Ministers under pressure
May 29th, 2008 at 8:27 am by David FarrarThe Herald looks at three new Ministers under pressure.
First is Maryan Street who spent all of Wednesday defending the $65,000 conference at Tongariro Lodge (ably backed by various Labour blogs) to then have the carpet pulled out from under her by the PM who declared yesterday it was totally unacceptable, the Minister was wrong, the Chair had been reprimanded and the CEO should have her salary docked.
Clark’s response, while somewhat over the top, is the one Street should have had from the beginning. I do think David Parker went far too far when he actually said he thought the CEO should have their pay docked – does the man not know anything about employment law and undue pressure? Anyway Clark understands that the issue is the nature of the resort. As I said – hold it at Rotorua Novotel and there would be no issue.
It didn’t get better for Street as it was revealed there was a second plush conference in 2003 at the Heritage Hotel & Spa du Vin. Meanwhile the Hawke’s Bay DHB couldn’t help scoring a point, pointing out their retreat for managers cost only $180!
What is surprising is the Street ignored Clark’s advice not to defend it, but did anyway – and then got over-ruled. Street has impressed many for her abilities to date – it remains to be seen.
Then you have Clayton Cosgrove, as more and more questions are asked about what he did or did not know, and how he has claimed there has been no cases of corruption – directly contradicting answers from his predecessor, Again Cosgrove has generally been astute championing populist issues. Hell even I cheered him on as he deals to elements on the real estate industry. But he does appear to have shown a remarkable lack of curiousity when it comes to a less populist issue – the Immigration Service.
The Herald also looks at Parker dealing with both the power shortage issues and the Emissions Trading Scheme. I have to say Parker baffles me. He came in as a potential star and I was initially a fan as he actually had a sucessful business background and appeared to be quite snesible and moderate on economic issues.
I’m not sure what has happened, but he really is struggling for credibility. He is almost cut out of the decision making process on the ETS, and just does not inspire confidence at all. I’m not saying this because he is Labour. Many of their Ministers are quite competent – I just don’t like their policies. I thought Parker would be one of the better ones, but I remain unconvinced.
Related posts:
- ODT looks at new leadership for Labour
- Clayton Cosgrove
- A Labour-Green-NZF Cabinet
- The Leader in Waiting
May 29th, 2008 at 8:33 am
The article in Investigate about Parker a couple of years ago was revealing. Not just the allegation that he breached the Companies Act over improper filing of returns, but nature of his business acumen which, in the theatre renovation in Dunedin, left a lot to be desired. If a guy can’t project-manage a small commercial renovation where his OWN money is at stake, would we trust him with MAJOR portfolios, pivotal the the government’s overall strategy. Patently not.
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 8:47 am
When Contact Energy decides to “un-mothball” the asbestos riddled New Plymouth generation plant to take advantage of high spot prices we know we have some serious systemic issues with the development of new electricity generation sources.
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Going to pieces so fast people are getting hit by schrapnal
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Sorry pressed the wrong button last time. As I was saying, Parker is blinded by his religious belief, bordering on obsession, in dangerous, man-made carbon dioxide global warming. When Rodney Hide pointed out in the House that the average “global temperature” has declined over the past 10 years, Parker said that was not the case. Parker is wrong. As shown by the NASA satellite derived, University of Huntsville at Alabama’s data, the 12 month rolling average temperature of the lower troposphere has declined since the big El Nino of 1998. In the 30 years since satellite data became available, the rolling average temperature of the lower temperature on the entire “globe” has increased by about 0.3 deg C. In the tropics, where CO2 is supposed to have the biggest effect, the 12 month rolling average temperature has not increased at all over these same 30 years. The ongoing fluctuations in the 12 month rolling average temperatures are around a degree, so the 0.3 degree increase over 30 years is not statistically significant – it primarily depends on the starting and ending times. At present, the rolling average temperature is falling. Taken together, these facts indicate that increasing emissions of man-mader carbon dioxide do not have a significant effect on global warming. The general public has been duped – and so has Parker.
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 9:31 am
It was pleasing to watch the news last night with the pressure on Maryan Street in light of the difference between her sentiments and the PM’s statements. It certainly painted Labour in a very bad light at a time it would have hoped to make mileage of the National response to Employer contributions to Kiwisaver, and the rather botched policy announcement National was forced into.
Labour seems to be more focused on fanning the flames of opposition mistakes when they should have a fire prevention plan of it’s own.
I would also like to see how many questions Jerry Brownlee has aksed in Parliament regarding the security of power supplies over winter and how they have been answered.
Personal recollections have been that Jerry has asked numerous questions and these have in the main been derisively dismissed (the usual practice for this labour government) by Parker and Hodgson.
Here are some examples.
7. GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam) to the Minister of Energy: Does he stand by his statement made in the House on 15 April 2008 that there is a “less than 5 percent probability” we will have serious electricity shortages this winter; if not, what is the probability today?
Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister of Energy) : Yes, that statement was accurate. I went on to say that I was advised that for that low probability to become a reality the current severe drought would have to extend beyond autumn, or an unexpected major failure of large thermal plant would have to occur.
7. GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam) to the Minister of Energy: How much of the electricity generated in New Zealand in the week ending 18 May 2008 was generated from thermal sources?
Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister of Energy) : Three hundred and twenty-three gigawatt hours.
Gerry Brownlee: Does the Minister accept that lake levels are now at 61 percent of average, that thermal generation is running at full capacity, and that the system has little or no room for even minor malfunction; if so, when will he order the start of the public conservation programme planned by Dr Strange and the national winter power committee?
Hon DAVID PARKER: I certainly accept that hydro storage is less than the average for this time of the year because of drought, but we are not at the stage where we propose to call for public conservation campaigns.
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Whoah way to cool, a cat fight and they are both from the same litter. Dear Leader seems to be forgetting where she gets most of her support from, the rather naive public services. I would have thought that shitting on them at a great high is not good form.
As for David Parker, I think the man has been sniffing to many greenhouse gases. This prick tells us that we are all doomed and we are to fry as their models say the temperature will rise 2 to 3 degrees in 10 years. But what is so funny about the current power crisis is the government lapdog NIWA, told the minister that there was to be very little rain in the next few months. So what does the minister do, nothing. They want to fuck us over with their ETS bullshit but don’t take advice from their own departments because it does not suit them, screw the fucking lot of them.
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 10:26 am
DPF, if you bothered to actually read the “Investigate” Magazine instead of going along with the PC Clarkist brigades nullification of it as right wing christian fundi nut conspiracy theorist stuff, you would know that Parker, along with being Labour’s token caucus member with any business experience at all, is guilty of the very sort of “wide-boy-rips-off-honest- hardworking-investors” behaviour that is meant to be anathema to his side of the political fence.
And on climate change and Kyoto, some of his answers to recent questioning are straight out of George Orwell. Like telling us the earth HASN’T actually COOLED over the last few years, the medieval warm period NEVER HAPPENED, trees that are older than 30 years do not absorb carbon……….it is frightening to see this sort of stuff on the part of any responsible government member in our day and age.
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Which of the following would be your preference to be the next Labour Party Leader?
* Phil Goff (44%, 75 Votes)
* Andrew Little (13%, 23 Votes)
* Shane Jones (11%, 18 Votes)
* Trevor Mallard (8%, 13 Votes)
* David Cunliffe (8%, 13 Votes)
* Louisa Wall (7%, 12 Votes)
* Maryan Street (5%, 9 Votes)
* Annette King (5%, 8 Votes)
Well, I did a strategic vote for Maryan Street as I thought she would make it even less likely for Labour to be re-elected. It was a toss-up between her and that awful smirking Cunliffe.
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Feet of Clay
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Parker did not have a successful business career how could he have with all the murk surrounding his business dealings. This reveals that the new blood are not very astute. Street is a surprise I though she was clever but she is not.
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Labour and its shills try to portray Nick Smith as ‘vulnerable’. We will see who is ‘vulnerable’ in Nelson in the election run-up. This is especially as Nick has been well educated in “Knocks College” whereas Maryan probably has had it fairly easy by comparison. Last election Nick trounced the Labour candidate 2:1, even the party vote majority went to Labout.
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
DPF: “does the man not know anything about employment law and undue pressure?”
Umm, are you referring to the sort of behaviour that gives rise to constructive dismissal here? But David Parker isn’t the employer is he? And it’s the behaviour of the employer that gives rise to constructive dismissal, isn’t it? Or perhaps you are referring to yourself?
[DPF: Parker is meant to be the Minister of State Services, and lead by example about employment relationships. Having a Minister in response to a question on whether the CEO should have their pay docked saying "I would if it was up to me" or similiar interferes with the employment relationship of the CEO. It is almost an instruction to the Board Chair to dock the pay or be sacked. And it means the CEO can credibly argue in an employment authority hearing that any decision on docking pay was not taken in good faith on the facts but as a result of political pressure from the Minister]
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
HELL we are DOOMED DOOMED, liarbours in charge??? WE ARE DOOMED,
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
DPF: “Parker is meant to be the Minister of State Services, and lead by example about employment relationships.”
Ah, so you’re talking about undue pressure by a Minister of the Crown on the Board of a crown agency under the Crown Entities Act 2004.
Of course, the responsible Ministers on behalf of the Crown who interact with the Board of HNZC to convey the Government’s expectations and monitor its performance are the Ministers of Housing and Finance, not the Minister of State Services. (The Minister of Housing has the primary relationship with the Board, while the Minister of Finance is responsible for approving borrowing.)
So I couldn’t see that argument going very far in the Employment Relations Authority without a “smoking gun”. All the Board has to do is say that they acted in good faith.
Vote:May 29th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Phil Goff won’t exactly be sweating over the leadership challenge for the Labour leadership this November. With clowns like Maryan Street, Clayton Cosgrove, and David Parker as his competition it’s in the bag for Phil Goff.
Would Labour really cripple itself by making Maryan Street deputy leader for Labour? That would just turn Nationals guaranteed six years in government into a nine year lock.
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