Chris Hipkins has twin terrors stalking his Government right now, and they aren’t even the pressing issues with the economy or what remains in the kitbag after his policy bonfire. Despite announcing another announcement over Auckland’s second harbour crossing, a promise that has fallen on the deaf ears of Aucklanders sick of an over-promising and under-delivering government, the news has been all things that Hipkins has no control over.
Those twin terrors are the rolling death by a thousands cuts of the growing scandal of Stuart Nash and and the intemperate ranting of an overtly racist Marama Davidson. Heather du Plessis Allan explains:
Just like that the Hipkins honeymoon is probably over.
Fortunately for Chris Hipkins, there’s probably still a lingering goodwill towards Chippy from the Hutt. Unfortunately, it probably doesn’t extend to his Labour Party.
Stuart Nash getting in trouble – again – has reminded the public that changing the General doesn’t change the troops. And if you didn’t like them before, you probably won’t like them now.
Hipkins must take some responsibility for the Nash saga getting to this stage. He should’ve sacked Nash two weeks ago. Nash was always going to cause more trouble. It was so predictable that this column actually predicted it a fortnight ago. The only surprising element was how quickly it proved true.
Hipkins is trying desperately to paint this latest indiscretion – the email to donors – as Nash’s most egregious yet. He’s hoping to make it sound completely different to the other indiscretions, to excuse his previous lack of discipline.
But in truth, it wasn’t Nash’s biggest mistake. Yes, an email full of secrets sent to men who donate money is a massive error of judgment. But line that up next to the fact that Crown Law considered prosecuting him for contempt of court and it’s not close. And yet Nash survived.
There’s a chance the Nash-created troubles are not yet over for Labour. The Chief Ombudsman is considering taking another look at why that email wasn’t released in the first place two years ago. The Police are due to release details of more texts from Nash to the Police Commissioner this week.
NZ Herald
The Nash scandal is far from over. I predict there will be fresh revelations regarding Nash and his less-than-candid responses to OIA requests, and deliberate obfuscation to the Ombudsman investigating his OIA responses. It is understood to involve several requests.
All that is going to put in crystal-clear focus the claims made by Gaurav Sharma about how the Ministers, schooled by lobbyist Neale Jones and a Deputy Chief of Staff, deliberately lied in Official Information Act requests, either by omission or falsehoods.
A deeper investigation into their OIA practices across all ministries is warranted and this promises to destroy any remaining credibility anyone has in this motley crew.
Then there is Marama Davidson:
But the Marama Davidson drama is probably more damaging to Labour, even though she isn’t a Labour MP.
Her “white cis men” comments created huge amounts of anger. Far more anger than the Nash affair.
There were calls for an apology. Hipkins could’ve demanded one. She made it clear she was making the comments as Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence. And yet, even on Wednesday – five days later – she was still saying, “I am not going to apologise to cis men, no.”
Hipkins could’ve – if he wanted to – forced an apology out of her. He is the PM. She is one of his ministers.
But he didn’t. He said those were words he wouldn’t have used. Bringing race into it was “not particularly helpful”. Early on, that was enough. But when Davidson started doubling down and refusing to apologise, Hipkins’ action was not enough anymore. Because she was so publicly defiant and because she is a minister, his inaction looked at the very least like a lack of concern, at worst like private agreement.
There are a fair few white men and their wives pretty upset at those comments. Hipkins will need white men and their wives to win the election.
NZ Herald
Hipkins was made to look weak and vacillating by the two-week saga of Stuart Nash, but even more weak with the complete disregard of him by an unrepentant Marama Davidson who doubled down, and doubled down again, with her racist comments and her evasive explanations of what she meant.
All of New Zealand heard what she said, and the vehemence with which she delivered it. We are under no illusions as to what her true feelings are on the matter. She hates white people, and white men in particular.
As these twin terrors promise to be the undoing of Hipkins’ ministry. Does he have the stones to actually cauterise these suppurating wounds with the judicious application of a red-hot poker?
I don’t think he does, and his staff in the PMO are likewise ill-equipped to deal with it. Which leads me to believe that there is likely to be some splatter directed at National in the coming weeks as they seek to rid themselves of the Nash albatross that is stinking up the joint. Christopher Luxon better beware and have his wits about him.
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