Well, it was a rather chaotic, eventful week in politics wasn’t it?

Some actual business took place - the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement was confirmed by Labour agreeing to support it, the Finance Minister acknowledged the economy had been disrupted by the volatility of oil prices since the Iran conflict began, and the Prime Minister took it upon himself to call for a caucus confidence vote after weeks of speculation about his leadership - securing his position now and most likely until the election.  

But it was also a week of nonsense. Aside from this rare slip of dissent within the National Party, it was also a week of coalition friction, unnecessary comments about Willis' weight and migrants, and apologies or refusals to apologise. It was a week of whining about the media, bizarre late night door knocking, and a complaint laid by the National Party about those persistent door knockers from TVNZ’s political team.

And then the Prime Minister put his foot down and decided to cancel his regular Monday morning TV slot on TVNZ’s Breakfast show. The door-knockers had given the Prime Minister a passable excuse to step away from Breakfast, where he has been struggling with interviews, and he took it. He’s entitled to. As Heather du Plessis-Allan noted on Friday afternoon, we have very good access to politicians here in New Zealand. And yet, it’s a mistake. It looks weak in a week when the PM was trying to look like he was in command.  

The relationship between politicians and the media is a co-dependent one, but the balance shifts in an election year when politicians need the media a little more to give them visibility to sell policy, and project leadership, credibility and authority; quite simply - they need to be heard.  

Of course, the media needs politicians too. Just look at the headlines and attention Tova O’Brien’s interactions with the Prime Minister have given Breakfast. Beyond creating content and audience engagement, there is the more substantial reason the media need politicians, and that is of course to hold them to account. And for that you need access.  

I don’t mind Christopher Luxon’s faffs - his missteps in interviews. There’s something refreshing about his lack of political intuition, his inability at times to swat a question away without answering it. He appears human. He should be more relaxed about the gotcha-moments and not get flustered trying to get out of them.  I know - it’s easier said than done when you are in the national spotlight.

But with his leadership confirmed, National needs to do something to improve its polling and solidify their position leading the coalition come election day. TV appearances are a long-standing and recurring weakness - the Prime Minister hasn’t appeared in TVNZ’s Q & A with Jack Tame since December 2024 - so it’s understandable this is a step they’ve taken.  

But Judith Collins’ words about Jacinda Ardern cancelling her weekly interview slot with Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking in 2021 keep ringing in my head. As the National leader at the time she told a radio station, "I think what you're seeing is the absolute arrogance of this Government." She went on to question whether Ardern didn’t like hard questions. "The point is those hard questions are actually what you get paid for” she said.  

You might be able to pick and choose whose hard questions you answer, but be careful it doesn’t look too much like you just can’t handle the pressure.  

Anyway, only 28 more weeks until the election. There’s little chance it will be boring. 

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