This may be my favourite photo of the year. It is the English family with the Governor-General (and husband) at Bill English’s swearing in as Prime Minister.

Photo by Simon Woolf.

Feel free to enter your favourvite captions below.

Stuff reports:

Less than three months after becoming Wellington’s deputy mayor, Paul Eagle is eyeing up a seat in Parliament.

Eagle said he was considering calls from Labour Party members to contest Rongotai, the Wellington electorate seat long held by the party’s deputy leader, Annette King. …

Eagle lives in Island Bay and was raised in Wellington’s eastern and southern  suburbs.

Labour leader Andrew Little, who lives near Eagle in Island Bay, previously said he was considering running in Rongotai but had not made a final decision.

A source within Labour  said that the replacement of John Key, the MP for Helensville, with list MP Bill English as prime minister was a game-changer for Labour.

There was now less pressure on Little to contest an electorate as National’s leader was also without one, the source said.

I’m told it is not at all clear that Little could beat Eagle for the nomination. Eagle is very popular locally. It would be fatal to Little to seek an electorate nomination as leader and fail, so I suspect he will not stand now.

The excuse will be that English is list only but English of course has shown he can win an electorate. Little has failed twice in New Plymouth.

Also if Little is list only, there is a non-trivial chance he won’t get back to Parliament as on the Roy Morgan poll Labour would get only 28 MPs and they hold 27 electorates. If they picked one one more electorate Little would be out on that poll.

Reflecting on the reshuffle, some things are becoming clearer:

• The increase in Cabinet to 21 is temporary. It will revert to 20 when McCully and Parata leave
• Two new Ministers may get appointed in May
• It seems Coleman will not get Foreign Affairs, but probably Mark Mitchell. So in May Kaye and Mitchell take over from Parata and McCully, and Mitchell moves into Cabinet.
• Bennett becoming Minister for Women suggests she will be used to target the female vote.
• Bridges picking up Communications as well as Economic Development was unexpected but suggests it is seen as a core economic portfolio
• Amy Adams becoming Minister for Social Investment is a huge vote of confidence from English and suggests she is next in line to be Finance Minister. Also giving her Social Housing and HNZC is big.
• Smith’s remit is now on construction and building, rather than wider housing issues
• Collins picking up Revenue could be significant. She has a strong commercial background and could bring her formidable arsenal to bear on multinationals minimising their tax in New Zealand
• Dean and Bennett’s promotions means ever MP from the class of 2005 has now been made a Minister

News.com.au reports:

WHITE supremacist Dylann Roof has been found guilty on all charges in the racially motivated killing of nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina. …

The 12 jurors deliberated for just under two hours before finding Roof guilty on all 33 charges. He showed no emotion as the verdicts were read.

The sentencing phase of the mass shooter’s trial is set to begin on January 3.

Roof has indicated he will serve as his own lawyer as prosecutors pursue a death sentence. …

A self-confessed nationalist, Roof has admitted he hates black people and wanted to start a race war. He told police he wanted to kill African-Americans because he believed they raped white women on a daily basis.

In a videotaped two-hour confession shown in Roof’s trial last Friday, he laughed several times and made exaggerated gun motions as he recounted the massacre. He explained that he wanted to leave at least one person alive to tell what happened and complained that his victims “complicated things” when they hid under tables.

The killer told the FBI he chose the church after discovering online that it was the oldest black church in the South, and there probably would not be any white people there. He had thought about attacking drug dealers, but was worried they might fight back.

“I killed them,” Roof told agents after they arrested him in Shelby, North Carolina, with the gun used in the shooting in the back seat of his car. As he talked more, he chuckled and said, “Well, I killed them, I guess.”

Hard to think of a better candidate for the death penalty than someone who guns down people in a church.

The full announcement and list are here.

