Earlier this month Jenny Shipley announced she would step down as chair of Genesis Energy at the annual meeting in October after nine years in the role. Her decision followed a week after Transpower’s chair, Tony Ryall, said he had notified the company’s shareholding ministers he will retire from the board of Transpower effective December 31.
Only people prone to conspiracy theories would see anything other than a coincidence in the timing of these two announcements.
Yet those familiar with political events over the past two decades – or three – may recall both Shipley and Ryall share a bit of history with none other than Winston Peters, who happens to be something more than Deputy PM in the Labour-NZ First government and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He also holds the State-owned Enterprises portfolio.
Shipley was Prime Minister when Peters, then the Treasurer, split with National over the proposed sale of the government’s stake in Wellington airport and left the coalition. Ryall had been a critic of Peters inside the National caucus earlier in that decade, when Peters’ membership of the National caucus under Jim Bolger was terminated.
Moreover, in his years of criticising the John Key government, Peters never let slip an opportunity to trot out the tired “jobs-for-the-boys” cliché.
Take this press statement headed “National never out of the trough”, dated November 18, 2016, for example :
“lt seems as though the National Party is never out of the trough with its latest ‘jobs-for-the-boys’ recipient”, says New Zealand First.
“Former Cabinet Minister Tony Ryall was appointed to the board of Transpower on May 2 and on September 30 he became Chairman,” says New Zealand First Leader and Northland MP Rt Hon Winston Peters.
“What Tony Ryall knows about electricity reticulation heaven only knows, but then inappropriate appointments from National has been the order of the day.
“The National Party went ahead with the appointment despite Treasury advising otherwise.
“Treasury opposed the new appointment on the basis that the ‘national grid operator had gone through too much turnover at the top and Mark Verbiest should remain chair for longer’ (NZ Herald, November 18, 2016).
“This is yet another example of National’s unabashed arrogance and cronyism.
“Many of these candidates leave parliament quoting ‘fresh challenges’ and ‘new opportunities’ but come back to dip into the public purse, thanks to their National Party connections.
“In short, they are long on free enterprise and the market until it comes to their own egregious self-interest.
“ Ryall joins a long list of National Party appointments, including: Phil Heatley, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (Board); Eric Roy, Landcorp Farming (Board); Wayne Mapp, Law Commissioner; Georgina Te Heuheu, Maori Television (Board); Kate Wilkinson, Environment Court (Commissioner); Jenny Shipley, Canterbury earthquake roles, Genesis Energy (Chair); Katherine Rich, Apec Business Advisory Council, Health Promotion Agency, Agriculture Emissions Trading Scheme Advisory Committee; Michelle Boag, Middle East Business Council (Executive Advisor); and many, many more.
“The real issue here with some exceptions is how many had no qualifications for these positions before they came to parliament, gained no experience that improved that limitation whilst in parliament, and are now beneficiaries of the public purse to the extent that it would make a rabid sponger embarrassed.
“This is just a short list, there have been hundreds of other appointments made purely for political preference and not for ability and experience, and not for contributions to the industries and businesses affected”.
Peters ended that statement with a warning:
“New Zealand First intends to tip their trough upside down.”
What might strike observers as odd is that the sauce applied to the goose is not necessarily appropriate for the gander. A string of jobs has been found by the current government for former Labour ministers, notably Dame Annette King, Sir Michael Cullen, Margaret Wilson, Mark Gosche, Marian Hobbs and Steve Maharey.
Point of Order 