There is something about overseas trips by the Prime Minister.
When he was in London for the coronation, Meka Whaitiri quit Labour. This time while he is in China, a furore has erupted around another of his ministers, Kiritapu Allan.
This, though, is not so clearcut. There are accusations of problematic working relationships within her office, with the director-general of the Department of Conservation, Penny Nelson, confirming that, more than a year ago, one of DoC’s seconded staff left Allan’s office earlier than planned. At the time Allan was Conservation Minister. But, since then, Nelson said she had heard of no other problems.
It is important to note too that no formal complaint has been laid and Allan dismissed the complaints, saying she thought her office was a great place to work.
Embattled Minister Kiritapu Allan.
Hipkins was also quick to point out no formal complaint had been made, although he conceded some issues had been raised about how to improve working relations in her office.
When it broke in news media, Allan herself was on stress leave, opening up that she had mental health challenges related to both personal and work pressures.
But she was back at work on Thursday morning, appearing in front of Parliament’s Economic Development Select Committee in her role as Regional Development Minister. There, National MP Simeon Brown tried to examine what he implied were difficult working relationships with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
MBIE has no issues
But MBIE’s chief executive Carolyn Tremain said there were no issues or concerns in Allan’s office different to that of any other ministerial office.
Brown, though, was keen to hear about a March 10 text message to Tremain, which apparently raised some concerns about Allan’s conduct. Tremain batted him off with the response that that was a matter under investigation by the Ombudsman’s Office. Presumably the Ombudsman is investigating the department refusing to release the text.
Education Minister Jan Tinetti.
It prompted Allan herself to refer to “blood sport” and finger Brown for making numerous OIA request about these matters over some time. It signals National is not content with having seen three ministers leave the executive this year and wants more victims.
It is certainly, though, not a good look for the Government, following on from indiscretions by a range of ministers.
One of them – Education Minister Jan Tinetti – escaped being found in contempt of Parliament for failing to correct for a least a few months a wrong answer she had given during Question Time earlier in the year. Under the rules, ministers are not to mislead Parliament and, if they provide a wrong answer, they must correct it at the next available sitting day.
Tinetti failed to do that, but the privileges committee found her failure to do so was because of negligence, not an intentional act. So, in the end, it appears ineptitude saved the minister from a more serious finding.
China boy
If Hipkins was looking for any positive news, he had to find it on his China trip. While he was dogged early by criticism of the fact a second Air Force jet shadowed the aircraft carrying him and his delegation most of the way to Beijing – it stopped in Manila – eventually coverage turned to the substance and diplomacy of the trip. Announcements were made about a host of areas of cooperation and Hipkins’ meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior Chinese officials apparently went well.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ trip to China went well.
Meanwhile, back in Wellington his deputy Carmel Sepuloni, who was acting Prime Minister in his absence, announced $6 million more for foodbanks as an acknowledgement that the ongoing cost-of-living crisis was making life tough for increasing numbers of households. In turn, that was putting more pressure on foodbanks. But $6m will only buy one week’s shopping of $200 for 30,000 families.
Then Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Tinetti announced a $128m boost for struggling universities and other tertiary institutions that offered degree courses.
A bail-out? Yes, but the funding comes from the bucket of money allocated to universities in last month’s Budget but that would have been unspent because student enrolments are below the Budget forecast. Under the ‘bums-on-seat’ funding mechanism, the learning institutions would not have got that money. As a short-term fix, though, the Government is giving them the $128m to tide them over for the next two years.
Robertson said he expected universities to delay planned cuts to staff and courses, but a number of universities have said the money is not enough and some cuts will proceed.
National’s plan to ensure offenders spend more time in jail is not costed.
At the same time, the Government is going to review the way universities are funded as part of a broader and more long-term fix to the problems they face. They might also eventually face some restriction on how much money they splash around on marketing and property.
While the universities might not be too happy, the National Party came away from its annual conference last weekend in good heart, with law and order a key theme. Leader Christopher Luxon promises a tougher approach to sentencing and also providing remand prisoners with rehabilitation. He and his colleagues though looked slightly bemused when told the Government had already introduced legislation to provide at least some rehabilitation to remand prisoners. They were further on the back foot when asked about the cost of their policy but had to admit it was uncosted.
Walker’s prediction
But none of that may matter. From tomorrow, petrol prices go up as the Government’s temporary reduction in its fuel tax – part of cost-of-living package – comes to an end.
NBR presenter Grant Walker reckons it is now safe to predict one thing: as petrol prices go up, he is sure Labour’s support in the opinion polls will fall.
Walker is not brave enough to put a number on it but says he has dumped his previous prediction of a hung parliament. You heard it here first.
Brent Edwards is NBR’s political editor.
