Michael Bassett: Jacinda – Full steam into the electoral hurricane

Watching Jacinda Ardern respond to the local body election results has been scary, former Labour cabinet minister Michael Bassett writes on BASSETT, BRASH & HIDE.

Teeth flashing, hands waving, exhortations to “be kind”, she seems to be full-steam ahead into next year’s electoral hurricane, he observes.

She has not acknowledged that the mayoral candidates she campaigned for in Auckland and Wellington were trounced at the polls,

“… her endorsement probably more of a liability than a help”.

Bassett sees no sign sign that Jacinda or her ministerial colleagues have learned anything about the unpopularity of many of their policies.  He writes:

Oh dear – it’s “a disgrace” to look into posts filled by Mahuta family members (which might explain why ACT questions are ignored)

The public are being served heaps of news items about a fellow called Kamahl Santamaria, who was hired by TVNZ as breakfast host but has departed under a cloud.

In contrast, Point of Order has found just one mainstream media report (in the New Zealand Herald) which raises questions about the management of contracts awarded to Mahuta family members.  

It was headed Government contracts to husband and family of Minister Nanaia Mahuta ‘managed for conflict’.

Fair to say, Waatea News has shown an interest in this issue, too, although it was headed Mahuta attack fails to prove link.

Waatea News’ idea of checking out the truth or otherwise of the Herald’s report was to talk with former MP John Tamihere.  Then it recorded his huffing that

“… a New Zealand Herald story linking Minister Nanaia Mahuta to government appointments of family members was a disgrace to the newspaper.”

Stuff and nonsense about a change of name for NZ and its capital by 2026

Brace for a change of name for our country, fellow New Zealanders, and prepare to become Aotearowers or some such.

According to this report on the Stuff website: 

New Zealand could officially become Aotearoa, Wellington could be Te Whanganui-a-Tara, and Christchurch could be Ōtautahi, if the Māori Party takes power at the 2020 election.

This piece of pap, penned by a political reporter who portends a comprehensive rewriting of New Zealand place names, is posited on an improbable “if”.

Let’s look at it again – it’s

” … if the Māori Party takes power at the 2020 election.”

How the Treaty and indigenous rights are being brought into the response to Covid-19

A news item by Māni Dunlop, Māori News Director, has been posted on the RNZ website  under the heading Government urged to put Māori at forefront of Covid-19 planning.

“Forefront” means the position of greatest importance or prominence.

One implication to be drawn from the headline, therefore. is that Māori should be promoted to take over from whomsoever now is heading the Covid-19 planning response team.

Another is that the planners should make Māori people their top priority.

Perhaps the headline writer misconstrued what the reporter was told.  Let’s see.

According to the report beneath the headline, RNZ had uncovered some Māori health professionals who were saying the government’s response to Covid-19 has serious shortfalls and blindspots for Māori.

The same doubtless could be said of other ethnic groups in this country – but only one group, so far as we  know, is being privileged with race-targeted funding.