Australia PM Scott Morrison and PM Jacinda Ardern hope to see each other again soon. Photo / Getty Images
Australia PM Scott Morrison and PM Jacinda Ardern hope to see each other again soon. Photo / Getty Images
Opinion
This week, Simon Bridges' smalls go awol, while PM Jacinda Ardern issues a personalised invitation to an Australian comedian.
Tuesday: The mystery of Simon Bridges' disappearing underwear.
National MP Simon Bridges found himself all suit but no undies, socks or shoes after a visit to Parliament's gym on Tuesday.
Bridgesreturned to the changing rooms after his workout to find his underwear, shoes and socks had disappeared from his locker. Another gym goer also found their shoes missing.
Bridges borrowed socks from his colleague Chris Penk, and claimed he had a spare pair of shoes and underwear.
National MP Simon Bridges ponders the mystery of his missing smalls. Photo / George Novak
He reported it to security, who searched the lockers twice and found the missing items the next day in a different locker to the one Bridges said he put them in.
It remains unclear where they were in the intervening period, but Bridges remains adamant he had not simply confused his lockers.
He threw away the undies and socks just in case somebody had borrowed them for a day. Penk declined his offer to return the loaned socks.
After announcing the transtasman bubble would start on April 19, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave herself another job: Tourism Promotion Agent Number One.
The TPANO started work on Wednesday morning, going on a raft of Australian media to encourage people to come over. Her flattery knew no bounds.
Only a few months ago, Ardern was happily raising the Underarm Incident anniversary.
On Nine's Today show, she stood with a Tourism NZ banner of a ski slope behind her (or, as Ardern referred to it on Instagram "shameless propaganda".)
She told Australians we had "absolutely missed you".
Australia PM Scott Morrison and PM Jacinda Ardern hope to see each other again soon. Photo / Getty Images
She even re-pitched her description of how outbreaks would be managed.
In New Zealand, she said the Government would treat outbreaks in different states of Australia as if they were different regions of New Zealand.
On Australian media, she told them to think of New Zealand "as another state [of Australia]".
The presenters roared, and Ardern quickly added "purely for this exercise".
It quickly became clear this love may have been cupboard love: Ardern added that tourism from Australia added $2.7 billion to New Zealand's coffers.
Wednesday: Who's on the PM's invite list of Australians.
Australian PM Scott Morrison was top of Ardern's invite list to come to New Zealand to re-commence the annual transtasman talks.
But she added another name to that list, issuing a "challenge" for Australian comedian Celeste Barber to come and visit.
That offer might not be music to Morrison's ears: in January 2020, Barber tagged Ardern on Instagram asking Ardern to rename Australia "West New Zealand", and become its leader.
Barber was comparing Ardern to Morrison, who is a frequent target of her comedy and criticism.
Australian comedian Celeste Barber can expect some hospitality from the PM's partner Clarke Gayford. Photo / Jackson Meecham
Barber issued an excited acceptance to Ardern's offer later on Instagram.
Ardern met Barber through her partner, Clarke Gayford, and they stay in touch.
Gayford and Barber appeared on an ad together for an audio book company in 2020.
