Cult of personality deficit

Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, October 27th, 2011 - 37 comments
Categories: accountability, campaigning, election 2011, john key, labour, leadership, national, phil goff, privatisation - Tags:

It’s not surprising that National are trying to run a presidential, personality based election campaign – after all, their policies aren’t going to win many votes from those middle and lower income kiwis who understand them. And up till now, presidentialism has worked very well for National. But it’s also starting to become apparent to many that John Key is actually a bit of a dick.

Honestly, if I was pinning my hopes of re-election on John Key’s personality, I’d be a bit worried because Key has consistently failed to project any desirable personality when the pressure for a good performance has been on. He comes across as either weak or a dufus.  Letterman, the catwalk prime mincer, the Rubber Wool Cup trotie, the pulweez can I haz handshakes – dufus. The economy, the credit downgrades, Christchurch, Pike River, Rena – weak. Weak is fatal, dufus is sort of funny to some for a while, but eventually everyone wants a strong competent leader. Yet it’s the PR screw-ups that are becoming the popular culture characterizations of Key. They are no longer just the views of the political cognoscenti but are instead becoming widely held perceptions among those mainstream apolitical kiwis that had formerly believed John Key was a ‘nice bloke’.

True the mainstream view of Goff is that he’s dry and lacking in any of Key’s personality, but then unlike National, Labour can afford to focus on its policy and showcase its whole team of candidates. Right now, as the horizons continue to darken, I think kiwis are developing a real taste for clear plans and plausible policies over style and no substance. So far Labour’s policy based campaign has been very shrewd for highlighting the utter vacuity of National’s campaign of ‘vote John Key cause he’s a neat guy’. Trouble is, Key’s clearly not much chop at pretending he is a neat guy.

Key’s teflon is well and truly chipping and his personality performances don’t seem to improve when he’s put on the spot. But Key’s all that National have got to attract vote so he’ll need to excel over the coming weeks. So no wonder the right are starting to panic. The RWC final reminded them victory is never assured, no matter how ‘invincible’ one side might seem to be or how hopeless the opposition might appear. It also reminded them their one trick pony is prone to choking when he’s needed most.

 

37 comments on “Cult of personality deficit ”

  1. Jack 1

    Not only weak, but nasty. He gets very huffy when challenged. Then there’s the infamous throat-slitting gesture…

  2. Keryn H 2

    I’ve been surprised by several friends who had previously liked Key a lot but have now gone off him big time.

  3. One Anonymous Bloke 3

    It’s a sad indictment on NZ politics that Key’s fumbling personal style is more of an issue than his incompetent management. The “snap decisions” that work for a currency trader are judged by the bottom line – make good returns for your masters and you don’t have to justify those calls. Running a country simply doesn’t work that way, but even if it did, Key doesn’t have a handle on it, and by crickey does he hate the spotlight – he’s discovering it’s a bit different to the limelight!
    The right has made the election all about his personality – and let’s be fair at least they’re consistent: the last election was all about Helen Clark’s after all – but now they’re well and truly hoist up their own flagpole.

  4. Dudes way too over exposed. After a few weeks of blanket coverage and bumbling bloopers on the campaign trail sheeple will be turning off him in droves.

  5. Lanthanide 5

    Labour’s slogan, “own our future” works on quite a few levels. It says that they’re going to take responsibility for what happens in our country, unlike Key who blames all the problems on someone or something else.

  6. queenstfarmer 6

    The article manages to miss the key (no pun intended) point that it has always been despite his quirks / failings / traits / attributes – which as the article notes, are hardly new – that Key himself has been very popular. As Labour’s own campaign manager correctly said today:

    I think that everyone can see that John Key is an extremely popular Prime Minister

    If National falls, it won’t be because mainstream kiwis suddenly think John Key is “a bit of a dick”. Because he’s a politician, they already think that.

    • fair points, but mine is that NZ is losing its taste for dick

    • Zaphod Beeblebrox 6.2

      The problem is not what he is. The problem is that the Nationals have no plans in place to react to what is happening to NZ. The fact that they use Key to trot out stunts, gags and photo ops just highlights their inadequacies.

