.....but Jackson’s acrobatics are even more spectacular
The Ardern Government has taken a hammering in recent days.
The weird aspect is that it has largely done the damage to itself, with the Opposition left only to rub salt into the ugly wounds.
Pollsters have been on hand to measure the extent of the harm done.
First out this week was the OneNews Kantar, which put Labour at 33%, behind National on 38%.
Then came Roy Morgan with Labour on 25.5% and National on 38%.
The Hamilton West byelection is to round things off on Saturday.
Where previously the Prime Minister had executed her somersaults gracefully, this time she looked in danger as she performed the backflip on the Three Waters entrenchment clause.
Then came Willie Jackson’s display on TV One’s Q+A show.
And what a display that was, aptly described as a “trainwreck” interview (for which Jackson subsequently apologised).
The NZ Herald wasn’t finished with it there: its political correspondent, Claire Trevett, worked it over again. She speculated on Jackson’s chance of surviving a Cabinet reshuffle, which Ardern is due to announce soon.
First up, she wrote, came Jackson’s interview on Q+A about the looming merger of RNZ and TVNZ and subsequent media questioning whether his sparring with Q+A host Jack Tame amounted to an attempt to get a TVNZ current affairs programme to toe the line on the merger.
At the same time Jackson was trying to get former National MP Simon Bridges appointed as chair of the merged public media entity, despite the PM and Deputy PM Grant Robertson voicing concerns about appointing a former politician to that role.
“Word of that made its way to the Herald last week. The Cabinet committee which weighs up senior appointments will consider it on Wednesday.
‘If Jackson actually likes the broadcasting portfolio (and he may not after this week), he couldn’t have picked a worst time for all of this. A reshuffle is coming up in a month or so. The PM is clearly not amused.
“The names of Jan Tinetti or Carmel Sepuloni are circulating as possible replacements to see the merger through.
“Jackson has tried to explain himself, putting the interview down to the ‘certain style’ he has. He issued what amounted to something of an apology for being Willie – with a hint of accusation that the media who took exception to the interview were being pearl clutchers. That may have an element of truth about that, but it’s the PM he needs to worry about”.
Trevitt went on:
“But the critical factor is that he has put the media merger into the news.The Government is under fire for a lot of reforms in a lot of areas. Until now, the merger had ruffled feathers in media circles, but has not exactly captured the attention or ire of the nation – and Ardern clearly wanted to keep it that way.
“So it was that on Monday night National MP Chris Penk tweeted a droll ‘things are going so badly for the Broadcasting Minister that the PM has expressed confidence in him.’
“Prime Ministers are usually only asked if they have confidence in a minister if that minister is either flailing or has done something naughty. Jackson was in between them.”
So after the interview on Sunday came a Talking-To from Ardern on Monday.
First out this week was the OneNews Kantar, which put Labour at 33%, behind National on 38%.
Then came Roy Morgan with Labour on 25.5% and National on 38%.
The Hamilton West byelection is to round things off on Saturday.
Where previously the Prime Minister had executed her somersaults gracefully, this time she looked in danger as she performed the backflip on the Three Waters entrenchment clause.
Then came Willie Jackson’s display on TV One’s Q+A show.
And what a display that was, aptly described as a “trainwreck” interview (for which Jackson subsequently apologised).
The NZ Herald wasn’t finished with it there: its political correspondent, Claire Trevett, worked it over again. She speculated on Jackson’s chance of surviving a Cabinet reshuffle, which Ardern is due to announce soon.
First up, she wrote, came Jackson’s interview on Q+A about the looming merger of RNZ and TVNZ and subsequent media questioning whether his sparring with Q+A host Jack Tame amounted to an attempt to get a TVNZ current affairs programme to toe the line on the merger.
At the same time Jackson was trying to get former National MP Simon Bridges appointed as chair of the merged public media entity, despite the PM and Deputy PM Grant Robertson voicing concerns about appointing a former politician to that role.
“Word of that made its way to the Herald last week. The Cabinet committee which weighs up senior appointments will consider it on Wednesday.
‘If Jackson actually likes the broadcasting portfolio (and he may not after this week), he couldn’t have picked a worst time for all of this. A reshuffle is coming up in a month or so. The PM is clearly not amused.
“The names of Jan Tinetti or Carmel Sepuloni are circulating as possible replacements to see the merger through.
“Jackson has tried to explain himself, putting the interview down to the ‘certain style’ he has. He issued what amounted to something of an apology for being Willie – with a hint of accusation that the media who took exception to the interview were being pearl clutchers. That may have an element of truth about that, but it’s the PM he needs to worry about”.
Trevitt went on:
“But the critical factor is that he has put the media merger into the news.The Government is under fire for a lot of reforms in a lot of areas. Until now, the merger had ruffled feathers in media circles, but has not exactly captured the attention or ire of the nation – and Ardern clearly wanted to keep it that way.
“So it was that on Monday night National MP Chris Penk tweeted a droll ‘things are going so badly for the Broadcasting Minister that the PM has expressed confidence in him.’
“Prime Ministers are usually only asked if they have confidence in a minister if that minister is either flailing or has done something naughty. Jackson was in between them.”
So after the interview on Sunday came a Talking-To from Ardern on Monday.
Then on Tuesday, as the PM was trying to say why the merger would be the saviour of public broadcasting in one media cluster, Jackson was a few metres away delivering his mea culpa.
As Point of Order sees it, Jackson should be stripped of the broadcasting portfolio, but chances are he will survive as a minister, if only because Ardern won’t want to get offside with the Maori caucus.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
As Point of Order sees it, Jackson should be stripped of the broadcasting portfolio, but chances are he will survive as a minister, if only because Ardern won’t want to get offside with the Maori caucus.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
2 comments:
The NZ media portrays Adern as if she is in charge and understands the business of government.
One only had to listen to Mike Hosking interview the Prime Minister once to know she couldn't answer basic questions and knows very little about the decisions and business of government.
There is a reason Adern refuses to participate in the radio show with the biggest audience in NZ and it is time the behoven NZ media stops elevating Adern to 10 levels above her pay grade.
The result of the media adulation and NZ voters who lack the intelligence to spot an imposter is we now have a prime minister and government who do not possess the intellect or experience required to run a country.
The middle NZers who were fooled into voting for the prime minister (Adern oversaw the most expensive covid response in the world so we now can't afford nurses, doctors, roads, and prisons) are paying the heftiest price for her string of predictable failures.
Adern however has done very nicely, enriching herself whilst prime minister. She doesn't care that middle nzers can't get drugs for prostrate cancer.
Ardern would not have the guts to boot Willie. The high priestess of the labour cult has lost all of her former appeal as her lack of leadership becomes more apparent and the maori caucus take control. Her best bet would be to admit defeat and resign before Christmas. She is toast anyway she goes.
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