Beehive Diaries: Shortland Street spoilers ... or enough drama in the House?

Act MP Brooke van Velden. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Van Velden denies trying to sneak Shorty Spoilers

Health Minister Andrew Little's bid to encourage people into nursing by collaborating with the producers of Shortland Street piqued the interest of Brooke van Velden, Act MP and health spokeswoman, who lodged a written Parliamentary question to get Little to disgorge details of the possible partnership.

Little was not moved by the request and accused van Velden of using the Written Parliamentary Question process to sneak spoilers for upcoming Shorty plot lines.

"I do not consider it is in the public or Shorty fans' interest to give away spoilers," Little replied.

Van Velden says she doesn't watch Shortland Street. She told Beehive Diaries "there's enough drama in the debating chamber".

Tame gives Finlayson a clue

Former National MP Chris Finlayson's dislike of former leader Simon Bridges is fairly well known, but what has been less visible was Finlayson's apparent dislike of Bridges' deputy Paula Bennett.

In his memoir, published this week, Finlayson recounts his disapproval not just of the Bridges-Bennett leadership of 2018-2020 (he described his decision to initially back Bridges as "among the worst" he has made), but also his disapproval of Bennett's time as deputy prime minister under Bill English.

Any rifts are unlikely to mend soon. Doing a round of publicity for the book, Finlayson claimed he had "no problem with Paula" although his subsequent remarks left viewers wondering if that was the truth.

He described the former deputy prime minister as "a good game show host", although it's not clear whether Finlayson was well appraised of Bennett's hosting abilities, calling her show "I haven't got a clue". Q + A host Jack Tame gently reminded Finlayson the correct name was "Give us a Clue".

Flogging party swag

Parties are passing the tin ahead of election year. Partly thanks to Bennett's impressive fundraising abilities National has managed to rake in close to $2 million from high-value donors, including $250,000 from toy mogul Nick Mowbray.

Mowbray's Coatesville address, published to the Electoral Commission's website, is no stranger to political high rollers. Better known as the Dotcom mansion, it's the former residence of internet entrepreneur and political party founder Kim Dotcom who registered some $3.5m of donations to the Internet Party from the address in 2014.

Pity hard-up Greens and Labour who are struggling to win support from mansion dwellers (clearly unmoved by the fact any Green-induced capital gains tax is unlikely to touch the family home, no matter how big it is).

Both parties are trying to drum up small donations by flogging party swag.

The Green Party was on to a winner when they reissued a Green sweatshirt featuring the party's vintage logo (the style was re-popularised by Chlöe Swarbrick).

Labour has nicked the idea, offering supporters the chance to buy a sweatshirt featuring the logo the party used in the 1970s and 1980s. It's unclear how many contemporary Labour supporters want to don the party's 1980s logo, once sported by Roger Douglas.

Meanwhile, the Greens, true to form, are selling their own coffee blend. Made by Peoples Coffee of Wellington, "The Green Party Blend" is organic, made with "ethical" and "sustainable" practices which makes "each cup of green goodness all the more sweeter".

Available in decaf too.

Quote of the week

"Nincompoops" - Former Cabinet Minister Chris Finlayson on his ex-National party colleagues