Matthew Hooton: My message to National - and how to avoid another leadership fiasco
15 Apr, 2021 05:00 PM
6 minutes to read
Whether it s Judith Collins or Simon Bridges is beside the point if National can t work out what sort of party it wants to be. Photo / Hawke s Bay Today
Whether it s Judith Collins or Simon Bridges is beside the point if National can t work out what sort of party it wants to be. Photo / Hawke s Bay Today
NZ Herald
OPINION: This is a letter to old friends. Having imprudently got myself involved in National s leadership shenanigans last year, its supporters may doubt my judgment. But direct observation of last year s fiasco means I can
The following is a leaked diary entry written by Ricardo Menendez March MP. [Satire]
Gracefully returning from Mexico, the third most deadly COVID-19 hotspot, suddenly I am confronted by a border guard demanding all this paperwork about quarantine, isolation, and contact tracing that apparently I, a busy Member of Parliament, should have filled in “months ago”. “Months ago?” – who can understand such bureaucratic jargon?
Responding to the frontline staff, I point out the obvious absurdity in his argument. “Next”, I quip, “you will be saying that Kiwis should not travel to Mexico at all.” He produces a piece of paper from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade saying exactly that. However, I spot that it is almost a year old. I cannot be expected to keep up with these historical edicts about the country of my birth and intended destination. I am a list MP.
Fran O Sullivan: Air New Zealand and Infratil two big New Year business hangovers
1 Jan, 2021 04:00 PM
6 minutes to read
It s important Air New Zealand preserves plenty of domestic passengers to feed into its international business once long-haul travel opens back up, writes Fran O Sullivan. Photo / Getty Images
COMMENT:
Welcome to my Christmas-New Year hangovers .
These are two issues that I have been writing about which will not be resolved without some leadership from politicians and business alike in 2021.
First up, Will the punters still prefer to Fly Air NZ when international travel resumes?
Loyalty to an airline covers a complicated matrix of issues.
Shane Te Pou: Why what Judith Collins said to me matters
21 Dec, 2020 04:00 PM
5 minutes to read
NZ Herald
OPINION: You re lucky I m a Christian, Judith Collins said to me, like a bolt from the blue, in a radio studio the other day.
I was incredulous. Why s that, Judith? That way, I can forgive you, she replied. Forgive me for what? I m not seeking your forgiveness.
Instead of elaborating, she turned to the other panellists to tell them what kind of person I was. Much awkward shuffling ensued.
Usually, I would observe the unspoken kaupapa that what happens off-air stays off-air. But the truth is, this kind of unpleasant interaction is a rarity - in fact, I d go as far as to say it was a first for me. Despite what you see and hear in the media, those of us who participate in the New Zealand political discourse are almost always respectful, friendly even, to one another when nobody s watching. We might disagree fiercely on issues but rarely does th