Key details are:

Promoted to Ministry

• Alfred Ngaro, List MP
• Mark Mitchell, MP for Rodney
• David Bennett, MP for Hamilton Easy
• Jacqui Dean, MP for Waitaki

Out of the Ministry

• John Key
• Hekia Parata (on 1 May)
• Murray McCully (on 1 May)
• Sam Lotu-Iiga
• Craig Foss
• Jo Goodhew

Promoted from outside to inside Cabinet

• Paul Goldsmith
• Louise Upston

Promoted up the rankings significantly

• Paula Bennett up 3 from 5 to 2
• Simon Bridges up 4 from 9 to 5
• Michael Woodhouse up 8 from 17 to 9
• Nathan Guy up 3 from 15 to 12
• Paul Goldsmith up 6 from 25 to 19
• Louise Upston up 4 from 24 to 20

Gone down the rankings significantly

• Nick Smith down 3 from 12 to 15

Portfolio changes

• Prime Minister from John Key to Bill English
• Deputy PM from Bill English to Paula Bennett
• ACC from Nikki Kaye to Michael Woodhouse
• Associate ACC from Paul Goldsmith to Jacqui Dean
• Building and Housing becomes Building and Construction for Nick Smith
• Children to Anne Tolley
• Associate Children to Alfred Ngaro
• Civil Defence from Nikki Kaye to Gerry Brownlee
• Commerce and Consumer Affairs from Paul Goldsmith to Jacqui Dean
• Communications from Amy Adams to Simon Bridges
• Community and Voluntary Sector from Jo Goodhew to Alfred Ngaro
• Corrections from Judith Collins to Louise Upston
• Economic Development from Steven Joyce to Simon Bridges
• Associate Economic Development to Nathan Guy
• Education (likely) from Hekia Parata to Nikki Kaye on 1 May
• Associate Education to Louise Upston
• Energy and Resources from Simon Bridges to Judith Collins
• Ethnic Communities Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga to Judith Collins
• Food Safety from Jo Goodhew to David Bennett
• Finance from Bill English to Steven Joyce
• Associate Finance from Paula Bennett and Steven Joyce to Simon Bridges and Amy Adams
• Associate Foreign from Todd McClay
• Associate Health from Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga and Jo Goodhew to Nicky Wagner
• HNZC from Bill English to Amy Adams
• Associate Immigration from Craig Foss to David Bennett
• Infrastructure to Steven Joyce
• Associate Justice from Simon Bridges to Mark Mitchell
• Land Information from Louise Upston to Mark Mitchell
• Local Government from Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga to Anne Tolley
• Associate Local Government from Louise Upston to Jacqui Dean
• Ministerial Services from John Key to Bill English
• National Security and Intelligence from John Key to Bill English
• Novopay from Steven Joyce to Hekia Parata (and made part of Education)
• Pacific Peoples from Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga to Alfred Ngaro
• Associate Primary Industries from Jo Goodhew to Louise Upston
• Regulatory Reform from Steven Joyce to Paul Goldsmith
• Revenue from Michael Woodhouse to Judith Collins
• Science and Innovation from Steven Joyce to Paul Goldsmith
• Associate Sport from Murray McCully
• Associate Social Development from Jo Goodhew
• Social Housing from Paula Bennett to Amy Adams
• Associate Social Housing to Alfred Ngaro
• Social Investment to Amy Adams
• Tertiary Education from Steven Joyce to Paul Goldsmith
• Tourism from John Key to Paula Bennett
• Associate Tourism from Paula Bennett to Nicky Wagner
• Associate Transport from Craig Foss to David Bennett
• Women from Louise Upston to Paula Bennett
• Small Business from Craig Foss to Jacqui Dean
• Statistics from Craig Foss to Mark Mitchell
• Veterans’ Affairs from Craig Foss to David Bennett

In one sense a reasonably significant reshuffle, even though it could have been bolder. When the second tranche takes effect in May 2017, then it will be quite a different look to the past.

English flagged that it is likely Nikki Kaye will take over Education from Hekia Parata in May, and I presume take her front bench No 11 spot.  Who will take over McCully is less obvious as there is no Associate Foreign Affairs but my guess would be Coleman gets it and Woodhouse in turn gets Health. Time will tell.

