Darren Hughes has been ‘cleared’, with Police announcing that no charges will be brought against the ex-MP. This is significant good news for his Labour Party colleagues. But it doesn’t exactly vindicate Phil Goff, and there is now likely to be further exploration of Goff’s role in handling the whole affair. Some will be arguing that Goff and Labour’s treatment of the issue was rather unfortunate for Hughes. There will be questions about whether Hughes would still be in Parliament today if Goff had not bungled the affair in trying to suppress the story, advising Hughes not to defend himself publicly, and then allowing Hughes to resign from Parliament. It still seems odd to many that Hughes never fronted up to proclaim his innocence, but instead resigned. The whole affair was awful from start to finish. So far, the best examination of today’s ‘clearance’, comes from academic Andrew Geddis – see: The repeated mention of K's innocence was becoming irksome to him. The whole story makes yesterday’s big political story – the parliamentary rugby jersey stunt – seem rather trivial. [Continue reading below for a full list of the highlights of NZ Politics Daily]
Darren Hughes cleared
Stuff: No charges against former Labour MP Darren Hughes
Darren Hughes cleared - full statement
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Hughes not charged
Andrew Geddis (Pundit): The repeated mention of K's innocence was becoming irksome to him
Bevan Hurley (NZH): Paul Henry hanging with Hughes
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The Darren Hughes investigation
Destiny Church
TVNZ: Govt confirms funding Destiny Church programmes
Adam Bennett (NZH): Destiny Church receives $860,000 in funding
NZPA: Destiny seeks support for govt contracts
Danya Levy (Stuff): Sharples ponders Destiny funding
Patrick Gower (TV3): Destiny’s political motivation made clearer
TV3: Destiny Church, politics and the Maori vote
Newstalk ZB: Greens not worried about Destiny snub
Russell Brown (Hard News): Bishop Brian: It’s worse than you think
Daily Post Editorial: Maori must put aside iwi differences for once (not currently online)
Katie Bradford-Crozier (Newstalk ZB): Political Report for June 8
Rob Carr (Political Dumpground): Destiny Church
The Standard: Key’s destiny
Clare Curran’s rugby jersey stunt
Jane Clifton (Stuff): Take your top off, MP told
John Armstrong (NZH): Speaker gets shirty over MP’s Highlanders jersey
Kate Chapman (Stuff): Curran raises MPs’ fashion stakes
Kim Savage (Newstalk ZB): Curran frustrated by ‘double standards’
Sue Kedgley (frogblog): “Business attire”
Rachel Morton (TV3): Curran defends right to wear Highlanders shirt
John Pagani: Speaker bans burquas, but only for the Opposition
The Greens
Nandor Tanczos: Greens step forward
No Right Turn: The Greens and NationalAndrea Vance (SST): Greens’ door open for Nats deal
The Standard: Bradford and the Greens
Maori politics
Kim Savage (Newstalk ZB): Advance voting in by-election kicks off
Rawiri Taonui (SST): Defections from northern Maori Party give Hone edge (not currently online)
TVNZ: PM not bowing to pressure over Maori King
TVNZ: Maori King dispute ‘tribal chauvinism” – academic
Economy
Andrea Fox (Stuff): Student loans ‘should target beneficial courses’
John Hartevelt (Stuff): Who’s afraid of the Big Red Dragon?
Kevin Sheehy (Dom Post): Pharmac’s outlet-mall approach injurious to health – and to trade (not currently online)
Ally Mullord (TV3): National gambling with the public’s money – Labour
Fran O’Sullivan (NZH): How we missed the knowledge wave
Southland Times Editorial: Assets, or liabilities?
Public sector
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Government Department and CEO of the Year
Shabnam Dastgheib (Dom Post): Plenty of room to make a mark at upper levels
Dom Post: The brilliance of reinvigorating the state sector (not currently online)
Kate Chapman (Stuff): Govt looks to merge more agencies
Welfare reform
Dom Post Editorial: Welfare is an economic and social time bomb
Tim Watkin (Pundit): Welfare crisis: The numbers tell their own story
Press Editorial: National takes cautious approach to welfare changes
Other
NZPA: Key told to show hand over law change
NBR: Carter: my parliamentary super should be worth $1.5m
Claire Trevett (NZH): MP pleads for laughter and leniency as he goes
John Hartevelt (SST): Bye-bye by-elections? Not a chance
Stuff: Call for more honours for women
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Electoral Systems
Dom Post: Political briefs – Wednesday, June 8
Evan Harding (Southland Times): Profane tops 'horrify' in Invercargill
Anthony Hubbard (SST): Queen lacks birthday presence
Belinda McCammon (SST): Farming leader tipped to join crop of Act candidates (not currently online)
John Tamihere (Sunday News): Adults must take leadership in guiding the youth of today
Neil Reid (Sunday News): Not on my patch, MP tells gangs
Ross Bell (Dom Post): Politicians need courage to achieve drug law reform
Dom Post Editorial: Laws must catch up with tweeting reality
Annette King (SST): A way to restore family paradise
Deborah Coddington (Pundit): If Greens Address Right, What does the make New Act?
