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‘We meet because we are prime ministers’

Points of order

Opinion: Another recess week went by as the nation’s politicians get prepped for the run into the home straight, the last few metres culminating in the Press Gallery Christmas Party on Wednesday, December 14!

Everyone around the place looks exhausted.

Although the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 are now in the rearview mirror, the constant Covid staff shortage and near month-long Parliamentary occupation (remember that?) have taken their toll this year.

Politics continues as usual and the prime minister hosted her Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin in Auckland during the week.

No-one covered themselves in glory when, essentially, asking the PM why two young female politicians might get together.

Jacinda Ardern replied whether Barack Obama and John Key would have been asked the same question. Marin, with an impressive economy of words, curtly replied that it was because they were prime ministers. Too right! There were lots of things on the agenda.

Erstwhile National leader Simon Bridges was also in the news. Bridges, you see, is being considered for new chair of the new (and pretty much pointless) merger of RNZ and TVNZ creating public media entity ANZPM. It really rolls off the tongue.

While Bridges didn’t want to say too much it is understood that he is being pushed by

Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson while higher ups in the Labour Cabinet (including the PM and deputy PM) are rather less convinced. Cabinet may well decide Monday, but the new outfit could do worse than having a little scrapper from the National Party going to the Government (of either stripe) for the inevitable cash infusions it will need. Although if he has to go to National’s future Finance Minister Nicola Willis it might be a bit awkward. Especially so after quipping during his day job as Auckland Chamber of Commerce boss, when hosting an ACT Resource Management Act policy launch, that David Seymour might be the next finance minister!

Christopher Luxon, meanwhile, has had a good week by and large. Taking a leaf out of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s playbook he has mostly stayed out of the media and let Labour selfimmolate on Three Waters and crime. Albo got Covid during the Australian election campaign, stayed out of the media and his polling went up.

Luxon did, however, pop up on Morning Report confirming that National would move the retirement age to 67-years-old in 2037. So far, so far in the future, so good. But then it turned out he didn’t actually know how much anyone on NZ Superannuation actually gets paid. He sort of guessed. It was a bit awkward.

Parliament rarely finishes the year with a bang, but a defeated whimper. It is unlikely to be different this year.

News

en-nz

2022-12-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-12-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281608129458032

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