After 1 May, there will only be nine out of the original 27 Ministers remaining from the 2008 Key Ministry. That is significant renewal – two thirds new by the end of the third term.

An interesting read at The Spin Off by Danyl Mclauchlan on John Key. I don’t agree with everything thing he says, bit it is one of the better pieces of analysis out there.

The Herald reports:

Four major real estate agencies have been ordered to pay close to $10 million combined for price fixing.

Barfoot & Thompson, Harcourts, LJ Hooker and Ray White appeared in the Auckland High Court this morning over their conduct in response to Trade Me’s change from a monthly subscription fee to a per-listing fee for properties advertised for sale on its website.

The Commerce Commission alleged that the agencies breached the Commerce Act by agreeing a planned industry response to the changed pricing model.

The commission said parties agreed that vendors would have to pay the listing fee to have their property advertised on Trade Me, and that the agencies would not commit to any preferential or discounted listing fees with Trade Me.

Justice Paul Heath today ordered Barfoot & Thompson to pay $2.575 million, Harcourts $2.575m, LJ Hooker $2.475m and Ray White $2.2m.

Bayleys was also subject to the agreement but that case was settled earlier this year after the firm agreed to pay a $2.2m penalty.

That’s a pretty large fine. Big enough for sure to discourage such behaviour in future.

Trump’s Cabinet is almost all done now. The appointments to date are:

1. President – Donald Trump
2. Vice-President – Mike Pence, Governor of Indiana
3. Secretary of State – Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon Mobil
4. Secretary of the Treasury – Steven Mnuchin, former investment banker
5. Secretary of Defense – James Mattis, retired four star general
6. Attorney General – Jeff Sessions, Senator from Alabama
7. Secretary of the Interior – Ryan Zinke, Representative from Montana
8. Secretary of Agriculture
9. Secretary of Commerce – Wilbur Ross, investor and billionaire
10. Secretary of Labor – Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants (Carl’s Jr)
11. Secretary of Health and Human Services – Tom Price, physician, Rep for Georgia’s 6th, Chair of House Budget Committee
12. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development – Ben Carson, retired neurosurgeon
13. Secretary of Transportation – Elaine Chao, former Secretary of Labor
14. Secretary of Energy – Rick Perry, former Governor of Texas
15. Secretary of Education – Betsy Devos, chair of alliance for School Choice, philanthropist
16. Secretary of Veterans Affairs
17. Secretary of Homeland Security – John Kelly, retired four star general

And Cabinet level officials are:

• White House Chief of Staff – Reince Priebus, Chair of the RNC
• Ambassador to the UN – Nikki Haley, Governor of South Carolina
• Administrator of the EPA – Scott Pruitt, Attorney General of Oklahoma
• US Trade Representative –
• Director of Office of Management and Budget –
• Chairman of Council of Economic Advisers –
• Administrator of the Small Business Administration – Linda McMahon, former CEO of WWE
• National Security Adviser – Michael Flynn, retired three star general

It is usual to have one or two people from the other party in an administration. It will be interesting to see which Democrats, if any, accept an appointment to a Trump Cabinet.

Stuff reports:

Former Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae has been appointed the next High Commissioner to the UK.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced the appointment of the lieutenant on Friday. 

Mateparae will replace former cabinet minister Sir Lockwood Smith, who has been in the role since 2013.

McCully said the appointment “underlines” the significance of New Zealand’s relationship with the UK. 

The worst kept secret in Wellington.

It is a sort of role reversal. Sir Jerry goes from representing the Queen in NZ, to representing NZ to the Queen!

The Herald reports:

The Maori Party has opposed the latest legislation to overhaul Child Youth and Family as risking creating a “stolen generation” of Maori children.

Legislation that last night passed its first reading will clear the way for the second stage of major state care reforms that will replace CYF with a new Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki.

The law now prioritises placing a child with a member of their family or wider hapu. If that’s not possible, officials must try to place the child with someone of the same tribal, racial or cultural background.

