Backbencher pub reveals Jacinda Ardern, Judith Collins effigies. Video / Mark Mitchell
Covid-19 delivered a busy day for Chris Hipkins, and again hit the National Party's calendar. But the Black Caps delivered some pure, unadulterated joy.
Hoist the eyebrow: National leader Judith Collins with her puppet at the Backbencher pub. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Tuesday: The Backbencher puppets unveiled.
The Backbencher pub unveiled its new puppets of political figures, PM Jacinda Ardern, National leader Judith Collins, Act leader David Seymour,and Green MP Chloe Swarbrick.
Onlookers noted the puppets seemed to be more flattering than the usual exaggerated caricatures. But if you looked a bit closer, it was not quite that way.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after the unveiling of her puppet at the Backbencher pub. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Ardern's puppet had a celestial theme to it, but Ardern clearly noticed it also had rather large teeth.
"That is not what they meant when they said pearly white gates," she observed.
Collins declared herself delighted with her likeness - the eyebrow lifted just the right way. But a closer inspection revealed blood dripping off her hands.
Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins was working from home on Monday and Tuesday with a head cold. A Covid-19 test came back negative on Tuesday night – but he may have wished it had taken a bit longer by the end of Wednesday.
On Tuesday night, Hipkins learned of the Australian visitor who had tested positive for Covid-19 after visiting Wellington the weekend before.
His day started with a speech at 7am to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, followed by an impromptu media standup.
He spent an hour being grilled in a select committee in his other role of Public Services Minister. He transmogrified back to Covid-19 Minister for meetings with health officials and a Cabinet meeting to decide what action to take for the Covid-19 case.
Then came the 1pm press conference to announce the move to level 2 for Wellington and an update on the vaccinations rollout, before heading to Question Time.
Straight after that was a 90-minute grilling in select committee on all aspects of the Government's handling of the pandemic.
That finished just before 5pm, and Hipkins went straight into interviews for three drive-time radio shows.
Anyone wanting to predict when and where a Covid-19 outbreak might happen could do so by checking the dates of National Party conferences and major events.
National had to scrap its campaign launch in Auckland in 2020 because Auckland went into lockdown a few days before it. Later on, Auckland again went into lockdown ahead of a conference the party was due to hold.
This time round National tried to avoid the curse striking by avoiding Auckland for the Special General Meeting at which party members were due to vote on changes to its rules.
That was supposed to be on Sunday at Te Papa.
Alas, the move to level 2 in Wellington prohibited gatherings of more than 100 and would not end until Sunday evening.
The event was postponed.
Very tired parliamentary cricket team co-captains Chris Bishop (left) and Kieran McAnulty after the Black Caps' big win. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Thursday: The day of joy
The Black Caps' win of the cricket World Test Championship saw some sleepless MPs wander round in a blissful bubble of elation all day.
They included the parliamentary cricket team co-captains Kieran McAnulty and Chris Bishop. Bishop started the day by leaving a cup of coffee outside McAnulty's office for him.
Later both spoke in Parliament about the big win. They wore the Steady the Ship captain's hats – hats to mark the Alternative Commentary Collective's nickname for Kane "Steady the Ship" Williamson.
Bishop might want to loan his hat to National's captain, Judith Collins, next week when the caucus meets for the first time since Todd Muller was forced to resign.
