The political week started messy with a flurry of eyebrow raising language sweeping through Parliament, and it ended messy with a Trump blame game developing into a 12.5% tariff.
Interpretations and interesting language
Former Labour Minister Stuart Nash handed in his resignation this week as NZ First candidate for Napier after sending a text message to former National MP Chris Finlayson which said Napier electorate MP Katie Nimon "took nine months off on full pay, went back for a week, then took another month off".
"Laziest MP I’ve ever come across. Nice woman but ill suited to the rigours of being an electorate MP."
While Nash insisted it was not interpreted as intended, it did not go down well. PM Christopher Luxon ruled Nash out as a Minister in any future government he leads, Transport Minister Chris Bishop called Nash a "sexist dickhead" and bleary eyed reporters opened an early 6.28am message from Labour with leader Chris Hipkins' interesting comment on the matter.
It was a lengthy statement containing: "Christopher Luxon is very selective in the way he seems to approach standards of ministerial conduct."
"He's right that Stuart Nash's outburst was unacceptable, but so was Shane Jones' insinuations about him performing oral sex on a visiting foreign leader [to note - Jones has denied this and said he was referring to bowing down], Winston Peters making masterbation jibes live on TV..."
NZ First leader Peters, who is currently overseas as foreign minister, had confirmed the previous night Nash had resigned and they had accepted his resignation.
More interpretations
Then, new ACT candidate Paul Henry played a game of 'shoot, shag, marry' on Radio Hauraki, in which he said he would shoot Hipkins and shag Winston Peters. It was criticised by Labour MP Ayesha Verrall - "We can't just let death threats go in our political conversation," she said on ZB. Threats to politicians have increased in recent years.
Bishop, asked about the comments, said, "look, we've all played that game, flat parties in our 20s, maybe after a couple or too many drinks. It's obviously not literal. It's a game, as I think most people know."
"It's a bit weird for a guy in his 60s to be playing it on Hauraki, but you know, that's over to Paul."
Asked if Hipkins or Peters came out of the game better, Bishop said, "I'm not going to get into that. I'm a family man in my 40s now, not a young whippersnapper 20-year-old after too many drinks."
The Trump spike
Then there was the inflation blame game. Finance Minister Nicola Willis earlier in the week describing Statistics NZ's Consumers Price Index (CPI), increase to 4.1% as a result of a "Trump spike" caused by petrol price rises which accounted for almost a quarter of the increase. If petrol and diesel prices had not changed, the CPI would have increased 2.9% in the year to June, Stats NZ said.
But Labour said Willis can't just blame Trump. Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds asked what about rates increases, power increases and food price increases, while Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick blamed exposure to volatile fossil fuels for driving up inflation.
One area Trump is definitely to blame for is the confirmation on Friday that the US will impose an increased 12.5% tariff on New Zealand goods.
US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer announced the US will impose tariffs on 60 economies; “for their failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.” [New Zealand has said it is not credible that forced labour plays a role in New Zealand exports].
What's coming up
Over the weekend, the Green Party is holding its annual AGM where new policies are expected to be released. Our political reporter Mandy Te will be covering this.
The Green Party AGMs are generally one of the most closed off political party events, with media usually only invited to leadership speeches and a media conference. It is a stark contrast to the NZ First convention which was held earlier this month, where media has roaming freedom coming out of its ears with hours of remit sessions, guest speakers and even the dinner open to media, with only a half hour session over the two days closed off.
And next week, prepare for another week of dramatic politics as the House sits, politicians puff chests out and the election campaign starts rumbling.
Interest.co.nz will be interviewing Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong - so let us know any burning questions you have for the party leader.
12 Comments
Re Opportunity interview, some detail re their health policy such as training , hiring nz graduates, regional secondary care, funding model etc.
Undeniably standards, decorum and integrity has plummeted. Mind you the vast and intensive scrutiny of the electronic media today is unfailing going expose such impropriety and blurts much more than in former years. This sort of scandal on a live wire radio show is hardly new. John Key as a Prime Minister powering his way to a knighthood forsook his dignity and got himself snared on a similar show, ending up learning why it was unwise to drop the soap in a communal shower. More disturbing though was the broadcast by Messrs Jackson and Tamihere deriding the victims of serial rapists. Sure they got sacked and the requisite apologies flowed like oily wine but the fact remains that those minds created those thoughts in the first place and to my mind therefore, have no right to be anywhere near the serious business of parliament.
Again Bishop comes across as the most sensible person in parliament. Not claiming Henry wanted people shot which he obviously didnt, but also saying it wasn't smart
Why he isn't leader I'll never know.
He's not stupid. He's just waiting until after the election...
He has a legacy of being not moral, either.
Was essentially a drug-pusher.
Later in life than 20, too.
Bishop comes across as goofy to me. Not saying he is necessarily, just comes across that way. Maybe that's his demeanor.
Old Willis:
LABOUR HAD INFLATION AT OVER 7% DUE TO RECKLESS SPENDING! (forgets pandemic)
Also Willis:
OUR INFLATION IS BECAUSE OF TRUMP!
Couldn't be more 2 faced if you tried.
Nash is an egotistical creep, shouldn't be in power anywhere or he would clearly lord it over women who he deems inferior.
The memberships of political parties have plummeted - now about 3% of voters as opposed to in the mid 20s in the 1960s - and MPs get selected from that shrunken pool of talent that self-selects for those with enthusiasms and the zealous desire for power to implement them.
So: we were expecting any different result?
Maybe time to look at our political system again. I'd vote for sortition - representative selection by lottery - to de-politicise government.
Membership so low Qiulae had to apply through a seek ad to get the leadership job. Bring on sortition - though would be hard to break the iron grip of the public servant mafia.
Wouldn't you say the method was the opposite of sortition - but instead, the most objective form of selection by merit?
The membership objectively assessed that none of them were the ideal candidate - so instead they opened up nomination to those outside the cabal. Quite a rigorous process was then undertaken in making a choice.
Yes, but then the cabal made the selection from the pool of candidates for someone "appropriate" to the organisational culture.
The only time that bias for cultural reproduction changes is if an organisation is in such deep trouble that it's desperate enough to embrace real, disruptive change.
Look at Allbirds as an example. Whether selling the brand to pivot from footwear to AI Infrastructure will work remains to be seen.
Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.
Perhaps Anna will ask her what other jobs she was applying for at the time, so we can ascertain her principle range.
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