Rodney Hide: The limits of cleverness versus capitalism

The following column appeared in the NATIONAL BUSINESS REVIEW October 27th 2017. With the support of Winston Peters, Jacinda Ardern had just been installed as Prime Minister.

David Farrar: Labour Deputy Leader didn’t know the Government doesn’t pay rates

Wayne Brown interviewed Carmel Sepuloni, and asked her why the Government doesn’t pay rates on land and buildings it owns. Her answer was “I didn’t know that this was the case”.

Amazing that such a basic piece of knowledge was unknown to Labour’s proposed Deputy Prime Minister. I think I have known that for 30 or so years. It is very common knowledge.

JC: Carmel and Chloe Are Cot Cases

The Collins English Dictionary’s definition of a cot case in Australia and New Zealand is someone who is either to ill to get out of bed or too incapacitated by drink. The Oxford English Dictionary also defines the term as a person or thing regarded as useless or unable to cope. My headline refers to the Oxford meaning.

The latest comments from Carmel Sepuloni and Chloe Swarbrick suggest the voters who consigned them to the Opposition benches must be congratulating themselves with such gay abandon.

Peter Dunne: Labour's rebuild

Over 2,500 years ago the legendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu observed that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.

This week Labour began its journey of a thousand miles towards political rehabilitation. Its first step was the correct one to endorse Chris Hipkins as party leader. To do otherwise would have been extremely foolhardy.

Lindsay Mitchell: Checking out Carmel Sepuloni's campaign claims

Radio NZ reports that Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni was on the campaign trail in Christchurch yesterday defending her government’s performance. She said that:

Bryce Edwards: Labour shifts focus from Grey Lynn to West Auckland

The days of the Labour Government being associated with middle class social liberalism look to be numbered. Soon-to-be Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni are heralding a major shift in emphasis away from the constituencies and ideologies of liberal Grey Lynn and Wellington Central towards the working class politics of West Auckland and the Hutt Valley, where the two new leaders are based.

Hipkins and Sepuloni were elected yesterday and immediately started repositioning their Government away from what might be called the affluent “woking class” towards the “working class”. Gone is an emphasis on cultural politics, and in its place is a laser-like focus on the economy and delivery of better public services to ordinary citizens.

Lindsay Mitchell: Sepuloni

Hot on the heels of media nonsense about Ardern's departure - for instance, it was driven by misogyny despite many of her harshest critics being females - comes the fawning over Sepuloni.

In the NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan writes:

Bryce Edwards: PM Hipkins resets Labour to the right

Get ready for a major political reset once Chris Hipkins is sworn in as Prime Minister this week. Labour’s new leader is likely to push the Government to the right economically, and do his best to jettison the damaging perceptions that Labour has become “too woke” on social issues. Overall, Hipkins’ goal will be to ruthlessly drag his colleagues into line with the average voter.

Mike Hosking: Why can't the Government make a simple apology?

I asked a simple question of Megan Woods yesterday on the programme. Does this Government apologise for anything?

She went on to not apologise. She referenced Carmel Sepuloni, who also hadn't apologised. And by days end, no one seems to have apologised for the Northland cock up.

Not the Prime Minister, who referred questions to Chris Hipkins in yet another sign that she has basically checked out and essentially just lives for the overseas trips.

Karl du Fresne: "Wraparound support": the magical incantation that will stop teenage ram raids

Two of the most meaningless phrases in the English language are “award-winning” and “wraparound support”.

I expressed my views about awards here. Suffice to say that I’ve been involved in enough of them (though never as a recipient) to be highly sceptical. There are simply too many mediocre and even dodgy restaurants/homes/cars/wines/writers/whatever hiding behind those words “award-winning” for the term to have any cred.

Now, “wraparound support”. My antennae twitch whenever I hear the words.

Bryce Edwards: Massive Wage Subsidy and Covid spending is under scrutinised

In the lead-up to the Budget, the Government has been on an offensive to promote the efficiency and quality of its $74 billion Covid Response and Recovery Fund -especially the Wage Subsidy Scheme component. This comes after criticisms and concerns from across the political spectrum over poor-quality spending, and suggestions that vested interests and business have been the main beneficiary of opaque and poor decision-making.

Good news about the Wage Subsidy Scheme

On Monday, the Ministry of Social Development released their report, “Who received the 2021 Covid-19 wage subsidies”. This highlighted the usefulness of last year’s subsidy, which amounted to $5 billion, selling it as having helped pay the wages of 47 per cent of those in jobs. The unprovable inference attached to this is that these jobs might have otherwise disappeared. The report also detailed the different demographics that benefitted from the scheme.

Point of Order: Bigger benefits from tomorrow – bravo! But they might not buy as much as before

Ministers have been celebrating their wisdom in raising benefits substantially from April 1.

Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni led the chorus by telling Parliament it is the biggest lift to main benefits in decades. For many years, the rate of main benefits has fallen further behind the average wage, placing many people, including children, in undue hardship, she said.

That was an unusual admission, given the Labour Party has been in office for four years.

So now the good news:

Lindsay Mitchell: Carmel Sepuloni "useless"

Peter Williams recently described the Minister of Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni as "useless" on his Magic Talk radio show. This because she had no idea how much MSD had given to moteliers etc for damage caused by "MSD clients".

Is she useless, or something worse?

Since 2017 Sepuloni has driven a culture change at Work and Income. On the surface, treating clients with respect and care (if they weren't already) is laudable and hard to argue with. WINZ offices are brighter, security staff are less visible, there are water dispensers and play areas for children. Away from the coalface, thousands of clients are rung to ensure they are receiving their full and correct entitlements.

This is the policy of kindness in action.