The overhaul says that should happen where practicable and reasonable, but removes the priority and puts emphasis on placing the child in a safe, loving home.

There is empirical evidence the current law is not working. The reason is simple. If a child’s immediate family are so dysfunctional that the child needs to be removed from their care, well it is often the case that the wider extended family also has significant levels of dysfunction.

The current law forces CYF to effectively place within the extended family.

The proposed change does not remove the desire to have a child stay within the extended family. It just makes it a secondary consideration to the overall safety of the child.

Make no mistake the current law has failed miserably. We have the highest levels of child abuse in the world almost and without this change, there will be little improvement.

But look at the hysteria from some MPs:

Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox hit out at that change in her speech in Parliament, saying it undermined the Government’s claims of a “child-centred” approach.

With respect the proposed law change is to make the welfare of the child the first priority.

Green Party MP Marama Davidson labelled the legislation racist.

Wanting children in the safest possible home is racist.

Labour’s spokeswoman for children Jacinda Ardern said removing the priority to place children with whanau or wider hapu was a “massive step backwards”.

Again if the immediate family is dysfunctional the wider family is often dysfunctional also. If they are not dysfunctional then of course the child will go to them, but there have been numerous cases where the neglect has continued.

The current law says that staying within your family and hapu and even race is the most important thing above all others. This is a one size fits all approach. The proposed law says that having the child safe and loved for is the most important thing above all others. Often there will not be a conflict between the two, but sometimes there is, and when there is you should do what is best for the child.

The Herald reports:

Longstanding Labour MP Annette King will stand as a list-only candidate in 2017 – a step that opens up her Rongotai seat for Labour leader Andrew Little should he decide to stand there.

King told the Herald that after 24 years she had decided “with some sadness” not to stand in the electorate again in 2017.

Regardless of party politics, Annette has been a very effective and dedicated MP for the Rongotai electorate and will be missed as their local MP.

She hoped to be health minister in the next Labour government and would stand on the list, but it was possible she would leave if Labour was still in Opposition.

Little, a list MP, has lived in the Rongotai electorate for years and said he would consider standing in the seat.

“Up until now it was an attractive option as leader of the party to remain list because you get drawn all over the country. Being tied to an electorate, particularly if I’m campaigning to win it for the first time, creates an extra workload.

“But given I live in the electorate, I know many of the people, it is at least something I should give consideration to.”

I think the major consideration is that on some polls (such as last Roy Morgan) Labour was on the verge of getting no List MPs, which would mean Little would not get back to Parliament unless he wins an electorate seat.

So I think it is highly highly likely he will seek the Rongotai nomination.

Stuff reports:

The Problem Gambling Foundation will likely lose major government contracts again after the Court of Appeal ruled in the Ministry of Health’s favour.

The foundation was snubbed for several major government contracts for provision of problem gambling services in 2014.

It was awarded just two minor contracts for specialised services.

The foundation challenged the decision in the High Court and won judicial review in 2015. In the months since it has remained the primary provider of problem gambling services.

The Ministry of Health took that decision to the Court of Appeal, who on Friday ruled in their favour.

Associate Health Minster Peter Dunne welcomed the decision as a vindication of the government’s tender process.

“Frankly, a lot of time and resources have been wasted through the judicial review process initiated by the Problem Gambling Foundation, which could have otherwise been far more effectively utilised,” Dunne said in a statement.

“I said at the time that I thought that the Ministry had undertaken a robust, independent, peer reviewed process and the Court of Appeal’s decision affirms this”, says Mr Dunne.

The Court of Appeal decision is here and if you read it you will see how comprehensive the victory is. The High Court decision was found to be seriously wrong on pretty much every aspect.

I’m pleased with this decision because it means taxpayer money will now go to groups whose primary purpose is to help people with gambling addictions such as The Salvation Army. The Problem Gambling Foundation was or is a leftwing lobby group that devoted much of its energy to political campaigns. Now they have every right to do that – but not with taxpayer funding.

The Herald reports:

Historic convictions for sex between men could soon be quashed by the Government.

