It was reported on Monday by Newstalk ZB that, because Luxon acknowledges his team’s lack of governing experience, the party has brought in some senior figures from the past. Luxon told Mike Hosking that Steven Joyce, Bill English and Wayne Eagleson have been coaching his caucus on how to be MPs and ministers, and how to lead the public service.
Of course, it’s not unusual for new governments to bring in party veterans to help guide the new administration and teach them some tricks. For example, when Jacinda Ardern was setting up the last government, she called on Heather Simpson, who had been Helen Clark’s Chief of Staff, to help train the new MPs and Ministers.
Joyce, English and Eagleson are not only some of the most senior figures from John Key’s former administration, they are also now involved in corporate lobbying and other private sector pursuits.
Wayne Eagleson: Beehive Chief turned lobbyist
Wayne Eagleson was one of the last National Government’s most powerful players, yet he was almost unknown to the public. As Chief of Staff he ran the Beehive on behalf of National prime ministers John Key and Bill English, from 2008 to 2017. When Key was prime minister he described Eagleson as New Zealand’s “most influential unelected official”.
Eagleson was part of the core negotiating team, alongside English and Steven Joyce, who tried to persuade Winston Peters to go into coalition government with National in 2017. They failed, and in fact, Peters went on to take legal action against the three of them, blaming them for being involved in the leaking of his personal superannuation information in the leadup to the 2017 election.
On leaving the Beehive, Eagleson established Wayne Eagleson Consulting Limited, and then joined lobbying firm Thompson Lewis. That firm was led by GJ Thompson, who stepped down as a lobbyist for five months to be Chief of Staff for the new Jacinda Ardern Labour-led Government.
When Eagleson shifted almost straight from the Beehive to being a lobbyist he explained he was “looking forward to using the experience I have gained in the Beehive and prior to that as a senior corporate affairs manager.” GJ Thompson said the deal with Eagleson to bring him on board was done “over a couple of beers”, with Thompson explaining that it was beneficial to have someone from National to balance the lobbying firm’s links to Labour: “In New Zealand, you can’t afford to be too partisan.”
Steven Joyce: Minister of Everything, and now Adviser on Everything?
Steven Joyce has been a major figure in National for the last two decades. He led the restructuring of the party in the Don Brash years, and then ran National’s election campaigns from 2005 to 2017. Coming into Parliament in 2008 he was immediately appointed as a Cabinet Minister, and eventually became Minister of Finance (as well as becoming known as The Minister of Everything and Mr Fixit).
Joyce was a businessman before entering politics, and returned to this in 2018, setting up Joyce Advisory, a company specialising in business strategy, consultancy, brand management and reputation. In addition, Joyce has been appointed to and employed by an array of businesses, from property development to engineering. Some of these clients have developed close relationships with the National Party under leader Christopher Luxon.
The most politically controversial business Joyce has joined is the major property developer Winton, a company that has been locked in a legal battle with the Labour Government. In Opposition National was supportive of Winton, with Housing Spokesperson Chris Bishop even putting out a press release backing them.
Winton is also seen as a prime beneficiary of National’s new policy of partially abolishing the ban on house sales to foreign buyers. If implemented, all properties over $2m could be sold to wealthy foreigners, increasing the market and demand for the houses being sold by property developers like Winton. For this reason, political commentator Matthew Hooton suggested in the Herald that, “incredibly”, the policy had been created “with the help of lobbyists” for “the property-development industries”.
Joyce has also been connected with other National Party policies. RNZ’s Guyon Espiner uncovered how closely the University of Waikato worked with the National Party on its promise to create a new $300m medical training school in Hamilton. Joyce’s consultancy company Joyce Advisory was paid nearly a million dollars for helping with “lobbying advice” on such issues. Waikato University even helped pay for National’s announcement, and vice chancellor Neil Quigley emailed Health Spokesperson Shane Reti to say the policy could be “a present” to a future National government.
As well as giving “lobbying advice” to Waikato University, Joyce is now on the University’s Management School Business Advisory Board. He’s also a company director for a number of businesses – Icehouse Ventures (a venture capital fund manager), Hammerforce (a technology and IP company), and RCP (a property and construction project management consultancy).
Bill English: A post-political career in business
Former Prime Minister Bill English is incredibly well-connected in Wellington politics-business circles. Since leaving Parliament in 2018 after 28 years as one of New Zealand’s most influential politicians, he’s taken on a number of big roles in business.
The most interesting has been as the founder and chair of ImpactLab, which English describes as specialising in “using data to support better decision making by measuring social impact”. Essentially the company works with the private and community sector in work related to big data and social investment modelling. Their website states: “We’re on a mission to connect decision-makers with information they can act on to grow their impact.” The say their clients are “charitable services, primary health entities and social enterprises” and that the business aims to “partner with philanthropic foundations and trusts, private donors, and government agencies.”
New National MP Emma Chatterton has also joined the National caucus from ImpactLab, after working there for the last four years.
