Political diary

SUNDAY

He should never have said it, of course. But the Prime Minister's seeming endorsement of John "Super City" Banks as his choice to head the proposed Auckland-wide council hardly rates as the political crime of the century, even if the region's other mayors are frowning about it. It is easy to imagine Key getting carried away - as he sometimes tends to do - while addressing party faithful at National's Auckland regional conference. Take the combination of a roomful of grateful delegates hanging off every word of an election-winning leader plus Banks' presence in his capacity of mayor but enjoying the goodwill of a party to which he has contributed much. Add Key's Boy Scout enthusiasm and it is no big surprise the Prime Minister began his speech: "Can I start by acknowledging the mayor - more importantly the super mayor of Auckland City - John Banks." Was Key saying Banks is a super mayor or should be the Super Mayor? Probably both. But Auckland voters will be deciding who gets the big job.

TUESDAY

Does the right hand know what the left is doing? The Ministry of Women's Affairs has just been given an additional $2 million over four years to do more research and policy work on the gender pay gap. This announcement comes less than a month after the Government "disestablished" the Labour Department's pay and employment equity unit with the loss of seven jobs. That decision followed State Services Minister Tony Ryall's scrapping of two pay and employment equity investigations back in February on the grounds they would "generate an additional form of remuneration pressure that is unaffordable in the current economic and fiscal environment". Funnily enough, there is no mention of all that in the statement issued by Women's Affairs Minister Pansy Wong announcing the extra funding.

WEDNESDAY

Having a masters degree in political science, Peter Dunne occasionally likes to take a step back from the fray and present a neutral analysis of the political landscape. He talks of a generational change in New Zealand politics with the "impressive" new intakes of both National and Labour MPs at the last election, noting they are already starting to have a significant influence. Says Dunne: "These new MPs reflect today's instant world, where decisions are made quickly and decisively, based on a combination of intuition and diverse experiences, and often on a no-regrets basis where it is no big deal to admit things did not work out as intended and have to be changed, and then just move on without recrimination to the next issue. This is in many senses a refreshing approach, which the Prime Minister typifies, and is one which people are responding to warmly but, and perhaps because, it is in marked contrast to the way in which politicians of recent generations have behaved."

Dunne says references to what happened in the 1990s, let alone what side one was on during the Springbok Tour or, heaven forbid, the Vietnam War, are utterly irrelevant to the values of this new generation - "as Helen Clark found out dramatically last year, and Phil Goff is continuing to find out". Dunne adds that since the advent of MMP in 1996, the norm had become for the process of government to be more considered and risk-averse than in the "high wire act era" of the 1980s and early 1990s. "This new generation of politicians makes that norm look rather staid, but without showing too many signs of reverting to the recklessness of the earlier period."

FRIDAY

New Zealand First is not on the ballot paper for today's Mt Albert byelection, but the party is assuring the world it is still alive and kicking.The Diary visited the home page for NZ First's website, bizarrely dated July 1, 2009, which says the site is under reconstruction. It carries the following message: "To all our members and supporters who visit us here. Yes - we are still 'alive' and are still keen, and are re-organising to be ready for the next election. Please wait for our new-look site which will have press releases for 2009, a policy section, links for branches, a Young NZ First section and forms to join up and/or donate." We could not help but ponder why alive is written in quote marks, as well as what age limits apply to membership of Young NZ First.