Justice Minister Amy Adams has asked her officials to find a solution for those who were convicted of now-abolished homosexuality offences, TVNZ reported.

Rather than an automatic pardon, individuals or their families would have to apply to have their convictions erased. Before homosexual law reform in 1986, sex between men was illegal even if it was consensual.

The Government’s consideration of the issue comes after Britain agreed in October to pardon thousands of gay and bisexual men convicted under obsolete legislation. It is known as the “Alan Turing law” after the World War 2 code-breaker who was posthumously pardoned for his gross indecency conviction in 2013.

Consensual sex between adults should never have been a crime.

The Herald reports:

The Labour Party has announced a reshuffle of its caucus this morning following the departure of MPs David Shearer and Phil Goff.

The party has also created a new portfolio, called New Economy, which will be held by leader Andrew Little.

What does that mean? Normally when you have to call something explicitly it means the opposite – as in any country that calls itself a democratic republic is invariably a dictatorship.  So I presume a portfolio of new economy means “1970s economy”.

David Parker has taken Shearer’s foreign affairs portfolio and Michael Wood, who won Goff’s Mt Roskill seat, will be Labour’s spokesman for consumer affairs, ethnic communities and revenue.

Imagine the outcry if National announce a European MP as the ethnic communities spokesperson or a man as the spokesperson for women!

Chris Hipkins will relinquish the senior whip position to focus his energy on the education portfolio. He will take over the tertiary education role, which was held by departing New Lynn MP David Cunliffe, who is leaving Parliament to do consultancy work next year.

This is a very sensible move. Having the one MP do education and tertiary education makes sense. Bill English should do the same with his reshuffle and give Tertiary Education and Education to the same Minister.

He said Parker was Shearer’s pick to replace him as Foreign Affairs spokesman, and as a senior MP was widely respected and brought “intellectual grunt” to a portfolio that needed it.

Parker is a fine choice there.

Kris Faafoi would pick up the whip’s job and would also be whip if Labour went into Government after 2017, a role Little said was a pathway into Cabinet.

A pathway into Cabinet means he won’t be there at first, if at all.

In other changes, Clare Curran will take on the ICT role and move into Labour’s shadow Cabinet.

Also sensible as Curran knows the area well.

Nash will also take the state-owned enterprises portfolio previously held by Clayton Cosgrove. Nash will also be the new spokesman for Innovation and science and for research and development.

Iain Lees-Galloway is Labour’s new defence spokesman, a role previously held by Goff. Megan Woods will become state services spokeswoman.

Good portfolios for Nash and defence works well for ILG as he has lots of NZDF interests in his electorate.

Michael Wood will take on consumer affairs, revenue and ethnic communities, which Little said reflected the diverse population in the Mt Roskill electorate.

So would you make a man the spokesperson for women because he has a lot of women in his electorate?

The Herald reports:

New Prime Minister Bill English has signalled his Government will have a stronger emphasis on addressing social issues but says he should not be confused as “Labour light.”

“I’m a strong believer that markets work, because people face consequences of their decisions and it’s a powerful positive force,” he told the Herald.

“At the same time you can still be concerned about what Government does for people. These things aren’t mutually exclusive.”

That is not something you hear from the left – that markets are a powerful positive force. But they are. Of course you need some interventions on top of market forces, but too many on the left just see any market as bad.

In an earlier press conference he said the Government was not the answer to everything.
Most answers could be found in families and communities and sometimes Government got in the way of that.

“It is a political difference between us and the current Labour-Greens coalition who believe the Government is the answer to everything.

Their solution to (relatively modest) power price increases was to effectively nationalise the entire generation market in NZ and have the Government set the price.

Asked if he was committed to reducing inequality, English said that was not how he would put it.

“I think lifting incomes is just more aspirational,” he said in an interview.

Ask a poor family what scenario they would rather have:

1. They get a 10% increase in income and wealthy families get a 15% increase
2. They get a 5% increase in income and wealthy families get a 5% increase

I bet you 95% would say (1) but all the poverty misery lobby groups out there would condemn (1) as increasing inequality.

“We are not as focused at the Opposition on everyone getting exactly the same result. We are happy to see people get reward for success.”

Again a nice distinction.

The Herald reports:

Scott Watson has been denied parole.

A report released by the New Zealand Parole Board revealed the decision today.

The report stated that Watson’s risk of violent recidivism was very high.

This is the top category. The four categories are:

• Low – below 50% chance of reoffending
• Medium – 50 to 65% chance
• High – 65% to 90% chance
• Very high – over 90% chance

So he is judged almost certain to reoffend violently.

On a psychopathy checklist he fell within a group of offenders “who show an elevated rate and speed of recidivism, particularly relative to violence”.

The report acknowledged that limited information is known about his index offending but identified “perceived sexual rejection, ruminations upon revenge, positive affect associated with inflicting pain and distress and a disinhibition through alcohol intoxication”.​

Sounds lovely doesn’t he.

Watson’s next parole hearing has been postponed for four years until December 6, 2020 due to the estimated time it will take Watson to be rehabilitated.

That is very significant. Basically they are saying he has no chance of parole in the near future as he has refused to go on any courses to reduce his chances of reoffending.

Some people assert he can’t be released on parole unless he admits he was guilty. This is not true. The Parole Board has often released people who have never admitted guilt. The criteria is whether or not they are likely to reoffend.

The Herald reports:

Two Green Party MPs have announced they will retire from politics after next year’s election.

Catherine Delahunty and Steffan Browning said they would not seek reelection in 2017.

Delahunty, who is the Green Party’s education spokeswoman, said she was proud of her eight years in Parliament.

“I feel particularly proud of the work I’ve done around building a quality, more inclusive public education system, leading our party’s nationwide campaign for swimmable rivers, speaking up for the people of West Papua, and working for a national register of contaminated toxic sites.

“I intend on spending the coming months campaigning hard on these issues, which I know many thousands of New Zealanders care deeply about. After that, I am looking forward to continuing my lifelong commitment to activism and community building, as well as spending more time writing and being with my family.”

There’s not much I agree with Catherine Delahunty on but she has been a tireless advocate within education and has always been a very pleasant person to engage with.

Steffan Browning is most famous for proposing homeopathy be used to treat Ebola and more recently decrying Cuban exiles for not liking Fidel Castro as much as he did.

The Herald reports:

Children’s commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft says he was “shaken” by the 2016 child poverty monitor, the first to be issued since he took the advocacy role.

What did it show? A huge increase?

Produced by the University of Otago, the annual monitor, released today, shows child poverty rates are stable, with a slight decrease.

Absolutely shocking.

The Herald reports:

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has announced he will not stand in the 2017 election.

In a statement, McCully said he would not put his name on the National Party list for 2017 and would bow out of politics at that point, but would stay on in Foreign Affairs until then if that was Prime Minister Bill English’s wish.

“In light of the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle, I want to be clear that I will not be a nominee for the National Party list. I have made the Prime Minister and other senior colleagues aware of this position,” McCully said.

This means four Ministers (and former PM John Key) are retiring in 2017 – McCully, Parata, Foss and Lotu-Iiga. Unless Bill English decides to keep them in their ministerial roles until the election, that means there may be five vacancies in the Ministry – which would be a very significant reshuffle and rejuvenation.

It is possible that a couple of them, might have replacements announces this week, but not have their successors take over until early in the New Year – McCully and Parata being the obvious ones.

“I want to ensure that New Zealand’s international relationships have a smooth transition from the Key Government to the English Government. How I might best contribute to that process is a matter for the Prime Minister.”

“We can look back on some significant foreign policy achievements, including New Zealand’s election to the United Nations Security Council, where I am currently attending my final meetings in New York prior to the conclusion of our term at the end of December.”

McCully has served eight years as Foreign Minister, making him one of the longest serving ones in the democratic world.

Much much better than the Rhys Darby one which was awful. Not one of their classic ones like Men in Black but still pretty good.