Clare Curran Demoted

Written By: - Date published: 4:11 pm, August 24th, 2018 - 51 comments
Categories: broadcasting, labour, Politics, uncategorized, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: ,

PM Jacinda Ardern has just announced the demotion of Communications Minister Clare Curran. Curran had, for the second time, failed to be transparent about a meeting that should have been recorded in her diary and run by her staff first. Curran will retain some portfolios, though outside of cabinet.

It appears Curran was sounding out businessman Derek Handley for the role of Chief Technology Officer.

More as it comes …

 

The PM’s statement:

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has removed Clare Curran from Cabinet and accepted her offer to resign her Government Digital Services portfolio and Open Government responsibilities, following a second failure to properly declare a meeting.

Dr Megan Woods will take over as Minister of Government Digital Services and Ms Curran’s delegated responsibilities in relation to Open Government will revert to Chris Hipkins, as Minister for State Services. Minister Curran will retain her responsibilities as Minister for Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, and as Associate Minister for ACC, but will now sit outside Cabinet.

In February this year Minister Curran met with Mr Derek Handley at her Beehive office in her capacity as Minister of Government Digital Services to discuss Mr Handley’s interest in the vacant Chief Technology Officer (CTO)role. This meeting took place after the first unsuccessful recruitment round for the CTO. As with approaches from other interested parties, the Minister directed Mr Handley to register his interest with MBIE officials. Applications reopened for the CTO role in May.

The meeting was not recorded in the Minister’s diary and neither the Minister’s staff nor officials were made aware of it.

The meeting was subsequently mistakenly left out of an answer to a recent Parliamentary Question for Written Answer. The meeting should have been included in the answer and the error has been corrected. Ms Curran has advised there have been no other meetings between herself and Mr Handley outside the application process.

“The failure to record the meeting in her diary; inform her staff and officials; and accurately answer Parliamentary questions has left the Minister open to the accusation that she deliberately sought to hide the meeting.” said Jacinda Ardern.

“While this was not the Minister’s intention, this is the second misjudgement and is not in keeping with my expectations, or the Minister’s expectations of herself. As a result I have chosen to remove Minister Curran from Cabinet.

“Transparency is important, even more so for Hon Curran given her Open Government responsibilities.

“I have accepted the Minister’s offer to resign her responsibilities relevant to this issue, which clearly she can no longer continue in. State Services Minister Chris Hipkins will take back the Open Government responsibilities which were delegated to Hon Curran, and Minister Woods will take over the Government Digital Services portfolio, which aligns with her Research, Science and Innovation responsibilities.

“The CTO appointment process is in its final stages. Minister Curran will have no further involvement in it and State Services Minister Hipkins will take over that process and finalise the details of the appointment and the implementation of the CTO role.

“Minister Hipkins has asked the State Services Commission to take a look at the CTO appointment process to ensure it has been robust, and that the meeting between Ms Curran and Mr Handley had no bearing on the process or outcome. The SSC will report back next week before the appointment process is concluded.

“I want to express my sincere apologies to Mr Handley who has been brought into this issue through no fault of his own. He is a qualified and capable candidate who has made it through to the final stages of the appointment process based on his talent, experience. The issue is entirely about the Minister’s conduct, not Mr Handley’s.”

51 comments on “Clare Curran Demoted ”

  • Comments are now closed

    • Philj 1.1
      26 August 2018 at 8:11 am

      What an undignified, almost abusive, treatment of CC by this government. This ‘ press conference’ was clearly hastily arranged and she was hung out to dry.. And by her OWN ministry, RNZ! I’m no supporter of CC, but this is shocking. Clearly Clare is a battered minister, and out of her depth. She clearly needs a mental health time out. Come on NZ police, get her help, just like the National leaker.

  2. Ovid 2
    24 August 2018 at 4:22 pm

    I’ve never really been a fan of Curran and after the RNZ shenanigans I felt her to be a liability – more in terms of being an example of the Peter Principle.

    Perhaps with this demotion she can focus on broadcasting and prove me wrong.

    • tc 2.1
      24 August 2018 at 4:59 pm

      How long are you prepared to wait ? She’s a lightweight where a heavy hitter is required or it’s more of the same IMO with no significant impact.

      • Patricia Bremner 2.1.1
        24 August 2018 at 7:11 pm

        C Curran… an accident looking for a place to happen.

        • cleangreen 2.1.1.1
          24 August 2018 at 9:29 pm

          Best move Jacinda made was today when she sacked Clare Curran.