This week English warned the incoming government that he thought that the existing public service wasn’t going to be able to deliver all the reforms and programmes that National wanted. He was reported as saying there was an answer to the shortfall outside of the state: “On the plus side, covid funding, in particular, had helped strengthen a wide range of community, iwi and non-governmental organisations’ ability to deliver social services at the grassroots level far more effectively than central government agencies.”
English is also the director or chair of a number of other companies: Todd Corporation, Wesfarmers Ltd, Manawanui, and Mt Cook Alpine Salmon.
The need to keep scrutinising National’s advisers
Luxon’s National Government is fortunate to have the help of Eagleson, Joyce and English – they will be extremely useful in training and advising National’s new MPs and Ministers. But the fact that all three are now deeply involved in the business sector, and to some degree will be helping their business interests lobby government and navigate the political landscape, raises questions about potential conflicts of interest.
And what of other lobbyists who will shift into new jobs in the Beehive? We are starting to see who some of the individuals taking up the top jobs will be. For example, former National staffer Jo de Joux has been running a lobbying company in recent years but has now been appointed National Party General Manager after successfully running National’s election campaign.
The Beehive has also employed a new press secretary, Rebecca Dunlay who has a six-year background working in PR-lobbying company Convergence Communications & Marketing. Matt Young comes into Beehive comms from a career with PR companies like Pead PR and Anthem. And Lesley Hamilton comes straight from being the Communications Manager for Seafood New Zealand.
Any new government is vulnerable to being captured by vested interests as they start restructuring, so it’s important to have public scrutiny of who is coming into the Beehive as advisers, trainers, or spin doctors. When these people come from lobbying and corporate PR backgrounds, it’s wise to ask who might benefit from those connections.
Dr Bryce Edwards is a politics lecturer at Victoria University and director of Critical Politics, a project focused on researching New Zealand politics and society. This article was first published HERE
Joyce, English and Eagleson are not only some of the most senior figures from John Key’s former administration, they are also now involved in corporate lobbying and other private sector pursuits.
Wayne Eagleson: Beehive Chief turned lobbyist
Wayne Eagleson was one of the last National Government’s most powerful players, yet he was almost unknown to the public. As Chief of Staff he ran the Beehive on behalf of National prime ministers John Key and Bill English, from 2008 to 2017. When Key was prime minister he described Eagleson as New Zealand’s “most influential unelected official”.
Eagleson was part of the core negotiating team, alongside English and Steven Joyce, who tried to persuade Winston Peters to go into coalition government with National in 2017. They failed, and in fact, Peters went on to take legal action against the three of them, blaming them for being involved in the leaking of his personal superannuation information in the leadup to the 2017 election.
On leaving the Beehive, Eagleson established Wayne Eagleson Consulting Limited, and then joined lobbying firm Thompson Lewis. That firm was led by GJ Thompson, who stepped down as a lobbyist for five months to be Chief of Staff for the new Jacinda Ardern Labour-led Government.
When Eagleson shifted almost straight from the Beehive to being a lobbyist he explained he was “looking forward to using the experience I have gained in the Beehive and prior to that as a senior corporate affairs manager.” GJ Thompson said the deal with Eagleson to bring him on board was done “over a couple of beers”, with Thompson explaining that it was beneficial to have someone from National to balance the lobbying firm’s links to Labour: “In New Zealand, you can’t afford to be too partisan.”
Steven Joyce: Minister of Everything, and now Adviser on Everything?
Steven Joyce has been a major figure in National for the last two decades. He led the restructuring of the party in the Don Brash years, and then ran National’s election campaigns from 2005 to 2017. Coming into Parliament in 2008 he was immediately appointed as a Cabinet Minister, and eventually became Minister of Finance (as well as becoming known as The Minister of Everything and Mr Fixit).
Joyce was a businessman before entering politics, and returned to this in 2018, setting up Joyce Advisory, a company specialising in business strategy, consultancy, brand management and reputation. In addition, Joyce has been appointed to and employed by an array of businesses, from property development to engineering. Some of these clients have developed close relationships with the National Party under leader Christopher Luxon.
The most politically controversial business Joyce has joined is the major property developer Winton, a company that has been locked in a legal battle with the Labour Government. In Opposition National was supportive of Winton, with Housing Spokesperson Chris Bishop even putting out a press release backing them.
Winton is also seen as a prime beneficiary of National’s new policy of partially abolishing the ban on house sales to foreign buyers. If implemented, all properties over $2m could be sold to wealthy foreigners, increasing the market and demand for the houses being sold by property developers like Winton. For this reason, political commentator Matthew Hooton suggested in the Herald that, “incredibly”, the policy had been created “with the help of lobbyists” for “the property-development industries”.
Joyce has also been connected with other National Party policies. RNZ’s Guyon Espiner uncovered how closely the University of Waikato worked with the National Party on its promise to create a new $300m medical training school in Hamilton. Joyce’s consultancy company Joyce Advisory was paid nearly a million dollars for helping with “lobbying advice” on such issues. Waikato University even helped pay for National’s announcement, and vice chancellor Neil Quigley emailed Health Spokesperson Shane Reti to say the policy could be “a present” to a future National government.
