Fran O'Sullivan: Ardern is the master of spin - but the Govt dropped the ball

Jacinda Ardern was triumphant at her Auckland Town Hall campaign launch earlier this year. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

As we say goodbye to 2020 and welcome in 2021, it's a good time to catch up on the very best of the Herald columnists we enjoyed reading over the last 12 months. From politics to sport, from business to entertainment and lifestyle, these are the voices and views our audience loved the most. Today it's the top three from Fran O'Sullivan.

Ardern the master of political spin

Jacinda Ardern defied the Gods with her boasts that New Zealand was "the envy of the world" for eliminating the Covid-19 virus.

In August, Ardern took the stage at the Auckland Town Hall to launch Labour's election campaign, telling her supporters New Zealand was preparing to take on the huge challenge of rebuilding the economy in the wake of the Government's relative success in driving out the virus.

But the emergence of a new coronavirus cluster changed the rhythm of this election.

The Prime Minister's superb communication skills have oft papered over the major weakness of her Government — the ability to execute, Fran O'Sullivan wrote in August.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed that Auckland would go back into lockdown in August. Photo / Mark Mitchell

More to Liddell than Trump connection

When President Donald Trump pumped top aide Chris Liddell to be the next OECD boss, it was billed as (potentially) the first time an American might get the top job.

Liddell's New Zealand origins — he still retains dual citizenship — were merely incidental.

That didn't stop his New York-based PR endeavouring to drum up soft support back here once the nomination was in the pipeline.

He is still that cliche — "boy from Matamata" — after all.

But cue moral outrage down under once his nomination for the secretary-general's role was public.

New Zealand's umbrage at Liddell's potential OECD role ignores his serious skill set, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

Many Kiwis have scorned Chris Liddell's US nomination for the top OECD job because of his proximity to President Donald Trump. Photo / Getty Images

Ardern and Morrison too slow to face big coronavirus question

There should have been only one serious topic on the agenda for the trans-Tasman prime ministerial talks in Australia back in February.

That is the Australian Prime Minister's decision to move ahead of international authorities and warn his country to prepare for a coronavirus pandemic, and if, or even when, the New Zealand Prime Minister would follow suit.

And even more importantly, what joint actions would the two prime ministers take to keep the citizens of Australasia safe?

In fact little emerged from their meeting to bolster public confidence, Fran O'Sullivan wrote in early March.

The meeting between Jacinda Ardern and Scott Morrison was not the time for issues such as criminal deportations. Photo / AP