The PM congratulates Finance Minister Grant Robertson for avoiding using words such as 'learnings.' Photo / Mark Mitchell
The PM congratulates Finance Minister Grant Robertson for avoiding using words such as 'learnings.' Photo / Mark Mitchell
Beehive Diaries gets a list of the words that were banned by the Finance Minister's office, National's Chris Bishop falsely maligns journalists, and an awkward anniversary for Simon Bridges and Todd Muller.
Monday: The super-hero in the Finance Minister's office
Beehive Diaries has obtained a list of "banned words" –an attempt by a heroic (and probably over-optimistic) staffer in Finance Minister Grant Robertson's office to get rid of ghastly buzz words and jargon in Budget press releases and speeches.
The top of the list of banned words was "learnings". Others included socialised, co-designed, reach out, deliverable, cascade, bilateralise, leaning in, and grip it up.
A late entry was "double-duty" – a phrase Ardern picked up from American economist Joseph Stiglitz, which she used in abundance during the election campaign.
The PM did use the term in her pre-Budget speech, but the banned words list clearly made it way to the 9th floor soon after.
For the Budget proper, it was replaced by the alternative "two birds – one stone" and was used by both Robertson and social development minister Carmel Sepuloni.
Few summaries of what the Budget delivered to "middle" New Zealand were more concise than Newstalk ZB's Heather du Plessis Allan.
Interviewing Robertson, she noted he got more out of the Budget than she did: "At least you got a new tie."
Finance Minister Grant Robertson, with his tie, speaks in the Budget 2021 lockup at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Since the first Budget in 2018, it has been a tradition for the PM to buy Robertson a tie on Budget Day. This year's was a red number (what a surprise) from Cambridge tie company, Stitched.
Beehive Diaries thinks it would be a great exercise in youth democracy for the PM to let Neve choose next year's tie.
Friday: An apology, of sorts, from National MP Chris Bishop to some journalists
The long hours of Urgency following a Budget have resulted in some wild flights of fancy by MPs, and National MP Chris Bishop began his Friday morning contribution with: "Here we are at 9.30 on a Friday morning, the press gallery is all hungover, and the front pages have been done."
It did not take long for a torrent of messages from perky, hard-working, sober journalists to reach his phone, including the Beehive Diaries' author. When he next stood next, he delivered a "clarification".
"I've had a number of texts from members of the gallery and it just shows that you think no one's paying attention and it actually turns out they are. I should clarify my remarks. Not all of them are hungover, only some."
It is against Parliament's rules to accuse other MPs of drunkenness. But some MPs admitted to being not quite as bright-eyed and bushy tailed as the journalists were.
Labour's Ingrid Leary (a former journalist) noted she was struggling to put up with National's speeches after a big night celebrating.
Saturday: Happy (?) anniversary, Todd Muller and Simon Bridges.
An anniversary in the National Party, but not one there will be much hullabaloo over.
Today marks a year since Todd Muller unseated Simon Bridges as National Party leader.
They will mark the occasion together, although not by design: it happens to coincide with the party's Central North Island regional conference, being held in Tauranga, the home city of both Muller and Bridges.
National Party MPs Simon Bridges and Todd Muller back in 2017, before it all kicked off. Photo / George Novak
The two men rub along together fairly well these days - we are sure they will raise a glass to each other.
Current leader Judith Collins will also be at the conference and is due to speak on Sunday.