As well as giving “lobbying advice” to Waikato University, Joyce is now on the University’s Management School Business Advisory Board. He’s also a company director for a number of businesses – Icehouse Ventures (a venture capital fund manager), Hammerforce (a technology and IP company), and RCP (a property and construction project management consultancy).
Bill English: A post-political career in business
Former Prime Minister Bill English is incredibly well-connected in Wellington politics-business circles. Since leaving Parliament in 2018 after 28 years as one of New Zealand’s most influential politicians, he’s taken on a number of big roles in business.
The most interesting has been as the founder and chair of ImpactLab, which English describes as specialising in “using data to support better decision making by measuring social impact”. Essentially the company works with the private and community sector in work related to big data and social investment modelling. Their website states: “We’re on a mission to connect decision-makers with information they can act on to grow their impact.” The say their clients are “charitable services, primary health entities and social enterprises” and that the business aims to “partner with philanthropic foundations and trusts, private donors, and government agencies.”
New National MP Emma Chatterton has also joined the National caucus from ImpactLab, after working there for the last four years.
This week English warned the incoming government that he thought that the existing public service wasn’t going to be able to deliver all the reforms and programmes that National wanted. He was reported as saying there was an answer to the shortfall outside of the state: “On the plus side, covid funding, in particular, had helped strengthen a wide range of community, iwi and non-governmental organisations’ ability to deliver social services at the grassroots level far more effectively than central government agencies.”
English is also the director or chair of a number of other companies: Todd Corporation, Wesfarmers Ltd, Manawanui, and Mt Cook Alpine Salmon.
The need to keep scrutinising National’s advisers
Luxon’s National Government is fortunate to have the help of Eagleson, Joyce and English – they will be extremely useful in training and advising National’s new MPs and Ministers. But the fact that all three are now deeply involved in the business sector, and to some degree will be helping their business interests lobby government and navigate the political landscape, raises questions about potential conflicts of interest.
And what of other lobbyists who will shift into new jobs in the Beehive? We are starting to see who some of the individuals taking up the top jobs will be. For example, former National staffer Jo de Joux has been running a lobbying company in recent years but has now been appointed National Party General Manager after successfully running National’s election campaign.
The Beehive has also employed a new press secretary, Rebecca Dunlay who has a six-year background working in PR-lobbying company Convergence Communications & Marketing. Matt Young comes into Beehive comms from a career with PR companies like Pead PR and Anthem. And Lesley Hamilton comes straight from being the Communications Manager for Seafood New Zealand.
Any new government is vulnerable to being captured by vested interests as they start restructuring, so it’s important to have public scrutiny of who is coming into the Beehive as advisers, trainers, or spin doctors. When these people come from lobbying and corporate PR backgrounds, it’s wise to ask who might benefit from those connections.
Dr Bryce Edwards is a politics lecturer at Victoria University and director of Critical Politics, a project focused on researching New Zealand politics and society. This article was first published HERE
5 comments:
The reality is that all governments are influenced by their backers and supporters. It's a quid pro quo. I'm not saying it's right or desirable but we don't live in a perfect democracy - there's no such thing.
The key issue is whether they're going to be advised on the real TOW and what the articles mean. The complete absence of the term "partnership" and the meaning of "cede sovereignty".
They should engage a number of respected authors who write on Breaking Views to provide the training.
I'm dreaming again!
Isn't it wonderful that National is utilizing: intelligent, experienced, moral, successful people to guide their new MPs.
I'm looking forward to the next 12 years of clever National Government.
Mark Mitchell to lead the last 3.5 years.
To DeeM and all others who will read this article.
I recall hearing a statement that said - "When Politicians speak, if their lips move, they are lying".
From this article I also take from the data presented two things -
1/- I find it interesting that once a Political Party has been elected, that they suddenly have to "train" their new MPS; could this not have been looked and put into place prior to pre - Election process, might have helped many on how to "present themselves to the public, ability to speak (on a and/or any subject - clearly = concisely), answer questions in a logical manner. Saves having to call for an Equine Vet to deal "with foot in mouth disease".
2-/ - With National how the involvement of Commerce etc/et al. will help the employee going forward?
Thanks Bryce, having you in Wellington, being able to keep the Govt under review and supply your thoughts, which will alleviate US minions having to rely on NZ MSM. Along with Bob Jones we Can surely rely on YOU (and Sir Robert). Oh Bryce, Sir Robert "hates those red & white road side plastic safety cones" - do you have a similar aversion??
As one of the few mps who seems to have maoris sussed, perhaps they should include Helen Clark as an adviser.
Yes - you may well be dreaming.
3 parties - each leader has a different view on a TofW referendum
1. Luxon : ref. not necessary ( so matters will remain unresolved)
2. Peters: any ref should focus on articles only (principles do not exist)
3.Seymour ; ref. is bottom line and will focus on a ToW Principles Act ( which would exclude partnership - we can suppose).
Meanwhile pro CG and HP groups raise the protest level by threatening
unrest if acquired rights are touched.
So stormy weather ahead.
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