          This ineffective mole was errant as the Broadcasting minister.

          Clare Curran needs to be fired from the Labour Government also, as she was just a dead weight, and was working alongside the CEO of RNZ (a National Party appointtee) to undermine the Labour Coalition Governemt at every chance she could!!!!!

          Shame on Clare Curran she was apparently just a National mole for sure.

          https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/106546493/jacinda-ardern-announces-clare-curran-removed-from-cabinet

          “Labour MP and minister Clare Curran has been removed from Cabinet.

          Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she had removed Curran from Cabinet and accepted her offer to resign her government digital services portfolio and open government responsibilities, following a second failure to properly declare a meeting.”

  3. BLiP 3
    24 August 2018 at 4:33 pm

    ‘

    Good job – but bad timing. The news would’ve been all about Soimin Bridge’s expenses leak, now the MSM is going to go into orgiastic bliss about this. At least its a Friday.

    • Ovid 3.1
      24 August 2018 at 4:35 pm

      Don’t forget, the Aussies have a new PM. That’s quite a few competing stories to dominate the news cycle.

      • BLiP 3.1.1
        24 August 2018 at 5:02 pm

        ‘

        Yeah, true. And, as was pointed out to me, there’s really no “good timing” for this sort of announcement except on a Friday in the midst of other, more pressing click-baity news.

        • Chris T 3.1.1.1
          24 August 2018 at 5:21 pm

          Lol

          Yes there is

          It’s on a Friday afternoon just before the weekend when every one is looking at Aus and the Nats

          There couldn’t be a better time

  4. roy cartland 4
    24 August 2018 at 4:46 pm

    That’s how it’s done, Simon. Having high standards – or any standards – could help you here. Look and learn.

  5. Cemetery Jones 5
    24 August 2018 at 4:48 pm

    Justice for Michie and Cunliffe. Indirect, but it’ll do.

  6. Chris T 6
    24 August 2018 at 5:22 pm

    Doesn’t lose any pay.

    Weak

    • Cinny 6.1
      24 August 2018 at 5:35 pm

      I heard Curran would lose around $30k a year

      • Chris T 6.1.1
        24 August 2018 at 5:46 pm

        Not sure how that would work

        She has lost arguably the least important portfolios of the ones she has and still has all the perks of a minister

        She still has broadcasting and digital

        • mac1 6.1.1.1
          24 August 2018 at 6:53 pm

          Do you not get that losing a portfolio and being demoted to a position outside Cabinet is a significant personal rebuff? She has been disciplined by her leader after a second infraction and will be eating a good ration of humble pie. More significant than any loss of income is the loss of trust and personal influence. For a person with a good social agenda of reform and change, to lose this power and influence is far more powerful. You see, it’s actually not about the money or the perks.

      • dukeofurl 6.1.2
        24 August 2018 at 9:55 pm

        It’s $50k pa lost.
        Cabinet Minister’s are $296k , those out of cabinet are $245k

  7. Sanctuary 7
    24 August 2018 at 5:23 pm

    Politically the last week has been a slam dunk for Labour and particularly Jacinda. The MP pay freeze, and a cracking of the whip with her caucus is showing she is growing into the job, while the Nats have a leader whose political instincts look… suspect.

  8. pete 8
    24 August 2018 at 5:24 pm

    Curran proved she is out or her depth in the environment. That someone as unaware and naive got to the position she has is astonishing.

    That someone as apparently unaware of the bear pit of politics and her party and Government’s vulnerability to anything not being perfect, is amazing.

  9. SPC 9
    24 August 2018 at 5:26 pm

    The failure to record this meeting, led to staff giving an inaccurate answer to a written question. And occured before the first matter came to a head. So is part of the same learning to follow correct procedure.

  10. Philj 10
    24 August 2018 at 6:13 pm

    CC was a weak link. A pity she still has broadcasting. A quality, commercial free TV channel looks impossible now. By the time she does anything TV will be irrelevant. Oh well…

  11. Exkiwiforces 11
    24 August 2018 at 6:21 pm

    Sounds like she was on her first and final warning after what she did to that lovely lady from RNZ or was it TVNZ. Which she should’ve got the ass back then in my books as she destroyed the lady’s media career which she was very good at unlike this muppet of an MP.

