MPs settle into new roles as parliament cranks back into action
There may be less than a fortnight left in the political year, but politicians seem determined to make the final days count.
Mōrena, and welcome to The Bulletin for Friday, December 8, by Catherine McGregor. Presented in partnership with Z Energy.
In today’s edition: dual CEOS at Human Rights Commission ‘not sustainable’, says justice minister; Covid data leaker was largely unknown in conspiracy circles; Bernard Hickey looks at the real cost of scrapping smokefree policies. But first, MPs return to the debating chamber for some tricky questions and an emotional debate on Gaza.
Question time is back
After two weeks of sniping via media releases and impromptu stand-ups, the government and opposition finally got their chance to go properly head-to-head with the first question time of the new parliament. Prime minister Chris Luxon’s most notable answer was on the Treaty principles bill. The Act-National coalition agreement promises to support Act’s proposal to the select committee stage, suggesting National was reluctant to support it any further. On Thursday Luxon seemed to confirm that assumption, saying of the bill “that’s as far as it will go”. The session featured plenty of hints as to the parliament to come, writes Jessica Mutch-McKay. Speaker Gerry Brownlee acquitted himself well, coming across as “funny, quick to apologise and across the rules”, she says, while Labour’s Chris Hipkins, Megan Woods and Grant Robertson were the “three amigos of interjections”, throwing out barbs while “eating from a container filled with pick'n'mix”. That’s not to suggest Labour’s taking its new role lightly, however. According to The Post (paywalled), opposition MPs inundated the government with more than 3000 written questions over just two days this week.
An emotional debate on the Israel-Hamas war
Hipkins’ first question to Luxon, on the war in Gaza, ended up being gazumped somewhat by a surprise debate on the topic which took place before question time kicked off. The debate largely hinged on just two words of foreign minister Winston Peters’ statement on the House’s official position. Instead of calling for a ceasefire immediately, Peters urged all parties in the war to take urgent “steps toward” a ceasefire. Hipkins and Green Party foreign affairs spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman both said the motion did not go far enough, while Labour’s Damien O'Connor went even further, calling for “an end to this depravity, this genocide, this slaughter” in Gaza. Earlier in the day Act MP Simon Court accepted a petition delivered by Brian Tamaki and a group of pro-Israel protesters asking the government not call for a ceasefire. A counter-protest attracted several hundred Palestinian supporters.
Peters says he ‘made’ three women prime ministers
Both in and out of the debating chamber, the parties are getting used to their new roles. After three wilderness years out of parliament, Peters appears keen to remind the public of his political mana – and sometimes, it seems, to claim achievements that werre not his own. "In my career, I made three women prime minister,” he boasted in a speech at parliament, referring to Jenny Shipley, Helen Clark and Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s only female PMs. The comment was “gross”, “sexist”, and “unhinged”, according to members of the audience. Remarkably, moments later, Peters denied he’d claimed credit for the three prime ministerships. “That’s your narrative,” he told Newshub’s Amelia Wade. Meanwhile Labour is struggling to come to grips with its diminished status, writes former United Future leader Peter Dunne. Hipkins and his fellow MPs have been “supercilious”, “bitter” and “smug” in their recent comments, Dunne claims. “Sneering at the new government’s actions… simply plays into Luxon’s hands that voters were right to make the change they did.”
Hipkins reflects on what went wrong
Peters’ speech was part of the Victoria University of Wellington post-election conference, a political tradition dating back to 1987, where party leaders reflect on their election strategies and results. Joel MacManus was there and says it was a chance for Chris Hipkins to open up about Labour’s loss, and whether the party was on a hiding to nothing from the start. “A succession of ministerial scandals didn’t help the mood that had already hardened against our government,” said Hipkins. “By the time we launched our campaign slogan ‘in it for you’, which was decided some time earlier, many in the public were already feeling that they were anything but our priority.”
In a small office in Manukau, a ngahere of artists is growing tall. A flagship store named Konei is the latest result of the collaboration between these artists – from rāranga to 3D printing, the store is fitted out with Māori-made, sustainable products.
