Chris Bishop's been turfed out as National's campaign chair in favour of Simeon Brown - signalling a potential dent in his relations with the PM.
The National MP's also lost his Leader of the House and Associate Sport Minister roles in yesterday's Cabinet reshuffle, but is replacing outgoing MP Judith Collins as Attorney General.
Former Minister and commentator Peter Dunne says Luxon might be trying to give Chris Bishop a warning on where he stands in the party.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News TALKSB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Joining us now to talk politics. We have got political
commentator Peter had Done. Good morning Peter.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Good morning Francesca. Happy Easter, and to you too.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Thank you for being with us. Let's start by talking
about the national cabinet reshuffle. What is the key to
a good reshuffle?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I think the key is that, first of all, you
sought out some imbalances in the cabinet and are always
going to have a case where some people have got
a heavier workload than others. And the second key is
that you set some sense of direction as to where
the cabinet's going for the future. So if you look
at the current reshuffle, the Prime Minister obviously had to
replace two retiring ministers, and then there was the opportunity
(00:50):
to promote some new talent as a way of sort
of indicating what the shape of a future government that
he leads might look like. And for some extent he's
achieve both goals. But what overshadows the whole thing is
this debate about what he's done or not done to
Chris Bishop think he's done. I think he's given him
a warning and of ticking off. But I think it's
(01:11):
going reave it too far to sort of some of
the more extreme comments about how Bishop's been put in
the box, he's been punished, all that sort of thing.
I don't think that's the case. I think that there
was a bit of a signal there that just you
stick to your day job and not try and sort
of go beyond this. And Bishop's got a big load anyway.
He's now the Attorney General as well as other portfolio,
(01:32):
so you know, I think on balance he's got a
mile ticking off, but no more than that.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
No, I tend to agree. I mean, you're right, he's
got a big workload. He only lost his roles as
Associate Sports Minister and Leader of the House picked up
Attorney General. I think what everyone was talking about was
probably more about the lost losing being the campaign chair.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Yeah, and look that I think a lot's been read
into that, but that's too much. The campaign chairs job
is fundamentally an organizational one. The strategic role for the
campaign comes from the party leadership. I think that swapping
Chris Bishop for Simme and Brown, I'm not sure that
Brown's got a much lighter workload, but we've got the
advantage of being Auckland and the Auckland vote will be
(02:15):
critical to National chances at the selection, so there's a
little bit of sort of playing to the audience in
that respect.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Do you think it could have been more a case
of keeping Simon Brown happy. I mean, he didn't deny
that he'd asked for the role.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Quite possibly, and as I say, given the criticality of
Auckland to National chances, not alienating key Auckland members, let
alone Auckland voters is a pretty important task for National.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
There was a lot of talk James Meagher, who was
outside of cabinet at present, could be promoted, and once
again a lot of speculation here Peter that he might
have been responsible for doing numbers for bishop last year
and that could be why he didn't get a promotion
that some felt.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
I've been some whispers about Mega not quite living up
to some of the early expectations. I don't know whether
they're true or not, but I think that what became
a greater factor. And if you look at the sort
of the other promotions Cameron Brewer of by dint of
hard work gets for you, I think Mike Butler. I
don't know very much about it all, but he's got
the advantage of being rural wire or rapper up against
(03:15):
Kieran mcinalfy.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
I think that that's probably an explanation there. The other
important one is the promotion of Mikola Grigg, although she's
not in cabinet, but she's got it picked up the
pretty critical environment portfolio and it seems to me if
you look at Gregg and Butterick and Brewer, there's a
bit of a signal there for the future got mega
so sort of tucked in the pocket if you like.
So there's quite a little group of up and coming
(03:39):
ministers who could be more prominent in the future. And
I think that Prime Ministers probably signaled that, whether of
course he gets the chance, November will tell.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
I'd love to talk to you too about New Zealand
and the Cook Islands sort of becoming friends again and
signing the Defense and Security Declaration. What's the significance of.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
This, Peter, Well, Look, the historic relationship between New Zealand
and the Cooks goes back for many, many years, and
I think that the risk of that relationship fracturing and
it's had some pretty testy times to go right back
to Albert Henry in the seventies when with the vote
rigging and all of that sort of thing. But we've
got over them and I think the situation here is
(04:16):
Mark Brown's are very aggressive and forward thinking Cook Island's leader.
He wants the best for his country. He sees it
as a country, not a dependency, and I think there
was always going to be a bit of a challenge there.
This is not the first time he's had a run
in with governments. I recall during my time in government
we had some issues with him, but it's all about
(04:37):
his passion for the Cook Islands. So I think it's
really important for New Zealand to have a good relationship,
particularly strategically in the current geopolitical environment. And I think
it's quite a feather in Winston Peter's cap in a
way that he's been able to pull off or a
Prossmont in Raratonga, and I think that will be positive
for the future. Of course, what will come with that
(04:57):
will be the expectation of more New Zealand aid and support,
and that's what will be the test of the relationship.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Peter, as always appreciate your thoughts. Thank you so much
for your time today.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks A B from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News TALKSB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Joining us now to talk politics. We have got political
commentator Peter had Done. Good morning Peter.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Good morning Francesca. Happy Easter, and to you too.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Thank you for being with us. Let's start by talking
about the national cabinet reshuffle. What is the key to
a good reshuffle?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I think the key is that, first of all, you
sought out some imbalances in the cabinet and are always
going to have a case where some people have got
a heavier workload than others. And the second key is
that you set some sense of direction as to where
the cabinet's going for the future. So if you look
at the current reshuffle, the Prime Minister obviously had to
replace two retiring ministers, and then there was the opportunity
(00:50):
to promote some new talent as a way of sort
of indicating what the shape of a future government that
he leads might look like. And for some extent he's
achieve both goals. But what overshadows the whole thing is
this debate about what he's done or not done to
Chris Bishop think he's done. I think he's given him
a warning and of ticking off. But I think it's
(01:11):
going reave it too far to sort of some of
the more extreme comments about how Bishop's been put in
the box, he's been punished, all that sort of thing.
I don't think that's the case. I think that there
was a bit of a signal there that just you
stick to your day job and not try and sort
of go beyond this. And Bishop's got a big load anyway.
He's now the Attorney General as well as other portfolio,
(01:32):
so you know, I think on balance he's got a
mile ticking off, but no more than that.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
No, I tend to agree. I mean, you're right, he's
got a big workload. He only lost his roles as
Associate Sports Minister and Leader of the House picked up
Attorney General. I think what everyone was talking about was
probably more about the lost losing being the campaign chair.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Yeah, and look that I think a lot's been read
into that, but that's too much. The campaign chairs job
is fundamentally an organizational one. The strategic role for the
campaign comes from the party leadership. I think that swapping
Chris Bishop for Simme and Brown, I'm not sure that
Brown's got a much lighter workload, but we've got the
advantage of being Auckland and the Auckland vote will be
(02:15):
critical to National chances at the selection, so there's a
little bit of sort of playing to the audience in
that respect.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Do you think it could have been more a case
of keeping Simon Brown happy. I mean, he didn't deny
that he'd asked for the role.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Quite possibly, and as I say, given the criticality of
Auckland to National chances, not alienating key Auckland members, let
alone Auckland voters is a pretty important task for National.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
There was a lot of talk James Meagher, who was
outside of cabinet at present, could be promoted, and once
again a lot of speculation here Peter that he might
have been responsible for doing numbers for bishop last year
and that could be why he didn't get a promotion
that some felt.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
I've been some whispers about Mega not quite living up
to some of the early expectations. I don't know whether
they're true or not, but I think that what became
a greater factor. And if you look at the sort
of the other promotions Cameron Brewer of by dint of
hard work gets for you, I think Mike Butler. I
don't know very much about it all, but he's got
the advantage of being rural wire or rapper up against
(03:15):
Kieran mcinalfy.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
I think that that's probably an explanation there. The other
important one is the promotion of Mikola Grigg, although she's
not in cabinet, but she's got it picked up the
pretty critical environment portfolio and it seems to me if
you look at Gregg and Butterick and Brewer, there's a
bit of a signal there for the future got mega
so sort of tucked in the pocket if you like.
So there's quite a little group of up and coming
(03:39):
ministers who could be more prominent in the future. And
I think that Prime Ministers probably signaled that, whether of
course he gets the chance, November will tell.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
I'd love to talk to you too about New Zealand
and the Cook Islands sort of becoming friends again and
signing the Defense and Security Declaration. What's the significance of.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
This, Peter, Well, Look, the historic relationship between New Zealand
and the Cooks goes back for many, many years, and
I think that the risk of that relationship fracturing and
it's had some pretty testy times to go right back
to Albert Henry in the seventies when with the vote
rigging and all of that sort of thing. But we've
got over them and I think the situation here is
(04:16):
Mark Brown's are very aggressive and forward thinking Cook Island's leader.
He wants the best for his country. He sees it
as a country, not a dependency, and I think there
was always going to be a bit of a challenge there.
This is not the first time he's had a run
in with governments. I recall during my time in government
we had some issues with him, but it's all about
(04:37):
his passion for the Cook Islands. So I think it's
really important for New Zealand to have a good relationship,
particularly strategically in the current geopolitical environment. And I think
it's quite a feather in Winston Peter's cap in a
way that he's been able to pull off or a
Prossmont in Raratonga, and I think that will be positive
for the future. Of course, what will come with that
(04:57):
will be the expectation of more New Zealand aid and support,
and that's what will be the test of the relationship.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Peter, as always appreciate your thoughts. Thank you so much
for your time today.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks A B from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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