Political diary: The political week that was

Monday

A repair job of sorts by the Prime Minister after she told the Listener she was not sure if Michael Cullen would end up delivering all three Budgets in the run-up to the next election. She plays down the story during her weekly session with Paul Holmes on NewstalkZB. But as Holmes observes, Clark is not someone who leaves things hanging in the air unless she means to do so. Was she trying to prod Cullen into stating his intentions? Was she - as National claims - softening up the public in advance of Trevor Mallard stepping into the finance portfolio? The uncertainty about how long Cullen will stick around is contributing to the sense of drift afflicting the Government. As for clearing the air, Cullen is not talking - at least, not today.

Tuesday

Wearing one of his other hats - that of tertiary education minister - Michael Cullen is in jovial mood as he briefs journalists in his Beehive office on his plans to clear up the mess over the funding of universities and polytechnics. He agrees the replacement model is a "bit woolly at the moment". But that is because he is only announcing the broad outline of the new funding model before consulting with the sector. Soon enough, Cullen's sense of mischief is getting the better of him. When someone suggests the tertiary education minister could end up cutting the number of journalists' training courses with the stroke of a pen, he replies: "It is worth staying on for a number of more years yet, isn't it?" When the questions turn to his future, Cullen says he has no plans to give up his day job - the finance portfolio. Asked why he had stayed mum on Monday, he mutters that he had been waiting "for certain matters to be clarified" - a dig at Clark for her remarks to the Listener. His answers to further questions contain the politician's standard out-clauses of "at this stage" and "at the present time". We're really none the wiser.

Wednesday

The last time Parliament's privileges committee imposed a fine on anyone, Queen Victoria was still warm in her grave. So the news that Television New Zealand will have to cough up $1000 for contempt begs a couple of questions. Who got pinged last time and who gets the money? The last time the committee imposed a fine was in 1903 when a newspaper committed the common sin of publishing select committee material before it had been reported back to Parliament. As for the money, no, it does not go on the bar at Bellamy's. It heads over the road to the Treasury and into the Consolidated Fund.

Thursday

Maybe it was not so clever of Labour to have quietly sat on the embarrassing report by the United Nations special rapporteur. Professor Rodolfo Stavenhagen's strident criticism of the treatment of Maori had been on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights website for the past two weeks. The Government knew. It said nothing. Then someone tips off the media just as China's Premier Wen Jiabao is about to arrive in town. When Helen Clark raises China's human rights record during talks with the premier, he should have the perfect rejoinder: New Zealand's record isn't that hot either, is it Prime Minister? Labour ministers have slammed the UN report as unbalanced and effectively accused the special rapporteur of interfering in New Zealand's domestic politics. Just the sort of language you might hear coming out of Beijing.

Friday

Off to the Australian Health Ministers (including New Zealand's) Conference in Wellington. The conference focus is on obesity. Some raised eyebrows therefore when morning tea turns out to be scones covered with a thick wad of butter and cream, with an optional extra topping of jam.