Focus Live: PM Jacinda Ardern on the US election as Joe Biden edges towards victory.
Beehive Diaries uncovers a wee gem about Joe Biden's wardrobe malfunction in New Zealand in 2016, who took the prize in the Beehive land rush, and the PM notches up another big win - breaking a two-year losing streak.
National MP Mark Mitchell's accidental Midas touch for Joe Biden
TheMAGA hats have been hidden away, but it did not take long for some MPs to start pumping their Joe Biden connections as the US election edged the Democratic candidate's way.
Beehive Diaries learned National MP Mark Mitchell was shamelessly parading a photo of himself and Biden standing on the steps of Air Force Two at the end of Biden's visit to NZ in 2016.
Mitchell told Beehive Diaries the story of that day. He met Biden and All Blacks Jerome Kaino and Charlie Faumuina for breakfast and asked them to sign a rugby ball for a charity fundraiser.
US Vice-President Joe Biden in 2016 with All Blacks Charlie Faumuina and Jerome Kaino. Photo / File
The gold marker pen was not working, so Biden shook it and sprayed gold ink all over his grey suit.
A mortified Mitchell said Biden took it with good grace and went to change into a pin-striped blue suit for his visit to Government House.
Soon after, Mitchell was contacted by Biden's staff, who told him to put his embarrassment over the gold pen incident to rest: Vanity Fair had just selected Biden for its annual best-dressed list.
The magazine listed as Biden's "Most Notable Look": "a pin-striped suit and blue-striped tie worn ... in New Zealand."
National MP Mark Mitchell, centre, and former US Ambassador Mark Gilbert (right) with US Vice-President Joe Biden wearing the suit that caught Vanity Fair's eye. Photo / Supplied
Jacinda Ardern's winning streak goes on
That strange creaking noise on Tuesday morning was the sound of Finance Minister Grant Robertson opening his wallet.
Robertson is renowned for "joking" about the reputation finance ministers have for forgetting their wallets, and has been known to live up to it on occasion.
So you can imagine his horror when he discovered his first job as Racing Minister was to put a bet on a horse for the Melbourne Cup.
Robertson forked out $42 cash on a trifecta and a few $5 each way bets on the New Zealand horses. He got nothing back.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson's grimace of pain after opening his wallet to fulfil his Racing Minister duties at the TAB. Photo / Mark Mitchell
His boss fared better.
The only tip the Prime Minister's office offered in advance was not to bet on the same horse the PM drew in the sweepstake, since in 2018 her horse came last and in 2019 did not finish at all.
It proved a dud tip. This time around, PM Jacinda Ardern drew the winner - Twilight Payment - and took home $70.
Those who watched the race with Ardern reported her celebrations as the horse crossed the finish line were somewhat louder than on election night.
The changes wrought by the election and Cabinet changes have prompted some elbow jostling for prime office space in the Beehive.
It caused something of a civil war in Grant Robertson's office. He wanted to stay put in his current 7th-floor office, overlooking Treasury, while his staff wanted to move to former Deputy PM Winston Peters' vacated office, which was larger and had a better outlook.
Robertson won, after which there was a scramble between Chris Hipkins and Megan Woods for Peters' prime real estate. Woods pulled rank and took the prize.
