National’s growing silence explained

Written By: - Date published: 6:08 pm, June 23rd, 2009 - 23 comments
Categories: Media, national - Tags: ,

shhhJudy Callingham (partner of Brian Edwards) has a new post, one of a series of media tips they write on. The latest tip might suggest National are slowly learning the hang of managing the media and explains why National are already clamming up and failing to front on so many important issues.

Yet while Callingham and Edwards’ advice is undoubtedly sound for individuals and organizations that aren’t frequently the centre of news, persistent silence is an impossible strategy to maintain as a Government: because of the constant hounding of the 4th Estate, because caucuses and all the machiavellianism they entail tend to leak like sieves and because if you don’t fill an information vacuum when speculation arises you very often end up with even worse public perceptions – whether they’re accurate or not.

It also has the nasty tendency of turning Press Gallery journalists even more septic than they tend to already be – into a perilous state of frustration that’s developing with each new controversy. At this rate, soon it won’t have to be a scandal at all to be perceived as one.

23 comments on “National’s growing silence explained ”

  1. mike 1

    Is this the same Brian Edwards that coached helen before the leaders debates last year where she failed miserably and then cryed about the format? Why would anyone listen to this has-been

    • andy 1.1

      STOP THE PRESS!!!1111!!!!!!!

      Brian Edwards did paid work for the LiABoR leZZy femnAZi Party!!!!! Who knew!!!!

      Yes the same Edwards who said ‘nasty’ things about Auckland Uni students in defense of Melissa Lee, and worked for ING/ANZ in the investment shimozzle that they have.

      Its not about Edwards, its about the strategy he advocates.

      care to comment on that!

    • LMAO
      mike you need help if you honestly think Key does better with the media than Clark 🙂

  2. Kaplan 2

    Explains John Keys recent ‘pressers’ well…
    Though I still think Clueless is as Clueless does.

  3. Brian’s comments are perfectly sound.

    The choices are that either National tells lies, it says the truth and scares the bejeebers out of everyone including the swinging voters, or it says nothing.

    Check out Key refusing to answer the question of why he sacked Worth.

    The problem with the tactic as you point out is that it runs the danger that the information may come out anyway. There is the further danger that the cumulative damage caused by frustration will be greater than if an answer was provided immediately. Key may have been better to bite the bullet and announce the reason.

    For me I am perfectly happy about their prevarication. I can sense the steady drip drip drip of support as they prevaricate.

    • hear hear mickey

      • Tim Ellis 3.1.1

        Thanks for an interesting post, Sprout.

        I note though that you have been predicting John Key’s decline for some time. A year before the election, you wrote: “the sprout
        October 29, 2007 at 5:41 pm
        i think that’s because Key is proving himself more and more irrelevant as each month goes by”

        Seems to be a quite common theme.

    • mike 3.2

      Outside of die hard political junkies the Wrth affair is gone and forgotten.
      As the latest poll showed (I won’t link to again on this site) all the bad press re Rankin and Lee etc has not dented Nats support at all.

      Must be terribly worrying for the lefties that all of those beat-ups didn’t land a single hit. Roll on 2011…. but who’s labour going to feed to the grinder?

      • Anita 3.2.1

        I haven’t heard Worth mentioned by anyone who’s not a political enthusiast for a while, but I have heard a number of unkind jokes about the sexual behaviour of members of Key’s cabinet. It’s still hurting his government, it’s all about tarnishing that flawless image.

      • mickysavage 3.2.2

        These things take a while.

        You get to the tipping point with (for instance) swinging female voters and there is not an automatic flip to the other side immediately after a scandal.

        But there is a gradual change. Some women are already thinking that Worth and Garrett are scum and this will affect their vote.

        I have knocked on a few doors in Mount Albert recently. Believe me there is a change in the tide and people are coming back. IMHO the Mt Albert result is not an aberration. No doubt some will throw the attack lines at this but I think they will be disappointed.

        We should have this debate in 6 months time.

        • mike 3.2.2.1

          “IMHO the Mt Albert result is not an aberration”

          There was no aberration in labour holding one of their safest seats all be it with a fraction of the voter turn-out expected.

          “Believe me there is a change in the tide and people are coming back”

          Dream on Mick you are sounding like some sort of desperate evangelist now

          • Anita 3.2.2.1.1

            mike,

            What voter turnout were you expecting?

          • The Sprout 3.2.2.1.2

            rubbish mike, mt albert has gentrified massively and in the last 20 years it’s been the MP that kept it a so-called ‘safe labour seat’. the party vote of the last 5 general elections shows clearly that it is anything but an inherently labour seat.

            part of the landslide was because of the appalling candidate Key hand-picked as one of his finest, part of it was a message to national. you might not have heard it, Key might not have, but i know a few other national auckland mps did and they’re feeling none too comfortable with the direction they’re being taken.

            but no worries mike, you believe what you need to get you through the night.

            btw, turn-out was pretty normal for a by-election, roughly equivalent to local body turnout. and like local body elections, by-election turnout is usually skewed in favour of national 🙂

          • mickysavage 3.2.2.1.3

            Mike

            Care to detail for me your analysis explaining why what you say is true?

            Every commentator that I have read has said essentially that the nats had their asses kicked.

            Good line that, about how it was one of the safest Labour seats and the result was predictable. This ignores the margin. The polls currently suggest that even the safest of Labour seats ought to be marginal.

            Please analyse the last election result, current national polling and the Mt Albert result and then reconcile these.

            I look forward to your considered opinion on this.

          • mickysavage 3.2.2.1.4

            I agree with Sprout!

            Now that Labour and the Greens have worked through their temporary issue I look forward to working with all my greenie mates to make NZ a better place.

            I also look forward to having them as coalition partners. Having to go into coalition with Dunne and Peters was difficult, to put it mildly.

  4. mike 4

    “Now that Labour and the Greens have worked through their temporary issue I look forward to working with all my greenie mates to make NZ into a better place.”

    lol – Labour shat all over your greenie ‘mates’ for years and now you need them

    With any luck the 2 left parties will canabilise each other – the greens doing a NZ first. Dunne and Anderton thankfully gone too. Then we’ll see some progress.

  5. vto 5

    I agree. Key is not on the front foot enough. He should back himself and start ignoring what are probably countless ignoramuses around him trying to tell him what to do. Not that he’s not an ignoramus but sheesh the minute you start taking too much account of others opinions is the minute you aren’t yourself.

  6. Craig Glen Eden 6

    Hey Mike when a artery is cut in an accident or a shark attacks some one, the victim often feels nothing at all. Only problem is that warm smugness feeling you are experiencing is actually blood, before you now it the victim is cold and then unresponsive. I can hear a dripping sound Mike.

  7. Ianmac 7

    Yes. The effect of mismanagement on the populations is not immediate. If you vote in good faith, (or marry someone in belief) you feel committed and look for reassurance. It may take a while for the indicaters to wear away the good faith. But if the empty bottles in the wardrobe, the stains in funny places, and the long absences, and the strange phone calls eventually make you think. Ooops. I made a mistake.

  8. randal 8

    this government is a scandal.
    it is probably the only government in the world staffed with wannabees and retards and mp’s with low iq’s and halitosis.
    a bunch of jobbers who think they can grab as much as they can with nobody noticing.
    they are sort of like the denizens of radio squakback.
    think that being elected gives them supernatural powers.
    I dont think so.
    they have got a few surprises coming to them that they never ever dreamed of in a million years.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-24T06:10:14+00:00