It might be an old story – now over three months old – but the Darren Hughes scandal is still being analysed in the political sphere. This is partly as a result of the Police announcement last week not to prosecute, partly because Phil Goff has arrived back in the country, and partly in order to evaluate the role of the media in covering such scandals. Goff has predictably blamed the media for Hughes’ fate, asserting that Hughes was not allowed his right to a presumption of innocence – see: Goff slams Darren Hughes’ ‘trial by media’. But as the No Right Turn blogger has succinctly explained, ‘Of course Goff has to blame the media. Otherwise he’d have to accept responsibility for his own mishandling of the matter’. Two Radio NZ programmes have recently addressed the media’s role: first, Mediawatch (audio here), and then yesterday Denis Welch discussed the media’s role in his Media slot on Nine-to-Noon (audio here). Welch says the media handled the scandal fairly well. And he also quotes my own analysis, which he seems to concur with, saying that in order to move beyond the scandal, Hughes should front-foot on the issue. For better or worse, the scandal will never really go away until Labour and Hughes deal with it properly, which they still haven’t. For an overview of how the scandal has been visually portrayed, see the aggregation of cartoons about the Hughes scandal below.
The other major political issue of the day, the Te Tai Tokerau by-election, is discussed today by two of the country’s most senior political journalists. Duncan Garner blogs about what might happen in both the by-election and if Labour wins it – see: Davis can beat Harawira - blog. John Armstrong asks whether the Maori Party is deliberately trying to lose the by-election in order for Labour to kill off the Mana Party – see: Tactical risk for Maori Party. [Continue reading below for a full list of the highlights of NZ Politics Daily]
Darren Hughes
Newstalk ZB and NZH: Goff slams Darren Hughes’ ‘trial by media’
NZPA: Goff defends handling of Hughes affair
Danya Levy (Stuff): Darren Hughes had to go – Phil Goff
The Dim-Post: Oh God, just please let it stop
Marlborough Express Editorial: Time to rebuild trust
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Mike's Editorial: Darren Hughes
Te Tai Tokerau byelection
Duncan Garner (TV3): Davis can beat Harawira - blog
John Armstrong (NZH): Tactical risk for Maori Party
Ally Mullord (TV3): Maori Party stands behind Tipene
Claire Trevett (NZH): Harawira urges creation of Maori ‘parliament’
Tim Selwyn (Tumeke!): Tai Tokerau by-election debate
Jordan Carter (Just left): Te Tai Tokerau a two-horse race
Radiolive: Meet the Harawiras
Whaleleaks
Phil Quin (New Tasman): Whalegate in 12 steps
Whaleoil: Labour Leaks — Chris Flatt begs
Whaleoil: Labour Leaks — Dear Chris
Whaleoil: Labour Leaks –The Password Issue
Whaleoil: A gay email from Mickey Savage
No Right Turn: In defence of public service neutrality
The Standard: The silence of the poodles
Pharmac and free trade deals
Nikki MacDonald (Dom Post): Pharmac: The politics of playing god
NZPA: Groser ‘not taking Pharmac off the table’ in free trade talks with US
Alex Tarrant (interest.co.nz): Trade Minister Gorser downplays Trans Pacific Partnership fears on Pharmac and hits out at US dairy lobbyists
Other
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Greens go off online Goff ads
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Unauthorised Green ads
Kate Chapman (Dom Post): Government BMWs headed for public sale
Kate Chapman (Stuff): World Cup dignitary driving bill $500,000
NZPA: Food prices drive people into poverty – Labour
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Wages ‘rising faster’ than food prices
NZPA: New unit for social housing
Romy Udanga (Stuff): Kiwisaver changes dent interest in scheme
Stuff: Local authority debt growing
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Some patients wait ‘up to two years’
Ally Mullord (TV3): New fund to combat family violence
John Hartevelt (Stuff): $2m funding boost for restorative justice conferences
Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Unions like minimum wage
Brian Rudman (NZH): Key too quick to move SkyCity’s limits
RadioLIVE: Labour won’t support Govt’s broadband changes
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Four candidates – sign of strength of division?
Kate Chapman (Stuff): Prime Minister John Key talks parenting
Stuff: Silence over suburb blacklist angers
Dom Post: Political briefs – Wednesday, June 15
TVNZ: The Daily Show’s John Stewart has a laugh on NZ
The Press: Missed chance in strip act (not currently online)
Danya Levy (Stuff): Greens cry foul over uni restriction
Julian Crawford (Newsline): New political party to contest Dunedin North
NZPA: Labour Party staffer appears in court
Phil Quin (Business Spectator): The Key to keeping Kiwis happy