Over the past week Jacinda Ardern has managed to have a baby, organise a feed for the press, recuperate, leave hospital and deliver as beautiful a brief press conference as you could ever imagine. She has worked hard to keep her daughter out of the limelight. Two discrete photos and a press conference. This is pretty minimalist.
And a name.
Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford.
What a beautiful name. What an outstanding beautiful name.
And what is driving the right spare is her unmistakeable authenticity. Jacinda is the real deal. Ever since she became Labour leader she has not put a foot wrong. From wagging her finger at Mark Richardson to destroying Simon Bridges every Parliamentary question time she is without peer in New Zealand politics.
And how is the right responding?
Not very well.
David Seymour has taken to dancing with the stars and wearing wigs.
His performance has been painful to watch. Clearly he cannot dance. He has relied on endorsements from ex socialites and people with too much time and money on their hands mass texting his name.
The whole event reminds me of the Epsom vote. Bending the rules to breaking point and relying on a group’s perception of superiority to win.
Will it work? He has been excluded from further participation in the show. I can confidently predict that there will be no poll bounce because of Seymour’s dancing prowess or lack thereof.
And Simon Bridges is opening his mouth only to change feet.
His shock jock antics on Radio Hauraki have not gone down well. And he is refusing to admit that what he said was inappropriate.
From Dan Satherley at Newshub:
National leader Simon Bridges isn’t apologising for saying the Prime Minister’s newborn daughter will be made to go to school in boys’ clothes.
Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford welcomed their first child into the world on Thursday. During an interview with rock station Radio Hauraki the next morning, Mr Bridges joked that by being born in a public hospital, had cost the country “a lot” of money.
He then said he’d try and turn young Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford into a National supporter.
“Just because there’s pinko ideas in the parents it doesn’t mean the baby’s taking those on board,” Mr Bridges said, suggesting Ms Ardern had “funny ideas” after spending “too much time in universities”.
Newshub political editor Tova O’Brien said in an opinion piece the Oxford-educated ex-lawyer with two degrees should “unreservedly apologise” for the comments, calling his views “loutish, transphobic rubbish”.
Asked on The AM Show if he’d apologise, Mr Bridges said he wouldn’t be.
“It was incredibly light-hearted and intended that way – an interview on Radio Hauraki. But I wish Jacinda, her partner and little Neve all the very best. Just absolute happiness.
“Look, I know as a father of three little ones what a special time [they’re having]. I’ve got a six-month-old – beautiful, precious little Jemima – so I know just what a special time this will be for them.”
He said anyone who watched or listened to the whole interview would “see the context and understand what it is”.
The problem for Bridges is that rewatching the interview and understanding the context only makes things worse. And we are in day four of comment about what he said.
Bridges should do a mea culpa and just say he was wrong. But I would not hold my breath …
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