National trying to bully media over Opportunity Party coverage – Audrey Young - New Zealand News Beep

He came close to ruling the party out, but didn’t quite go there. It was as though he hadn’t anticipated such a question.

If he had anticipated it, it would have been easy to say: “A vote for Opportunity is a vote for a party that wants to raise taxes, but National will spell out a formal position closer to the November 7 election.”

It was only after the press conference, when the Herald checked, that the PM’s office confirmed the party’s stance.

The way it was handled suggested that the decision to rule out Opportunity had probably already been made, but that Luxon intended to formalise it closer to the election, if required.

Remaining non-committal one way or the other would have been a valid option, though frustrating for the voter.

It was in contrast with the way Luxon approached the coalition question in 2023 with reference to New Zealand First.

He was asked about it frequently. The announcement that he would pick up the phone to New Zealand First, if required, was left until just three weeks to voting day, after it had started to register above 5% support.

Bullying the media over Opportunity

When reporters repeatedly asked Luxon for a position on New Zealand First in 2023, it wasn’t trying to “keep the dream alive” of New Zealand First ending up in government.

That is how National deputy leader Nicola Willis characterised media questions about Opportunity this week. The questions are clearly designed to elicit post-election options to help voters.

National is attempting to bully the media into not covering the Opportunity Party.

Luxon has since suggested, unconvincingly, that he thought he had already ruled out Opportunity and could not understand the media’s interest. Pull the other one.

Shifting the blame

It was a significant announcement because it could shift the polls, one way or the other. As colleague Jamie Ensor pointed out in a comment piece, as well as dissuading centre-right voters from supporting Opportunity, it could just as easily boost the party’s support among centre-left voters, who were previously cautious that it could do a deal with National.

But one of the worrying statistics that emerged for National in the past week was the Talbot Mills poll showing that while Opportunity was flirting with the 5% threshold, 23% of its supporters had voted National last election, compared to 18% who had backed Labour.

The Opportunity decision had echoes of National’s announcement at the weekend about extending paid parental leave and making it more flexible. It sounded like a policy position that had already been decided, but was brought forward to capitalise on the furore over Stuart Nash’s comments about MP Katie Nimon’s parental leave.

That is not a criticism. Parties need to be nimble in a campaign.

It was unfortunate, however, that Willis initially sought to blame Act workplace minister Brooke van Velden for not making parental leave a priority in her work programme this term. Willis labelled it “a shame” when speaking at the press conference on Sunday, until Act leader David Seymour pointed out that while National had campaigned on the issue last election, it had not even raised it in its coalition negotiations.

Willis changed her tune after that and accepted that it was National that had different priorities at the time.

‘A cause for deep national shame’

NZ First leader Winston Peters, left, and Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan. Photo / RNZ

New Zealand First leader and Foreign Minister Winston Peters made some disgraceful comments in the general debate at Parliament yesterday. He was in full flight over the commission of inquiry into Covid when he received an interjection by Chinese-born Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan: Are you vaccinated?

Peters responded with a personal tirade: “I’m not making it up, sunshine. I noticed you came here five minutes ago. Go back to your own country – that’s where they lie like a flatfish, but they don’t lie like that here, all right? This is called a democracy … unlike what you’re used to. Go back to where you’ve come from, you loudmouth, and maybe you’ll learn something about the political system of New Zealand in time before you go streaming out of here in three months’ time.”

The comments went unchallenged by any MP or the Speaker, possibly to avoid amplifying them. But the incident has not been ignored. New Zealand’s former ambassador to China, Carl Worker, said on X yesterday: “Having an openly and offensively racist foreign minister is a terrible message from New Zealand not only to China but to the whole world. A cause for deep national shame.”

Chinese ambassador Wang Xiaolong said on X today: “We have absolutely no interest in being dragged into the domestic politics of other countries. Suffice it to say, sometimes a statement says more about the person that makes it than anything or anybody else.”

By the way

The Prime Minister delivered a fine tribute last week at the funeral of Sir William Birch, noting that only one of the present National caucus was in Parliament at the same time as Birch – Speaker Gerry Brownlee. That was true (they intersected from 1996 to 1999), except that Luxon referred to him as “the great Sir Gerry Brownlee”. It is, of course, usual for Speakers who have served at least a term to be knighted, but usually after they have left office.Count Binface, the satirical candidate in the UK’s Clacton byelection forced by the resignation of Nigel Farage so he could stand again, has published his 20-point manifesto. Among the policies are these gems: arcade grabber games to be made fairer so players actually have a chance to win; a referendum on whether Pluto should regain its planet status; and the hand-dryer in the gents’ toilets at the Great Himalayas restaurant, Southport, to be moved to a more sensible position.The TikTok app may be banned from parliamentary devices on security grounds, but that didn’t stop the company from hosting an event at Parliament to highlight a report on its contribution to the NZ economy. Attendees were entertained with a performance by The Music of Charles, which could be heard several floors away, and Act leader David Seymour spoke about the changing media environment.

Quote unquote

“It is a dog with fleas and it is dying before our eyes” – Act leader David Seymour on a proposal by National to ban social media for under-16s.

Micro quiz

What is the name of the chief executive of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) who appeared before the Privileges Committee this week, and who chairs the committee? (Answers at the bottom of this article.)

Brickbat

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Goes to Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick for accusing Treasury of being politicised after the Herald’s Thomas Coughlan showed the party had misinterpreted a Treasury paper.

Bouquet

Goes to MPs on the Privileges Committee for their robust interrogation of MBIE officials to determine whether they had deliberately misled a select committee in March about an IT project within the Immigration Service that had been cancelled.

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IT scandal: Erica Stanford reveals $6m more wasted on immigration IT project, ministry unsure of total cost

Pandemic response: Government sets new transparency rules after Covid inquiry

Opinion – PM’s record: Christopher Luxon’s awkward transition from CEO to Prime Minister – Audrey Young

Benefits: Government says sick 18- and 19-year-olds should be supported by parents, not benefit

Social media ban: National unsure if Act, NZ First will support bill; David Seymour compares it to ‘dog with fleas’

Wealth tax: Greens say Treasury is ‘out of step’ and politicised after wealth tax analysis

Pharmac funding: Medicines to get larger share of health funding under Act policy

Parental leave: National promises to extend paid parental leave as Katie Nimon says Stuart Nash apologised for comments

Data centres: Green Party pushes for pause on consenting AI data centres

Coalition deals: National rules out working with Opportunity Party

Opinion – Nats v Opportunity: National’s chance to send clear message on Opportunity undercut by Luxon’s comms – Jamie Ensor