As he often does, Jones slipped several nuggets of news into his address: revealing National’s first fast-track housing project was likely to fail, deeming David Seymour’s Regulatory Standards Bill a “curse” and accusing Act of undermining NZ First in the rural communities.
However, it was his remarks lamenting the struggle in government between “managerialism” and “leadership” that hit hardest.
“We’ve got arguably 10 months left, one election to go, and we’ve got to effect substantial change and that change will not happen unless there is a significant set of interventions made by the Crown,” he told media after his speech.
NZ First MP Shane Jones and his wife Dot ahead of his speech at the conference. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Jones revealed he was leading such an intervention, having received Cabinet approval to negotiate with Kinleith pulp mill owners, Oji Fibre Solutions, to assess whether the Government could co-fund an independent energy generation function.
Admitting it may already be too late to entice the owners to retain the Waikato mill, which supports more than a dozen other sawmills, Jones said discussions would take place in the coming months in the hope of finding a solution.
As Regional Development Minister, Jones’ actions trampled all over the territory of National’s Energy Minister Simon Watts – a portfolio NZ First tried and failed to secure in coalition negotiations.
“Quite frankly, if we’re not going to do anything, I just want a fast no,” he said.
“If it’s nothing, then the campaign that I will run on behalf of the New Zealand First Party will not only be Trumpian, you’ll hear about it in Australia.”
Jones also set the stage for Winston Peters to make an immigration policy announcement tomorrow, with the promise of addressing New Zealand’s changing demography that led to “Singh” and “Patel” becoming common names.
“If we’re going to have massive flows of immigration coming into New Zealand without an election campaign, without an electoral mandate, I don’t want it.”
NZ First leader Winston Peters and former Labour Minister Stuart Nash share a special moment during the conference. Photo / Mark Mitchell
While Jones’ speech was strongly applauded, it paled in comparison to the ovation received by former Labour Cabinet Minister Stuart Nash, who today swore loyalty to NZ First.
It’s been an open secret in political circles that Nash had been courting NZ First and it appears to have paid off, Peters considering him a “seamless” addition to his caucus.
The party is expected to finalise candidate selections by March but a high-profile name like Nash’s may merit earlier announcement.
Nash’s loud and proud declaration of love for all things NZ First struck quite a contrast with former National MP Harete Hipango, who attempted to slink into the conference unnoticed.
She was soon sent a link by a former National colleague to the Herald story revealing her newfound membership to NZ First.
Hipango was more wary than Nash in signalling her interest in returning as an MP, saying there had been no such conversations.
The conference had a typical NZ First hue. Almost 300 people packed into a large yet stuffy room at the Distinction Hotel, the same location of Labour’s caucus retreat earlier this year.
NZ First leader Winston Peters opened the conference. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Organisers have had to get creative with the schedule: political commentator Chris Trotter was set to speak today but high winds forced his plane back to Wellington.
Similar bad luck had befallen former National MP Katherine Rich, who will now have to drive up from Wellington tomorrow for her scheduled speech.
The members were well-fed. A muffin and a cuppa at smoko were followed by delicious creamy mushroom chicken breasts and steamed vegetables ahead of the party’s gala dinner.
Its remit sessions were characteristically boisterous. The party’s executive watched on nervously as party members and MPs bickered and battled for their position in full view of the media.
While the party prides itself on a democratic policy development process, support or opposition from experienced MPs and members has significant sway.
Jones, growing ever more popular within and outside the party, played that role several times during the remit debates, steering the membership towards the intended destination.
His proposal to remove co-governance provisions from all government legislation, except for existing Treaty of Waitangi settlements, was challenged to include settlements, with this finding some favour in the room.
Party members vote for remits during the conference. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Jones was quick to respond, warning the crowd it could lead to settlements being renegotiated. The amendment failed.
Jones’ remit to explore the “feasibility of clean, safe, and environmentally friendly thorium nuclear fission and nuclear fusion” was among the hotly anticipated remits, given Jones had publicly promised the topic would be discussed.
Jones urged his fellow party members to “be bold” and support his proposal, alluding to an “80-year-old lawyer” who had also assessed it.
Stu from Ōtorohanga rose, under the careful watch of Jones, and gave the expected opposing view that supporting nuclear energy was in contrast with New Zealand’s anti-nuclear legacy. He feared it would be a “bat to belt NZ First with” as he called those present to “bury” the remit.
Jones won in the end, with the remit passing.
Also of interest was the party’s position on the Paris climate change pact.
Act on Tuesday sought to get a head start, announcing it supported abandoning the agreement if “realistic” emission reduction targets weren’t negotiated.
NZ First’s proposal initially only committed to consider the agreement’s cost to New Zealand; Jones whipped up the crowd with warnings of de-industrialisation to the point others proposed to go further than Act and withdraw from the pact entirely.
The remit passed without a fuss, members ignoring concerns about the possible impact on trade. One man who spoke of the risk of climate change was laughed at.
The conference will conclude tomorrow with Peters’ public address at 2pm.
Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.