What is with David Seymour and his apparent belief that everyone is getting stoned?
On Tuesday, as part of an attempt to brag that he’d won in an interview with The Nation’s Simon Shepherd, he joked he suspected poor Shepherd “got blazed” thenight before it: “My suspicion is Simon misread the results of the cannabis referendum, he thought it was legal, blazed away the night before and then tried to interview me. It didn’t go well for him.”
Then came a social media clip which raised similar suspicions about the judiciary. Seymour was railing about apparently soft sentences from judges: “you’re wondering, what are these judges on?”
Act's psychedelic party colours appear to be having an impact on leader David Seymour.
It coincided with an admission of Seymour’s own past use: Newstalk ZB revealed Act MP Simon Court got shot in the foot as a 17-year-old after a friend’s weed deal went awry. Seymour brushed it off as a folly of youth, and shared that he too once got stoned and it had made him hungry.
Chris of the Week:
A bruising poll was the blight on an otherwise good week for Chris Hipkins as he embarked on his bid to haul back some of Labour’s lost support.
Some of that was due to problems being taken off the table for him: the nurses and secondary teachers agreeing on pay settlements, ending the risks of further strikes running into an election campaign.
There was his first big Labour Party announcement today: the tax policy, including a people-pleaser of taking GST off fresh and frozen fruit and veg.
There were the Government announcements: the tunnels for the Waitemata Harbour, tripling the protected areas in the Hauraki Gulf, and renewable energy moves.
The Taxpayers’ Union Curia poll putting Labour in the 20s was damaging – but a Talbot Mills poll coming next week is said to have better news so has partially softened the poll’s impact in the judging.
Luxon also had a good week, both on the ground and in the polls. He’s proven a dab hand at coming up with pick-and-mix policies that are good talking points: this week’s was the move to ban cell phones in schools. We’re told it was an idea that came up after those at his public meetings raised it and he spoke to principals about it.
However, Chris Hipkins gets Chris of the Week for ending it having finally fired a campaign policy shot and taking steps to placate his support base after taking a wealth tax off the table.
The love notes of Act and NZ First
NZ First’s rise in that poll has clearly made Act quite squeamish. The party took out a billboard featuring a grinning Peters with his tongue poking out and the words “Don’t Get Fooled Again” - an attempt to persuade voters not to believe Peters’ assurance that he won’t prop up a Labour Government after the election.
An attack ad on NZ First leader Winston Peters, paid for by the Act Party, as seen in Wellington on Tuesday.
NZ First’s Shane Jones returned fire when he was on The Country, saying he liked to call Seymour “that demonic doll, Chucky”.
Luxon gets Back to Basiks
Chris Luxon is still learning the risks of having media follow his every move on the campaign trail. At a visit to a school recently, the cameras caught him talking about spelling with a student – including spelling back “kat” and “kan” with a K instead of a C.
His visit was primarily to primp his Teaching the Basics Brilliantly school policy – a policy that requires kids to have an hour each of maths, reading and writing a day. Sounds like Kristopher could do with an hour or two himself.
National’s campaign manager Chris Bishop arrived at New Plymouth airport this week to discover a taxi driver waiting with a sign saying “Chrissie Bishop”.
Thinking it was his secretary playing a prank, he told the driver he was Chrissie Bishop. As they wandered off, a woman arrived and stopped them, revealing she was the real Chrissie Bishop.
Absolutely hilarious this am. Got off plane in New Plymouth and found taxi driver and sign waiting for me. Bit surprised, thought my office team were playing a prank. Started walking to the taxi when the REAL Chrissie Bishop turned up and wondered why I had stolen her taxi! pic.twitter.com/qVLo5FkQ3w
