NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Barry Soper: Shane Jones' funding cut threat a step too far

Barry Soper
By Barry Soper
Newstalk ZB's senior political correspondent·NZ Herald·
30 Sep, 2019 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Shane Jones has been asked to study the Cabinet Manual, the rule book that's meant to apply to ministers' behaviour, while on holiday.
Barry Soper
Opinion by Barry Soper
Barry Soper is Newstalk ZB's senior political correspondent
Learn more

COMMENT:

The Prince of the Provinces Shane Jones is taking a few days off to study the Cabinet Manual, the rule book that's meant to apply to ministers' behaviour.

Well that's what hopeful Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's telling us. It's presumably her way of delivering a rebuke to him for his outburst at a forestry conference last week where his message was: vote for him or run the risk of missing out on the billions he's handing out from the Provincial Growth Fund.

But reading the manual is hardly likely to tame this self-professed "retail politician, a son of the north" who reckons you're never going to take the politics out of the politician.

READ MORE:
• 'This utu [revenge] is best served cold' – Minister Shane Jones vows revenge on forestry rivals
• Premium - Editorial: Extraordinary words from Shane Jones overstep propriety
• Shane Jones causes fireworks over 60th birthday bash

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Over the weekend he doubled down on his message, hitting back at those who accused him of bribery, describing them as "lost and lonely, snake in the grass Kiwi executives, operating for foreign forestry companies". He won't tolerate it, he fumed, saying they've walked into a war zone and they'll find he's more than capable of responding with withering fire.

Indeed since the accusation was made he claims scores of people have read the news and know forestry "has a champion in Shane Jones" and they're pledging their support for him.

Certainly doesn't sound like a man who's going to follow Jacinda Ardern's direction and read the Cabinet rules and abide by them.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

When it comes to New Zealand First, the Labour leadership appears to be impotent, as it most certainly is, when it tries to pull them into line over what is becoming a repetitive problem.

In March last year, the party's newbie MP Jenny Marcroft told National MP Mark Mitchell to pull out of a group representing a river restoration project in his electorate and to stop questioning Jones over the $3 billion provincial fund or the project wouldn't get any money from it.

Winston Peters made her apologise to Mitchell for any misunderstanding she may have left him with.

Defence Minister Ron Mark. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Defence Minister Ron Mark. Photo / Mark Mitchell

But then a year later, Defence Minister Ron Mark was accused of using his ministerial clout, threatening to cut funding to a veterans' organisation if its members didn't support New Zealand First. He told them polling showed him the Defence base didn't support them at all. Mark calculated if the Defence Force threw their party vote his party's way they'd probably get up to 16 per cent support, before reminding them he personally got the vets the government funding.

Discover more

Opinion

Soper: Ardern and Trump - a tale of two very different UN speeches

25 Sep 05:00 PM
Kahu

Shane Jones: I got you cash, now show me the votes

27 Sep 05:30 AM
New Zealand|politics

Jones to swot up on Cabinet manual during holiday after controversial forestry speech

30 Sep 05:07 AM
New Zealand|politics

East Coast's biggest employer gets $15 million Government loan

02 Oct 12:30 AM

There's nothing new in politicians pointing out to the punter that their vote's needed if they want their policies to continue.

But this has taken it to a new level, threatening to cut funding unless a vote's put their way is a step too far - and does little to debunk the critics' view that the PGF is a political slush fund.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Parasite spread by cats may have cost 10,000 New Zealanders their sight

17 May 04:08 AM
New Zealand

'Top dollar for no services': Residents decry council neglect

17 May 04:00 AM
New Zealand

Afternoon quiz: In August 2022, what happened to author Salman Rushdie?

17 May 03:00 AM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Parasite spread by cats may have cost 10,000 New Zealanders their sight

Parasite spread by cats may have cost 10,000 New Zealanders their sight

17 May 04:08 AM

University of Otago says 40,000 people have ocular toxoplasmosis, one in four seriously.

'Top dollar for no services': Residents decry council neglect

'Top dollar for no services': Residents decry council neglect

17 May 04:00 AM
Afternoon quiz: In August 2022, what happened to author Salman Rushdie?

Afternoon quiz: In August 2022, what happened to author Salman Rushdie?

17 May 03:00 AM
‘Bittersweet’: Why family left mouldy property where their baby died

‘Bittersweet’: Why family left mouldy property where their baby died

17 May 03:00 AM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP