Russian envoy gets a “dressing down” while Mahuta focuses on Indo-Pacific Forum – but other wars are being fought in NZ

A Stuff headline suggests Russian Ambassador Georgii Viktorovich Zuev was treated like a naughty schoolchild, when Foreign Affairs officials told him what this country thinks about Russia’s provocative incursion into another country this week.  It said NZ scolds Russian ambassador over Ukraine encroachment. 

The report proceeded to say Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta had instructed government officials to give the Ambassador “a dressing down” over the military incursion into Ukraine.

A dressing down.  Is that it?

On the other hand, Stuff has reported:

Professor Bethan Greener of Massey University said despite this country’s size, calling in Russia’s ambassador on Wednesday was “still in fact an act of global significance.”

“Calling in the ambassador is highly symbolic in foreign policy and is one of the strongest diplomatic signals available to the Government, short of other more forceful measures that may now be on the table,” Greener said.

Our check with The Beehive website for an update on this country’s official response to events unfolding in Ukraine drew a blank. 

The sum of $4000 remains a puzzle but the beneficent Beehive is braying about the millions is has dished out

While announcements on new policy or critiques of opposition policies  flow from the Labour Party, the Beehive website in the past day or two has brought news of government spending decisions.

This has drawn attention to some of the array of troughs available for oinkers hungering for a financial lift.

The press officers engaged in this work, alas, have been much too busy to answer Point of Order’s questions to Finance Minister Grant Robertson – or even to acknowledge receipt of our emails.

We sought clarification about a figure Robertson used while mocking the Nats for bungling their fiscal costings …

“On Friday National threw out a desperate economic policy that included $4.7 billion of tax cuts that would give Judith Collins $4,000 at a time when New Zealand needs to be investing in services like health and education for our future.”

Is something missing, we inquired? $4000 of what?

No answer.

We await information, too, about the Treasury’s establishment of a new team to provide a policy costing service to the political parties currently represented in Parliament. Has this team been established, for how long has it been operating, and which parties have used its services?

No answer.

While we patiently hope for enlightenment, we can pass on news of government spending that has been blared from the Beehive.