' is well validated by the general cynical tenor of comments about our parliamentarians we get on this blog. In our system of representative democracy, how many kiwis take the time and effort to join a compatible political party, help fund the local branch, go to boring agm's, serve on local subcommittees, and take an active interest in selecting a candidate to stand at election time?
We ordinary kiwis were the folk who got agitated by the excesses of Muldoon and voted for MMP, a system bizarrely guaranteed to muzzle our local MP and reinforce the power of a highly centralised Party machine. It also reduces the influence of local electorates by making electorate size excessive in both population and geographic size, in favour of unelected list members whoes direct loyalty is to the Party hierarchy. Idealy we want representatives who represent us to Wellington, but have ended up with those who represent Wellington to the local electorate.
It is surely 'us' who need to get our act together if we want representative democracy to work.
A good read on the actual personalities of Parliament, and how it actually works, and how we the public can get it so wrong is, "Mr Ambassador: Memoirs of Sir Carl Berendsen" edited by Hugh Templeton.

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If only not wanting to rule over others, were a requirement of anyone taking up such positions. There's certainly a lack of talent, but I see a far greater lack of integrity and true purpose in those who are very eager to be in positions of power.

The only thing I've seen him do is throw taxpayer money at publicly listed tourism operators, can't have the shareholders stumping up with the cash! Surprised THL doesn't have a share price of infinity, because clearly there is zero risk - NZ taxpayer will always bail you out.

..can he devote the necessary time to MOH as well?"
it is probably best that he cannot. He cannot count to 120.

Give it to Tracey Martin I say...she seems pretty switched on

Keeping your friends close and at arm's length at the same time. Brilliant ploy.

Fair point.

He made a colossal mistake in his response re Bloomfield, but if the likes of Judith Collins can be rehabilitated then anyone can.

If she showed some guts and sacked him straight away, she would have won a whole lot more respect than letting him flounder on and publicly roast Bloomfield, who was infact covering for Clark's balls up.

Was the same model that John Key used and it seemed to work for his constituents.

In terms of geographic isolation and small population NZ is rivaled only by Iceland. If we hadn't dealt to Covid we would forever be the laughing- stock of the whole world. Dealing to Covid was always Labour's game to lose. Any half-competent government could have dealt with Covid given our 'natural' advantages. However, Labour deserves credit in that they were hamstrung by the corrupt NZF loonies.....Winston Peters would have had us partying with the Australians by now.

Bahahah, and we already have the bread (wage subsidy) so then all we'd need is Joe Exotic and Carol Baskine in charge of the big cats for the circus.

The resignation less sure.
He was so close to the claim of being Minister of Health, during a pandemic, where at world's bottom few fatalities (economy not his problem).
That claim, could have been a key, a key to unlock UN/WHO, NGO nirvana, so close.......
and then the video, simile to camera, damn video.

Mr Mencken was right about one thing at least... it's a theory. If the NZ electorate had an iota of sense or foresight we wouldn't have this godforsaken dysfunction called MMP. NZ was sold a complete and utter lemon and it swallowed the bait. Increased democracy?? Gimme a break!!

Well she's a Dr, so every chance I guess.

9th floor obviously elbowed him aside to build Ardern's media profile with lockdown pressers that they inefficiently funneled all info through in order to provide Ardern with maximum exposure. He won't have had any choice in the matter.

Yeah you're probably right but I would have thought that some experience in the field would be a prerequisite qualification so the incumbent would at least understand the effects of policy.

Perhaps prayer is more his forte, hoping he could pray Covid away and not have to rely on his medical specialists. Now that any prayer hasn't worked he'll probably go to a retreat and wear a hair shirt.

Paul Goldsmith (National Finance) MA in History??

Or maybe hes just blissfully ignorant and thinks he's done nothing wrong and has just resigned under the pressure.

Going by the last poll it would seem she read the national psyche (or lack of it) perfectly. There, there poor baby mummy will keep you safe.

" The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed ( and hence clamorous to be led to safety ) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary". H L Mencken

A 9 point plunge in the polls might just be a pointer.

Don't worry mate you will still get your gold card

The events leading up to WW1 were varied and complex. However I'm assuming you're referring to some of the catastrophic FUBARs during the Allied response. In that you are 100% correct. However we luckily have the luxury of the Parliamentary process so the worst excesses are tempered somewhat. (hopefully)

Did you mean puppet or MUPPET!

Which funnily enough is exactly what the previous four way coalition did with the tax working group they set up.

But that's diffrunt hey coz they had a man in charge, and he'd worked as a bankster before...

I agree Hook however virtually everyone overlooks the fact that we still have a high functioning group of primary industries that are just getting on with business! Instead of wasting money on tourism ( a dead industry for many years to come) the government should be helping these industries to become even more productive. Instead they keep on throwing up roadblocks.

I agree IO. the rot started decades ago. The buyout of some of our most profitable companies, the offshoring of our manufacturing base and the general vilification of personal financial success (unless you're a sporting success) The best thing that will come out of this upheaval is that NZr's will be forced to take a good long hard look at what drives our lifestyles here and what will maintain and enhance it. It speaks volumes about a country's general grasp of the world when sportsmen/women are promoted for Knighthoods and scientists, researchers and innovators are discounted, discredited or dismissed. "Tall poppy syndrome"?? Bah! it's jealousy.. pure and simple

You still here pdk, thought you be would be on plane to States to catch covid and bring it back to NZ to rid the country of homosapiens.