Badly behaved MPs needed a time-out; top developer delivers eyebrow-raising speech - Audrey Young

"When politicians extend the boundaries of what is acceptable, so do the other players in the debate." Photo / Mark Mitchell

OPINION

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Welcome to the Politics Briefing. The parliamentary recess in the past week has been a much-needed time-out for MPs from extreme rhetoric and bad behaviour that is becoming too familiar in New Zealand politics.

It is particularly evident in debates on Māori policy - be it about Waitangi Tribunal hearings on the repeal of section 7AA, the promised review of the tribunal itself, or the teaching of tikanga in New Zealand law schools - but also in the environmental debates around the fast-track consenting legislation. When politicians extend the boundaries of what is acceptable, so do the other players in the debate. It has not been a politics-free week, but its gentler pace has been a good pressure valve.

Green MP Julie Anne Genter, who spoke to Georgina Campbell about her recent outburst, will return to Parliament next week to face a Privileges Committee hearing. And hopefully the party will end the state of limbo MP Darleen Tana has been in since beginning an investigation into employment practices.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon delivered his main pre-Budget speech this week at an event hosted by former National leader Simon Bridges, and he attended the Ockham Book Awards with Arts and Culture Minister Paul Goldsmith. His party is holding the last of its regional conferences this weekend, while Labour leader Chris Hipkins is starting his round of soul-searching regional conferences.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters is on the last leg of his latest Pacific mission (Solomons, PNG, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Niue) and spent a little more time in Vanuatu after having to drop New Caledonia from the tour. Four people have been killed in the crisis, which erupted after France passed an electoral bill in Paris that would dilute the voting power of the indigenous Kanak people. France has dispatched 1200 gendarmes to police a 12-day state of emergency and prevent more riots and looting.

Better late than never

Meanwhile, Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier delivered a report yesterday headed “Failures by NZDF undermined Ombudsman’s investigations”. It was probably not the report the newly appointed Chief of Defence Force, Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies, was looking for. But it relates to a former era. Boshier reopened an investigation after a whole lot of documents were declassified during the Operation Burnham Commission of Inquiry. It turned up documents he should have been given in a previous investigation.

However, he found that, on the whole, the failures were a result of bad record-keeping rather than an intention to deliberately mislead him. He made no recommendations because he believes NZDF is changing its ways and he justified his fresh look at what might seem historic events.

“My job is to make sure the Official Information Act operates effectively as intended by Parliament,” he said. “This is a key constitutional measure and a cornerstone of our democracy. I cannot allow it to be undermined, either deliberately or inadvertently, by any agency.”

Quote unquote

“I will start by stating what Aukus is not. It is not an alliance” - British High Commissioner Iona Thomas this week in a speech to the NZ Institute of International Affairs.

“Under the Aukus alliance, we will enhance the development of joint capabilities and technology sharing, ensuring our people are kept safe from harm and reinforcing our shared goals” - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s press statement launching Aukus with the US and Australia on September 15, 2021.

Micro quiz

Who is the Australian Treasurer and why did he make the news this week? (Answer below.)

Brickbat

Memo to Mark Todd: it's an island. Photo / Dean Purcell

Goes to Ockham Residential co-founder Mark Todd for an eyebrow-raising part of his speech at Wednesday’s book awards: “This is a f***ing great continent to live on.” And in the next breath ... ”I also want to acknowledge the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, for attending tonight.” Such disrespect. It’s an island, not a continent.

Bouquet

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier: "I cannot allow [the Official Information Act] to be undermined, either deliberately or inadvertently, by any agency." Photo / Paul Taylor

Goes to Ombudsman Peter Boshier for having reopened his investigation into the Defence Force after many of its documents were declassified in the Commission of Inquiry into Operation Burnham.

Latest political news and views

New Caledonia unrest: NZ officials are closely watching the unrest in New Caledonia and keeping in touch with more than 200 Kiwis stranded in the country, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.

PM on tax cuts: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has stared down critics of the Government’s tax cut plan in a pre-Budget speech to business leaders.

MPI cuts: The Ministry for Primary Industries has confirmed that 391 roles are officially being disestablished, a slight increase from the initial proposal from March.

Genter outburst: Green MP Julie Anne Genter has admitted she crossed a line when she yelled in the face of a minister in Parliament and says she will receive de-escalation training.

Opinion: The Greens are finally paying the price for the evermore pantomimic scandals plaguing them this year, writes Matthew Hooton.

Tana suspension: Suspended Green MP Darleen Tana has now been absent for as many parliamentary sitting days as she has been present for this year, while on full pay.

Rescuers’ lifeline: The Government is spending more than $60 million over four years to keep the lights on at Surf Life Saving NZ and Coastguard NZ.

State asset advice: The Government has received advice on creating a massive holding company that would own all of New Zealand’s state assets.

Govt v Waitangi Tribunal: The Government is weighing up whether to appeal a court decision ruling in favour of the Waitangi Tribunal’s summons of Children’s Minister Karen Chhour.

Commerce Commission cuts: A cost-cutting proposal sent to Commerce Commission staff and seen by the Herald shows a number of roles are on the line.

Aukus: The Aukus submarine pact is “not an alliance”, according to Britain’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Iona Thomas.

Gang unit: The Police Association isn’t yet convinced of the value of the new National Gang Unit intended to help enforce the Government’s law-and-order policies.

Commission closure: None of the Productivity Commission’s 21 staff were offered redeployment when the Crown entity was disestablished in February.

Christchurch Call: Taxpayer funding for the Christchurch Call will soon end, but Jacinda Ardern has been retained by a new foundation established to combat online extremism.

Quiz answer: Jim Chalmers is Australia’s Treasurer and he delivered his second Budget this week.

Audrey Young is the New Zealand Herald’s senior political correspondent. She was named Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards in 2023, 2020 and 2018.

For more political news and views, listen to On the Tiles, the Herald’s politics podcast.