That speculation has since engulfed much of the Government’s policy agenda with question marks hovering over everything from light rail to Three Waters to hate speech. The actual reshuffle appears likely to be smaller, with most policies likely to be safe - possibly including light rail.
Others, like Three Waters, seem likely to stay, but in a pared-back form - possibly losing controversial co-governance aspects. This is likely to take some time. Officials will first need to work out what to do. Those plans may then need to be consulted on before any final decision is made.
The merger is far easier to undo.
The Government is keen not to be seen as simply U-turning on policies, but showing that it is shifting focus from one thing to something else.
That means a policy like the merger could be killed at the same time as a policy in a more “bread and butter” area is announced.
At Waitangi, Jackson would not answer questions put by Newsroom about the fate of the merger, deferring to Cabinet’s consideration on Wednesday.
This could mean a Cabinet decision tomorrow to put the merger on ice, effectively abandoning five years of attempts to significantly reform state broadcasting.
This portfolio has endured a series of false starts under this Government.
First, with former minister Clare Curran’s ill-fated plans for RNZ+, followed by former minister Kris Faafoi’s long struggle to get Cabinet to agree on some form of merger.
The reprioritisation agenda is currently a Government priority, with Cabinet keen to move quickly to clear the decks and not have questions about which policies will and will not be ditched hang over the Government’s agenda.
Hipkins has said he is open to relooking at the Three Waters reforms, and it seems like some changes around co-governance are on the table.
It is unclear how Hipkins and his new Local Government Minister Kieran McAnulty will resolve this challenge.
Hipkins was introduced to the idea of “mahi tahi”, or working together, at the Iwi Chairs Forum in Waitangi.
“The idea of working together, mahi tahi, that’s something that we should all buy into. Working together is a great thing,” he said following that meeting.
But at the same meeting, chairs were keen to impress that they wanted to see a strong voice for Māori retained.
Tukoroirangi Morgan said he would like “partnership” affirmed in the reforms.
“The challenge we’ve put to the Prime Minister today is will he succumb to the attack dogs of the National party and Act as they fan the flames of racism and anti-Māori sentiments, and throw us under the bus for the sake of keeping alive Three Waters?”
But iwi might not get their way. Speaking to Newsroom, Jackson said the voice of iwi on co-governance was just one Māori perspective.
“I don’t live my life around whether iwi leaders say yes or no – they don’t represent me in Auckland,” Jackson said.
“We’re represented by urban authorities and people at the coal face, and we don’t live or die on what the iwi leaders say. However, I made a decision when I became Māori Development Minister that I had to work better and closer with them,” he said.