      • queenstfarmer 6.2.1

        And that’s a fair critique, if you believe that to be the case. It’s different from attributing things to people suddenly realising Key’s not great (again, assuming you believe that is happening).

        • bbfloyd 6.2.1.1

          i don’t believe people are suddenly starting to see through key….. from experience, the realisation that one’s backed a pup doesn’t take very long to sink in….. what does take time is acceptance of ones own mistakes…..the more obvious, in hindsight, the longer it can tend to take….

          i intuit that we may be seeing a manifestation of the laws of critical mass……

        • Zaphod Beeblebrox 6.2.1.2

          He’s the front man for ther brand. All the talk about individuals gets them off the hook from things like their $18.5B deficit which they have no plans to address. Are we going to spend the next 4 weeks crapping on about this stuff.

      • Vicky32 6.2.2

        An opportune moment for me to ask why all the TV election adverts I’ve seen have been National Party ones? Granted, I have not watched much TV in the past 3 weeks, and then it’s been 90% Prime, but still… I loathe hearing Key’s voice, and I try to avoid seeing his face. (I listen to TV much more than I watch.)

    • pollywog 6.3

      If National falls, it won’t be because mainstream kiwis suddenly think John Key is “a bit of a dick”.

      Because he’s a politician, they already think that.

      you’re right…it’ll be cos they think he’s a whole lotta dick

  7. Craig Glen Eden 7

    you miss the point Queenstreet that he is over exposed.

    So failings that at the start seemed like “Awe shuck’s he’s just like us” becomes “this guys actually a dick”. So the funny bloke at the Barbecue aint so funny when he loads all the meat on his plate and a couple of his mates and all the other sheeples get yesterday’s salad.

  8. Craig 8

    That should be ‘an extremely populist Prime Minister.’ Get some public relations tips from his mate Dave Cameron, did he? Wouldn’t be surprised…

  9. giovani 9

    hopefully shonky john key and the national parties cult of personality billboards will make people see
    the path this corrupt incompetent government is leading us. “Backwards to the future.”

  10. Daveski 10

    I agree that this is a repetitive post from across the fence. However, the thread shows that Labour in particular have completely missed the point. It was Labour who made it all about the leader in the last election – and lost. I would accept to a point that with Helen in charge it was a reasonable strategy except for the what if scenario – what if the electorate decided they trusted Key and god forbid actually liked him. Yet the strategy was continued until now.

    So Labour has invested the past three years making into a presidential campaign until four weeks before the election before finding out that a) the strategy wasn’t working and b) Labour doesn’t have anyone at present to compete on the presidential level.

    Again, from an outside perspective, Labour appears to be calling all the wrong shots as evidenced by this thread. As the ABs have shown, you need to learn from your losses.

  11. McFlock 11

    The (Smiling) Assassin’s Creed

    I am the Key
    The light and the way.
    The sun shines out of my
    Smile.
    I am the distraction
    The mincer
    The panda on the cycleway
    I am the source of all good things
    And my government’s only hope.
    In the case of misfortune or malpractice
    I will never be seen
    But I will lay my cabinet ministers down before thee.
    My glory is fleeting
    My brilliance will dull
    But hopefully nobody will notice until after the election.

  12. peter 12

    I think that it shows that the Nats have no confidence in their own MP’s and have to have Key’s image on the billboards to sell these people effectively.

    • Ugh. 12.1

      I disagree. With a lot of these points to be honest, but firstly.
      Pretty sure before this election, everyone had their faces on their billboards, so the fact that you’re trying to read into that is ridiculous. Also, I like the faces. I have no idea who’s in Labour, because they’re rufusing to put their faces. At some point (if elected..) they’re going to have to show their faces.

      Also, It is a popularity contest.. I don’t want someone I don’t like as my friend etc, so why on earth would I want some I don’t like as my PM??

      I hope John Key and National get back in. It’s actually nice to see a PM who gives a shit about his country by not being afraid to be a bit of a dick, and also goes out of his way to say hello to people.