Read more about the beginnings of Konei, and the creative brains that made it a reality, on The Spinoff now. Shop at the Konei store at GridMNK, 2 Osterley Way or online here.
Dual CEOS at Human Rights Commission ‘not sustainable’ – justice minister
A day after the announcement that the new role of Tatau-Urutahi / shared leader at the Human Rights Commission would be filled by Julia Whaipooti, justice minister Paul Goldsmith says he doesn’t believe her hiring is justified. "I don't think we should be having dual CEOs across the public sector and I'll be looking forward to some advice on that," Goldsmith tells Newshub. "I just don't think it's sustainable." He’s also declining to express confidence in chief commissioner Paul Hunt whose current warrant in the role expires at the end of January. It’s up to Goldsmith whether he is reappointed. The justice minister says he plans to make changes to the commission, including in “personnel”, but has ruled out abolishing it entirely, as called for by coalition partner Act.
Covid data leaker was largely unknown in conspiracy circles
Te Whatu Ora IT worker Barry Young had a “relatively muted” digital presence prior to his arrest last week over a massive Covid data breach, Stuff reports. Young has since become something of a cause celebre among vacccine sceptics, appearing on online shows hosted by local conspiracy theorist Liz Gunn and US extremist Alex Jones. Both hosts hailed Young as a “whistleblower” and spoke to him at length about his reasons for leaking the data. Experts who have reviewed the data say it does not prove any link between the Covid vaccine and excess deaths. Young, who has worked for the health agency off and on since 2008, appears to have ramped up his social media use in recent weeks. On LinkedIn, he called Jacinda Ardern a “truly disgusting human being” and likened the Covid-19 response to that of Nazi Germany. However he does not appear to have been a regular poster, at least under his own name. “Prominent sceptic Kelvin Morgan, who has kept tabs on the anti-vaccination movement for years, said he hadn’t seen Young’s name popping up in any of the spaces that conspiracy theorists often post,” Stuff reports.
The real cost of the smoking excise tax
To replace $700 million a year of revenues lost from a foreign buyers tax, the new coalition government is dumping the previous government's smokefree 2025 goal. This relaxing of policies will keep more people smoking for longer, costing thousands of lives per year and at least $10 billion is extra health costs and lost working hours. In this week’s episode of When the Facts Change, Bernard Hickey speaks with University of Otago public health researcher Andrew Waa about his analysis of the changes to smokefree, and finds out the true costs of reversing them.
Click and Collect
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The byzantine dispute between tech company Manaaki and government agency Callaghan Innovation has taken a new turn, with the auditor general issuing a withering report on Callaghan’s behaviour during the dispute.
Are you a vegetarian? If so, you’re a rare breed indeed in Aotearoa (that goes triple for vegans).
AM host Ryan Bridge is to host a new 7pm news show replacing The Project on Three (Herald, paywalled)
Feeling clever? Click here to play 1Q, Aotearoa’s newest, shortest daily quiz.
The Spinoff is shifting its approach to daily news which means our running live updates are leaving the site. Stewart Sowman-Lund bids farewell to the feature – and explains what’s coming next. History teacher Christopher Burns argues that 'restoring balance' to the history curriculum is not as innocuous as it sounds. Rachel Judkins looks at the rise of retired renters and explains why it’s so worrying that people on super are struggling to find homes. A group of Spinoffers review the new Basement Christmas show. And is it possible to be in a happy relationship with an addict? Hera Lindsay Bird advises.
Sporting snippets
From the Ranfurly Shield’s damage to Eddie Jones’ well… everything: the bottom 10 moments for rugby of 2023.
Disgraced former Spanish football head Luis Rubiales has been accused of inappropriately touching England players during the World Cup prize ceremony where he forcefully kissed Spanish player Jenni Hermoso.
Rain prevented any play at all on the second day of the second test between Bangladesh and New Zealand in Dhaka.
Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news? Get in touch with me at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz.
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