Coalition Government has more clean-up to do after uncharacteristically sloppy week - Audrey Young

OPINION

This is a transcript of Audrey Young’s subscriber-only Premium Politics newsletter. To sign up, click on your profile at nzherald.co.nz and select ‘Newsletters’. For a step-by-step guide, click here.

Welcome to the Politics Briefing. It has been a week of unusually sloppy management for the Coalition Government, first over the double flip-flop on the deadline for hiring 500 extra police, and second over the damage to Casey Costello, the New Zealand First minister in charge of smoking and vaping policy.

The first problem was a bit of a mess but it was cleaned up relatively quickly. Contrary to what the coalition agreement says, Police Minister Mark Mitchell said in Parliament on Tuesday that it would take three years, not two, to add 500 more police and explained why he gave plausible reasons for the change. But the very next day he had flip-flopped again back to the original position after New Zealand First objected.

As political editor Claire Trevett wrote: “Mitchell may have thought the difference between two years and three years was a matter of tomato or tomahto, but alas Winston Peters did not.”

“...If there’s one thing Peters hates, it is thinking NZ First has been taken by surprise or left out of decisions, especially when it comes to the party’s own coalition agreement.”

It was certainly a lesson for any minister in the coalition. Do not take New Zealand First - or Act - for granted. Assume nothing. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said several times since the kerfuffle that the Government might not reach the 500 target. Maybe Peters has not caught up with those comments yet.

The issue around Casey Costello is more problematic because it has lingered for two weeks, especially with RNZ’s Guyon Espiner and Labour’s Ayesha Verrall on advice over freezing the tobacco excise.

As a new MP and a new minister, a few mistakes are to be expected. But Costello needs the attention of an experienced operator to sort out exactly what has gone on over getting official advice on tobacco excise, to admit to any ignorance about procedure or errors or confusion, and to cauterise it. Otherwise, it will be death by a thousand innuendos.

Former PM’s take on Waitangi tensions

Luxon and Act leader David Seymour are meeting iwi chairs in Kerikeri this morning where one of the main subjects of discussion will be Seymour’s bill to rewrite the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The great trek to Waitangi also begins this weekend and, given the anxiety over the Treaty in many quarters, not just Māoridom, I thought it would be good to get some reflections of someone who has previously been at the centre of the Crown-Māori relationship, former Prime Minister Bill English (see below). He has a lot of faith in New Zealand to work these things through.

My colleague Adam Pearse covered the valedictory speech of former Labour deputy Kelvin Davis (see below), who until recently was also at the centre of the Māori-Crown relationship.

Greens mull Shaw’s replacement

James Shaw announces his resignation as Green Party co-leader. Photo / Mark Mitchell

It has been a big week for the Green Party, with James Shaw announcing he will step down as co-leader and leave Parliament. Nominations for the election of his replacement close on February 14 and the new co-leader is expected to be announced on March 10. It would be a big surprise if it were anyone other than Chloe Swarbrick.

My colleague Thomas Coughlan has had a busy week, dashing over to Melbourne with Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins to meet their Australian counterparts, Penny Wong and Richard Marles. Australia will dispatch a team to brief New Zealand on Aukus Pillar II once they actually know what it is. Pillar one - nuclear submarines - is its priority at present.

Labour is beginning its positioning to eventually oppose any formal association with Aukus. Foreign affairs spokesman David Parker is questioning it and Phil Twyford devoted his address-in-reply speech this week to criticising it.

Micro quiz

Chloe Swarbrick is the Green MP for Auckland Central. Who was the last Labour MP, the last National MP, the last Alliance MP and the last Act MP to hold Auckland Central? (Answer below.)

Quote unquote

“Is she seriously saying that she requested advice on the tobacco excise tax freeze but because the document canvassed other matters, she was being truthful when she denied having sought the advice to the media?” - Labour’s Ayesha Verrall to Associate Health Minister Casey Costello.

“I was being truthful at the time, in relation to that statement. Being offered something and asking for something are two separate matters” - Costello responds.

Brickbat

Speaker Gerry Brownlee. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Goes to Speaker Gerry Brownlee, who is excellent in most regards except for his habit of forgetting to press the mute button between maiden speeches and sharing his grumbles on various matters with the live-stream audience.

Bouquet

Former Labour deputy Kelvin Davis delivers his valedictory speech. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Goes to former Labour deputy Kelvin Davis for his valedictory speech this week. It focused on his influence as a Cabinet minister, Treaty issues currently vexing the country, and some funny reflections on political friendships. Then he did a Chris Finlayson - disappearing into the lobbies immediately without fuss.

Latest political news and views

Treaty tensions: Former Prime Minister Sir Bill English says he’s confident New Zealand can navigate growing tensions over Treaty of Waitangi issues.

Davis bows out: Former Labour deputy leader Kelvin Davis urged Māori to not back down and accused the coalition Government of seeking to undermine Te Tiriti o Waitangi in his final speech at Parliament.

Māori policy: The Government’s agenda on Māori policy goes much further than Act’s bid to rewrite the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, NZ First deputy Shane Jones has warned.

Greens co-leadership: Derek Cheng looks at the contenders to replace James Shaw as Green Party co-leader.

Analysis - Shaw’s exit: Departing Green Party co-leader James Shaw will be remembered for more than his climate change legislation, writes Derek Cheng.

Opinion - police numbers: The Coalition Government has hit its first pothole as Police Minister Mark Mitchell takes the fall over police recruitment and training numbers, writes Claire Trevett.

Tobacco tax: Associate Health Minister Casey Costello has doubled down in Parliament on her denial that she specifically sought advice on freezing the tobacco excise tax.

Tobacco tax II: Notes that New Zealand First Minister Casey Costello sent to health officials on reforming smoke-free laws make it clear that a proposed freeze on excise tax for tobacco came from her office.

Aukus meeting: A team of Australian officials will head to New Zealand in the near future to deliver a briefing on the non-nuclear pillar two of the Aukus defence deal, as the Government weighs up joining it.

Foreign policy: Labour’s foreign affairs spokesman David Parker has acknowledged the party is not radically changing its existing “independent” foreign policy positions.

State of the nation: New Zealanders have a fresh update on the state of the nation after newly released briefings to the incoming Government’s ministers revealed the challenges facing the coalition.

Finance sector regulations: National has reversed its decision to scrap a new regime aimed at preventing banks, insurers and non-bank deposit takers from mistreating customers.

Quiz answer: Judith Tizard for Labour from 1996 to 2008, Nikki Kaye for National from 2008 to 2018 and Sandra Lee for the Alliance from 1993 to 1996. Act has never held the seat, but Richard Prebble held it as a Labour MP from 1975 to 1993 before he became Act leader.

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.