      • tc 12.1.1

        Love it when turkeys vote for Xmas…..gobble gobble

      • ianmac 12.1.2

        Ugh:“…..a PM who gives a shit about his country by not being afraid to be a bit of a dick,….”
        There you have it. Even a hard Rightie can see it but he hopes it doesn’t matter. Some think that it does matter.

        • McFlock 12.1.2.1

          This is what gives me hope. Even quite a few true blue tory voters don’t deny Key is a dick, they just say it doesn’t matter. They can’t argue that National policies are better than anyone else’s, because the few policies National have are pretty indefensible.
           
          My point being that if you want to work on clear leadership, you plug the leader. If you want to portray depth and competence, you plug the entire team. If you want market differentiation, you plug specific policies.
           
          National have no policies, their team is visibly and repeatedly incompetent, and the best thing some tories can say about their leader is that they’ll stay loyal to the party, even though he’s a bit of a dick.
          Seriously, unless someone does a big game-changer like an email from the spanish lottery commision to say we’re now rich enough to pay off the national debt, Labour is in with a definite chance of forming a govt.

      • logie97 12.1.3

        Ugh – new here are you?

        Show a little honesty – you will know that there is a mixture of Labour billboards in your electorate and one such will have the Labour candidate’s photo – that is the one that is relevant to you. You will also have one of the Maori electorate’s candidates. (And, if you drive around your neighbouring electorates you will see their candidates as well. No problem there, so your point is???) Just perhaps you are a rural dweller and not an urban voter in which case you will only see two Labour candidate photographs. And for your information, billboards have not always had candidates photographs on them – the production was far too expensive.

        Good to see that you are taking an interest in the election however but you might like to take your other vacuous thoughts back to the sewer.

        • lprent 12.1.3.1

          I suspect that he is.

          The highest proportion I can ever remember Labour in Mt Albert buying picture corflute compared to signage was about 30%.

          Even at that level and with the PM of the time on it, it was a bit of a waste of resources when you’re restricted on the local spend. Better to spend the money on resources to keep people phoning, door knocking, and eventing.

          National always spent more on their billboards simply because they don’t have the volunteers to do much else with their local election spend.

      • muzza911 12.1.4

        Urgh – You simply do not see what is going on do you. I say this to all party shills what ever colour they might be stuck on – Listen carfully

        IT IS TOO IMPORTANT TO BE STUCK ON PARTY POLITICS, THIS IS ABOUT NZ AND ALL ITS PEOPLE’S. YOUR PARTY IS MORALLY BROKEN SO GET OFF YOUR ARSE AND PLAY A REAL PART, BECAUSE TAKING SIDES AND THINKING YOU ARE A WINNER IF YOUR COLOUR FORMS GOVERNMENT IS TOO REDICULOUS FOR WORDS!

        GROW UP!

      • Zaphod Beeblebrox 12.1.5

        Do you always put that much thought into deciding who vote for? I thought people voted for a party because they liked their policies.

      • Ianupnorth 12.1.6

        You didn’t really inform us why you want them back in? Presumably you have a stash of cash to buy some shares in state assets? maybe you have an under 6 year old who you want to take for free medical care out of hours – but hang on, that’s being funded by slashing money from other parts of the health budget, so someone else will suffer.
         
        Maybe you have a business and want to reduce the cost of employing youth workers?
         
        Maybe you want the national parks mined and the seas around us explored for oil by overseas companies?
         
        Maybe you want to travel more on Chinese made trains?
         
        No, I get it, you want a really good reason to move to Australia? If Key gets back in that would be the motivation for me to move.
         

      • Hami Shearlie 12.1.7

        Of course he’s not afraid to be a dick – he’s had a whole lifetime to get used to it! LOL

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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
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    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
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    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
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    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
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    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
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    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
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    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
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  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
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    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
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    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
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    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
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  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
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  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
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    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
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    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
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    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
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    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
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    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
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    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
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    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
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  • Government delivering on tax commitments
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    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
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    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
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    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
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    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
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    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
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  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
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  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
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    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
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  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
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    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
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    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
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  • Trustee tax change welcomed
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  • Minister’s Ramadan message
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    1 week ago
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    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
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    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
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    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
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    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
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    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
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    1 week ago

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