The late Green Party founder Jeanette Fitzsimons with her husband Harry Parke in 2008. Photo / Jason Dorday
The late Green Party founder Jeanette Fitzsimons with her husband Harry Parke in 2008. Photo / Jason Dorday
In this week's Beehive Diaries, Winston Peters is asked for his pick on Donald Trump vs Joe Biden, Chris Bishop is caught out, and all paws are crossed for Judith Collins' dog Holly.
Monday: PM Jacinda Ardern, John Tamihere and Shane Jones
John Tamihere got the backing of the MāoriParty's founder, Dame Tariana Turia, but for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern his selection as the Māori Party candidate in Tamaki Makaurau raises a potential nightmare for the Prime Minister.
It is the entertaining prospect Ardern could well find herself with both Tamihere and NZ First's Shane Jones in a future Cabinet.
Jones was already in Ardern's bad books for his colourful turns of phrase, and Tamihere has an equally colourful turn of phrase. Remember front-bums?
Tamihere has already suggested if the Māori Party does end up in talks with Labour, he would leave it to the woman co-leader of the Māori Party to negotiate with Ardern. It was not a scenario Ardern wanted to spend much time on, responding simply: "That is a purely hypothetical situation."
Tuesday: Parliament farewells Jeanette Fitzsimons
Parliament met for the first time since the death of the former Green Party co-leader, Jeanette Fitzsimons. Fitzsimons was held in high regard by many in Parliament. In dealing with the media, she was always patient, tolerant and good-natured.
Jeanette Fitzsimons delivering her valedictory in 2010. Photo / NZPA
Beehive Diaries has fond memories of Fitzsimon's humour on occasions, such as the late broadcaster Paul Holmes turning up to her home in his big gas-guzzling Bentley to inspect her composting toilet.
Green Party co-leader James Shaw provided one of the few laughs among the tributes. He recalled the first time he met Fitzsimons when she was still with the Values Party and he was about 19. There were plans underway for a "Green" Party, and a meeting at a lodge in Ohakune.
"The debates continued through dinner and through drinks and on into the lodge's sauna, where I was a little bit startled to find that not only were the policy prescriptions very northern European, so was the dress code.
That's where I first learnt to focus on the policy, rather than the person."
The only party which did not directly pay a tribute to Fitzsimons was NZ First. Although Winston Peters was in the House, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern instead said she was speaking on behalf of both Labour and NZ First. Presumably Winston Peters had decided it would be a bit rich, given the names some NZ First MPs have called the Greens in the past.
Wednesday: Does Winston Peters pick Biden or Trump?
NZ First leader Winston Peters is not usually short of a prediction: in fact, he has boasted about being better than the polls in picking both the Brexit referendum outcome, and the election of US President Donald Trump.
In June last year he also predicted "my friend" Boris Johnson would win the British election.
That was seen as somewhat unusual, given Peters is Foreign Affairs minister and it is protocol not to muse upon or take sides in another country's election.
Winston Peters and his old mate and now British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2018. Photo / Supplied
Yet Peters got a bit coy when asked on The Country to predict the outcome of US election, and whether Joe Biden – if successful as the Democrats candidate – could take out Trump.
Peters: "I've got my views, but I don't want to say them publicly. I am Minister of Foreign Affairs, after all, and I've got to be careful."
He did perhaps give a hint when the Country's Jamie McKay ventured that he did not think Biden could beat Trump. Peters said "I'm not contesting what you are saying, or arguing what you're saying, but why would you say that?"
Not thoughts and prayers, but toilet paper and K-Y Jelly
A pharmacy in Wellington reported some surprising items were running low in the wake of coronavirus.
Hand sanitiser was the first thing to sell out, and there was also a run on masks and body thermometers.
But K-Y Jelly is apparently also now in short supply, and Metamucil. Just what are people planning to do while in isolation?
Thursday: Thoughts and prayers for Holly the dog
Beehive Diaries has paws crossed for Judith Collins' dog Holly.
Collins tweeted her 17-year-old pup was unwell and off to the vet, and now faces an ultrasound on Monday to assess whether she has cancer or a stomach ulcer, which can be treated.
Dear Twitter friends, Holly had a good sleep last night and has had her chalky drink and a little bit of poached chicken with white rice this morning. She has gone back to bed 🛌 and I have left her with her Dad while I go to work. She now has the ultrasound booked for Monday 🤞 pic.twitter.com/pyisiMUxuG
Few things cross the party divide like dogs do, and the response to Holly's plight was enough to see Holly trending on Twitter.
Collins has occasionally treated her followers to Holly stories – including her expertise at rat-catching.
Friday: Chris Bishop caught out
The changes to sports and cultural events because of coronavirus has caught out one MP: National's Chris Bishop.
A massive cricket fan, Bishop was in the air on his way to Sydney to watch the first ODI between the Black Caps and Australia tonight when the decision was made to play the match without any fans in the grounds, because of coronavirus fears.
Chris Bishop with his fellow co-captain of the NZ Parliamentary cricket team, Kieran McAnulty. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Bishop landed to discover he would not be able to get into the game.
It capped off a bad cricket week for Bishop: on the Sunday, the Parliamentary XI had been thrashed by the Media XI.
