KEY POINTS:
Cabinet ministers David Parker and Clayton Cosgrove have no statutory obligation to make their decision on the partial takeover of Auckland International Airport (AIAL) before the offer by the Canadian pension fund lapses on April 11.
But they are are promising to decide "as efficiently as possible".
Finance Minister Michael Cullen would normally make the decision with Mr Parker on sensitive land as the minister responsible for the Overseas Investment Office (OIO).
But because he is the shareholding minister in Air New Zealand, he has delegated his decision to Associate Finance Minister Clayton Cosgrove.
Mr Cosgrove and Mr Parker are very different politicians and any hope the Canadians have in getting the application approved are more likely to lie with Mr Parker. He is a former lawyer with an appetite for details and technical arguments that have been applied in his work on the Foreshore and Seabed Act when he was a backbencher and in the climate change policy he has developed as minister responsible for it.
He is a gentleman politician.
Mr Cosgrove, on the other hand, is deeply tribal Labour, steeped in party culture and specialised in building a profile through populist politics, such as his drive against boy-racers.
He is a tough operator.
Both men were absent from the Cabinet when it decided to tighten the rules around sensitive land considerations, meaning the Canadian bid would have to assist in giving New Zealand control over the airport.
But neither minister would be under any illusion as to what their political masters wanted their decision to be.
It is remotely possible that the ministers could not reach agreement, effectively amounting to a no.
Most likely is a joint no, but that would be politically embarrassing if the OIO had recommended it.
Neither minister has been willing to comment on anything other than the process, and neither will put a time frame on the decision.
Legally trained officials at the OIO will make a recommendation to the ministers when it supplies them a report, a spokeswoman said yesterday.
"What they can say is that it will be there in time for ministers to consider and make a decision before that date of April 11."
WHERE TO NOW?
* Overseas Investment Office (OIO) recommends No and ministers say No.
* OIO recommends Yes but ministers say No.
* OIO recommends Yes and ministers say Yes.
* OIO recommends Yes or No and ministers are split - effectively No.
* Decision not made before offer lapses - effectively No.
* Ministers say No but Canadians seek judicial review and win.
* Ministers say No, Canadians seek judicial review and lose.
