![John Armstrong: Williamson abides by rules on directorship](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=808)
John Armstrong: Williamson abides by rules on directorship
Maurice Williamson says if a potential conflict of interest arose in his portfolio, he would order officials not to give him the relevant papers, writes John Armstrong.
Maurice Williamson says if a potential conflict of interest arose in his portfolio, he would order officials not to give him the relevant papers, writes John Armstrong.
"Is NZ's relationship with Indonesia so lacking that it could not tolerate a West Papuan independence activist speaking at a lunch-hour meeting?" asks John Armstrong.
When the Prime Minister called for a volunteer to bring order to the chaos of a new payroll system for the country's schools, Steven Joyce looked around the room.
It is a pretty sad indictment on the state of New Zealand's national day that Waitangi Day is judged as something of a success if it is relatively trouble-free.
So coos the sugar-encrusted, but hollow-sounding real estate-speak intent on seducing would-be home buyers and hard-headed investors into succumbing to the charms of life at Hobsonville Pt.
So exits Lockwood Smith as Parliament's Speaker - and to genuine and sustained applause from MPs from all parties, writes John Armstrong.
You can dismiss a political opponent's speech as rubbish. But describing it as boring is much more of a low blow, writes John Armstrong.
This week's shock sackings of Phil Heatley and Kate Wilkinson from the Cabinet provided instant and ample proof of one surefire thing: the authentic version of John Key is back and very much in charge.
John Key's dramatic Cabinet reshuffle displays a streak of ruthlessness hitherto rarely seen in a New Zealand prime minister.
Roll up! Roll-up! Hear the Singing Prime Minister. Watch the Bobbing Backbencher. See a true One Man Band joust with a de facto One Man Band, writes John Armstrong.
"Is Brendan Horan going to devote his remaining time in Parliament to being a regular thorn in Winston Peters' side?" asks John Armstrong.
Much of MPs' unhappiness with Horan flows from him still picking up a big salary plus numerous expenses and other perks, writes John Armstrong, thus reflecting badly on Parliament as a whole.
Now that David Shearer no longer has to worry about a knife being plunged into his back, he needs to tackle another longer-running attempted putsch.
It may have more to do with the still very slow erosion of National's support flowing from 12 months of unrelenting mini-scandals, sideshows and distractions, writes John Armstrong.
"How do you assess the impact of a picture of a smiling Goff when the accompanying story is about Labour keeping his face off its campaign hoardings?" writes John Armstrong.
Labour's leadership woes are the gift for National that keeps on giving, writes John Armstrong. "But it will only keep on giving for as long as National is careful not to disturb the unhappy equilibrium."
This weekend's conference is Shearer's first as leader. He should be given that opportunity to prove his critics wrong, writes John Armstrong.
The ramifications of an inquiry's findings into Pike River are potentially huge.
The Beehive will be quietly pleased Barack Obama has won a second term as US President, says political commentator John Armstrong.
The commission's plea for the so-called "coat-tails" clause to be abolished, however, looks like falling victim to National's self-interest, writes John Armstrong
After nigh on three decades of constant and unflinching devotion to free market economic orthodoxy, the Treasury seems to be opening the door to fresh thinking.
No wonder National avoided over-selling the contents of their plan to make housing more affordable, writes John Armstrong. "The plan looks more like a rough first draft."
There have been growing gripes that Lockwood Smith has been going too far in seeming to want to also be Parliament's coach and commentator, writes John Armstrong.