  12. Blazer 12
    24 August 2018 at 6:31 pm

    Curran reminds me of Shearer when she’s interviwed…’um..err…um..’ hopeless.
    As for Derek Handley hope he does not get the job.
    Serial non performer for investors…Fever pitch and more recently Snakk media…looked awfully like a pump and dump operation.

  13. Infused 13
    24 August 2018 at 7:39 pm

    Should have been gone months ago. What an idiot she is

  14. Ad 14
    24 August 2018 at 7:45 pm

    Who has temporarily got the portfolios?

    • Carolyn_Nth 14.1
      24 August 2018 at 8:15 pm

      Megan Woods will take the portfolio of digital services, while Chris Hipkins will take on open government.

      https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/364851/clare-curran-i-ve-let-myself-down

      • Ad 14.1.1
        24 August 2018 at 8:33 pm

        Woods and Hipkins are shopkeepers.

        But the portfolios are so minor they could go to an Undersecretary or a Select Committee Chair as graduation presents.

        • greywarshark 14.1.1.1
          24 August 2018 at 8:52 pm

          I had been thinking that David Parker sounded intelligent. And then there was a long discussion on radionz about agriculture and feedlots and he kept talking about rain events. To me that gives a picture a politician in deep hypnosis being given all the answers to every possible question. There is a word for using long terms because they make speech sound more portentuous, something like augmentation.

          I feel that Guyon Expiner is understanding the matter being discussed, in depth and not just asking awkward questions to rile or obfuscate. Can it be?

  15. Ad 15
    24 August 2018 at 8:31 pm

    Beyond Little and Parker this Cabinet batting lineup tapers off pretty fast.

    Hopefully Ardern does a wee reshuffle after Christmas.

    • Blazer 15.1
      24 August 2018 at 9:30 pm

      Lees Galloway looks o.k..Hipkins,Twyford and Robertson are more than a match for the opposition in difficult portfolios.imo.

  16. Craig Glen Eden 16
    24 August 2018 at 9:26 pm

    Currens a bloody idiot, always a liability. She doesn’t deserve a second chance. As for Hipkins he can’t handle the education portfolio. The guy needs to learn to shut up he is really pissing teachers off. What’s worse he has no vision for the portfolio. He is another liability Jacinda needs to sort ASAP.

  17. bwaghorn 17
    24 August 2018 at 9:49 pm

    Somewhere CV is yelling I told you so .

    • Craig Glen Eden 17.1
      24 August 2018 at 10:37 pm

      Yeah CV certainly vindicated. But hey anyone with any political smarts new Curren was a lite weight of idiot proportions.

      • Sanctuary 17.1.1
        25 August 2018 at 11:22 am

        Curran is apparently very well connected within the Labour Party. The meta of this demotion is Jacinda is now completely in charge.

        As opposed to Simon Bridges, who is, errrrr, struggling with his caucus.

    • Muttonbird 17.2
      24 August 2018 at 11:16 pm

      I think he’s tied up trying to defend Trump against the outcry from normal people.

      Never one for priorities was CV. Just anarchy.

      • millsy 17.2.1
        25 August 2018 at 9:13 am

        That and being a sworn diciple of Jordan Peterson. Probably thinks that Curran now needs a man to control her or something.

    • McFlock 17.3
      25 August 2018 at 12:06 am

      nah. He’d be outraged she still has a job, and assuring everyone he has a masterplan to get rid of her.

  18. Muttonbird 18
    24 August 2018 at 11:11 pm

    Expert use of the Friday dump and the dump under cover by the Ardern Government. Promising signs that they can fight the Nats at their own game, and win.

    The PM has removed Curran (whether this was necessary or not is another story) without a ripple felt even in the Wellington beltway, let alone the wider electorates.

    A masterclass in political management.

  19. Peroxide Blonde 19
    27 August 2018 at 9:29 am

    Colonial Viper.

  20. Michael who failed Civics 20
    27 August 2018 at 12:53 pm

    Curran should lose her ACC portfolio too. Labour is merely administering the National Party’s policies, with the result that thousands of people who suffer personal injury are getting shafted every year. Guess which Party most of them voted for (or used to until they gave up on politics altogether). The only move Labour has made is the introduction of a Bill, written by and for ACC, overturning decisions it lost in the courts. And one more thing: Labour is now making injured people pay for the right to appeal their shaftings to the District Court (where 80% of them lose their appeals, but that’s another story). I note that Curran didn’t even mention her ACC job in the interview she gave after she was sacked from the two portfolios that matter to her.

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