Thursday, 07 December 2023
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDRIVEN Car GuideThe CountryPhoto SalesiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub
Voyager 2023 media awards
Subscribe

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand / Politics

Claire Trevett: Labour conference tonic for Ardern, but Covid still gatecrashes the party

Claire Trevett
By
Claire Trevett
6 Nov, 2021 03:08 AM4 mins to read
Saveshare

Share this article

Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a boost in Working for Families payments for those on low incomes, and a top-up to the Best Start payment for parents of new babies.

OPINION:

After a torrid week being shouted down by anti-vax protesters, dealing with Covid-19 cases popping up in unexpected places and the strain of Auckland's lockdown, a bit of time in front of the Labour home fires was possibly the tonic Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern needed.

The annual conference was far from the usual party conference for her.

It was the first since she secured a historic win: a majority government.

But there was none of the dramatic staging, no walk-on music, no booming standing ovation or hoopla or gossiping over the savouries.

Instead, the party faithful were in their homes watching on computer screens as Ardern sat in her Allbirds slippers (she calls them shoes) in a small room in Labour's headquarters in Wellington.

The timing of her speech meant it was inevitable Covid-19 would gatecrash it.

Just before Ardern started talking, the daily update landed with news of a new record number of cases – topping the 200 mark for the first time.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern delivers her speech to the first all-Zoom Labour Party conference. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern delivers her speech to the first all-Zoom Labour Party conference. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Ardern was asked about that straight after her speech.

But it did at least give her a chance to talk about something other than Covid-19 - and having it all online meant there were no protesters to contend with.

Related articles

New Zealand|Politics

Claire Trevett: PM may have to break a promise - but which one?

05 Nov 04:00 PM
Business

Fran O'Sullivan: Beware the bird that delivers gloomy news

05 Nov 07:00 PM
New Zealand|Politics

Live: Record 206 new community cases; 73 Covid patients in hospital

06 Nov 12:53 AM
New Zealand|Politics

$272m boost to family payments over 4 years; PM vows to open Auckland for Xmas

06 Nov 01:33 AM

The policy announcement of the day was an underwhelming boost to Working for Families entitlements and the weekly Best Start payment for parents of newborn babies.

Most of that was simply inflation adjustment for the past four years – and it was quickly called out as such by poverty advocacy groups.

The Government is adding an extra $5 a week on top of that inflation adjustment – and that top-up will cost $272 million over four years.

That is small change compared to the $5.3 billion that has gone into business support and wage subsidies during the three months of the Delta outbreak.

It will not be a game changer for child poverty. But it was at least something – a nod toward recognising the impact the rising cost of living is having on those on lower incomes.

It was also something very Labour and a reminder of the policy issue central to Ardern's manifesto in the pre-Covid days: child poverty.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Ardern's speech did of course address Covid-19. She told party members that the response was also underpinned by Labour values.

"We will protect our health system. We will keep adapting and evolving but we will always first and foremost protect lives and livelihoods.

"That is the measure of good government. And it's a measure of a Labour Government."

She also delivered a checklist of progress against other policy areas – from home insulation to conservation and climate change.

The party also got on with its own business – voting on the means by which Ardern will one day be replaced.

The party members passed a new rule to allow the Labour Party caucus to elect a new leader if an MP had the support of more than two thirds of that caucus. That would mean the wider electoral college vote of party members and affiliated unions was not needed.

It is designed in case Ardern decides to leave while still Prime Minister: to allow a speedy handover to another leader (yes, Grant Robertson, although he was less than keen to talk about what the change in rules might mean).

Nor was there any indication the new rules would come into play anytime soon. Earlier in the day, Ardern had told Newshub Nation she still considered the job to be the greatest privilege of her life – no matter what it threw at her.

"I'm not stopping. I need to carry us through, it's my job."

It will be straight back to Covid-19 duties for the PM, who on Monday must decide whether to go ahead with the decision to let Auckland move to level 3 step 2 and open retail outlets. She also has to come up with a way to deliver on her now firm promise that Aucklanders will be allowed out of the city for summer - something she said was "a bottom line".,

For the foreseeable future, Covid-19 will remain by far the most prominent issue on the Prime Minister's books. But for an hour or two at least, she got to be just the Labour leader again.

Saveshare

Share this article

Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand|Crime

Greymouth man jailed for sexual offences on victims as young as 10

06 Dec 08:21 AM
Politics

Police Minister sets expectations for Commissioner in new letter

06 Dec 07:02 AM
Crime

Man who murdered his brother claims love triangle was not a motivator

06 Dec 07:00 AM
Premium
Politics

Claire Trevett: Friend or foe? Refreshed roll call of political enemies as new MP shines

06 Dec 06:05 AM

Toy trends for Christmas

sponsored

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Greymouth man jailed for sexual offences on victims as young as 10

Greymouth man jailed for sexual offences on victims as young as 10

06 Dec 08:21 AM

Police commend bravery of victims after sentencing of 27-year-old Liam Nixon.

Police Minister sets expectations for Commissioner in new letter

Police Minister sets expectations for Commissioner in new letter

06 Dec 07:02 AM
Man who murdered his brother claims love triangle was not a motivator

Man who murdered his brother claims love triangle was not a motivator

06 Dec 07:00 AM
Premium
Claire Trevett: Friend or foe? Refreshed roll call of political enemies as new MP shines

Claire Trevett: Friend or foe? Refreshed roll call of political enemies as new MP shines

06 Dec 06:05 AM
More houses coming
sponsored

More houses coming

About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2023 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP