NZ Politics Daily - 22 February (liberation)

The following blog post, highlights the best of political reporting, analysis and comment in New Zealand politics for yesterday – 22 February. Until the tragic Christchurch earthquake hit, the biggest story of the day had been the release of the Welfare Working Group’s report. Prior to the report’s release, Colin James had a useful article in the Dominion Post, The long view of reforming welfare illness. James says the major question of welfare reformed is based on whether the government looks to the short-term solutions or the long-term ones, and whether they have an ‘investment’ mentality or a cost-cutting one. [For further highlights of NZ Politics Daily - read more below]

Coverage of the actual welfare reform report can be read in these three articles:

NZPA: Group Proposes Radical Welfare Reform

NZPA: Key Open To Work-testing On Welfare When Children Are 3

John Armstrong (NZH): Key feeling quesy

TVNZ has released the results of its latest opinion poll that shows voters are largely unimpressed with major new economic initiatives of both Labour and National. It seems that two-thirds of the population has signaled disapproval of both Labour’s $10 a week tax cut and National’s partial privatisation proposals.

On the question of National’s BMW embarrassment, John Armstrong has written another very good column – Mea culpa a bid to save brand – pointing out that ‘Rarely - if ever - has a Prime Minister been so open in admitting that he, one of his personal staff and departmental officials had got it badly wrong as John Key did yesterday in a fashion which veered close to self-flagellation’. Armstrong explains the ‘extraordinary display’ by reference to the ‘Key brand’: ‘what really lies behind yesterday's mea culpa is preservation of Key's brand, which has made him so popular at least in part because he does not come across as the kind of excuse-filled, prevaricating politician interested only in self-preservation and which the public finds so repellent. Yesterday's apology was designed to underline that difference. The public must now decide if it will buy it’.

On that topic, Andrea Vance also has a very good article, PM signed papers relating to BMWs, detailing the facts about the case. And TVNZ reveals that Key's chief of staff, Wayne ‘Eagleson, one of Key's most senior advisers, has since offered his resignation to the Prime Minister over the issue. It was declined’.

Andrey Young, argues that ‘John Key appears to be softening up the public for some unpopular concessions under the Trans Pacific Trade Partnership being negotiated at present’ in her article, Key pushes benefits of new trade agreement allowances. Apparently, under the agreement, ‘New Zealand would also face requests, including from the US, which it had not faced in previous free trade agreements’.

Colin James has an insightful and critical column in today’s ODT [not currently online], looking at some of the big global issues of the day. He also contrasts the recent speeches by John Key and Julia Gillard in starkly critical terms:

Some events call for a leader to embody and give voice to the nation. Key did not do that last Wednesday. He is the most one-of-us Prime Ministers in decades, as his stratospheric polling attests. But a Prime Minister must also be more than one of us and show that when it counts. The Gillard-Key contrast echoed the contrast four decades ago between visiting Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's globally-informed, nuanced replies to press questions on a visit here and Sir Keith Holyoake's provincial bluster and pomposity…. Gillard and Key lead small countries in a time of global change. They need insight, instinct, intelligence and integrity. Judged by their two speeches last week, Gillard has the stronger credentials. So, someone get Key a speechwriter and a coach. Not for him. For the nation.

In other important news, Martin Kay reports, Call to cancel Harawira's party membership.

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In additional to these highlights, below are the internet links to all the NZ politics material from the last 24 hours that are either informative, insightful, interesting or influential.

Section 1: Mainstream media

Welfare reform

NZPA: Group Proposes Radical Welfare Reform

NZPA: Key Open To Work-testing On Welfare When Children Are 3

John Armstrong (NZH): Key feeling quesy

Kate Chapman (Stuff): Beneficiary-bashing changes feared

NZPA: Benefit Rates Increase To Meet Changing Costs Of Living

Colin James (Dominion Post): The long view of reforming welfare illness

Maori Party and Hone Harawira

Martin Kay (Stuff): Call to cancel Harawira's party membership

Hone Harawira (SST): Why the coastal bill is unfair, unjust and discriminatory [Not currently online]

Yvonne Tahana (NZH): Harawira's no-show 'disrespectful'