Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell demonstrates how not to make a Budget announcement – Audrey Young

OPINION

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Welcome to the Politics Briefing. Memo to ministers and press secretaries: “If you missed it, sit down and watch yesterday’s press conference for a lesson in how not make a Budget announcement.” It is the memo Christopher Luxon should be sending to all his ministers if he has not already done so as pre-Budget announcements roll out.

After 40 minutes of questions and answers on Government spending for Corrections, everybody was more confused than when they entered the Beehive theatrette, including the PM and Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell.

Once the clarifying statement arrived after the press conference, it was clear they had under-sold the announcement. It turned out that the Government is promising $1.9 billion more for Corrections over four years than the current spending track. That will fund more prison beds, more prison staff and more rehabilitation programmes for remand prisoners who make up 45 per cent of the prison muster.

It was not Luxon’s fault. As Prime Minister, he is not expected to know the detail of every portfolio. He could have got away with the tub-thumping political statements about the previous Government having been soft on crime if Mitchell had been on top of the detail about the cost of the new measures. The PM resorted to his standby deflector when things don’t quite add up – “I don’t know how I can be any clearer…”

Here’s how, PM. Make sure every press statement on the Government’s spending says whether the headline figure is the total being spent on Corrections or it is new spending, whether it is for the next financial year (July to June) or over four years, and what distinguishes it from what was planned by the previous Government.

For the record, the clarification sent out afterwards by Mark Mitchell’s office stated there are currently 455 beds at Waikeria prison; that 600 new ones underway already will come on line in a year, including 100 mental health beds; and that yesterday’s funding announcement will mean an additional 810 beds which, once completed, will take Waikeria’s capacity to a whopping 1865 beds.

The Arbuckle double

In other news, Luxon made it clear speaking on Newstalk ZB this morning that he would not allow any National MP to remain a councillor and an MP. That is likely to irk New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, whose MP and whip Jamie Arbuckle has remained on the Marlborough District Council and is getting paid for both jobs.

But Luxon was only saying what a lot of people thought. And in a breaking development, Arbuckle issued a statement this morning saying he would stand down as a councillor in October (a year out from the next local body election), the timing of which will avoid a byelection for the council, and that he will donate his salary to a local charity.

Meanwhile, Winston Peters this morning announced that Rosemary Banks will return to Washington DC as New Zealand’s ambassador in June. The current ambassador, Bede Corry, has returned to head the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Banks is an excellent appointment. It is insurance against a possible Trump victory in November, with her having served there previously for the second part of his first term. And as MFAT’s most senior diplomat, she is a model for working seniors everywhere.

Quote unquote

“The role of a list MP is as big or small as you choose to make it” – list MP and deputy National leader Nicola Willis on Newstalk ZB.

Micro quiz

The foreign minister of which European country visited New Zealand at the weekend? (Answer below.)

Brickbat

Goes to Green MP Julie Anne Genter for planning to spend the week on the Chatham Islands (part of her electorate) instead of fronting up about her aggressive behaviour in Parliament last week. Not a great look, even it was a prearranged trip.

Bouquet

Goes to girl power in the economic sphere, which cannot go unremarked after yesterday’s press conference to release the OECD report on NZ: it included OECD chief economist Clare Lombardelli, Treasury Secretary Caralee McLiesh and Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Plus the Labour MP commenting on it was Barbara Edmonds, and the Herald report (see below) was written by our Wellington business editor, Jenée Tibshraeny.

Latest political news and views

Law and order: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced a $1.9 billion investment in additional law and order measures, including a plan to build a mega-prison in Waikato.

Genter claims: Under-fire Green MP Julie Anne Genter is back at work this week … in the Chatham Islands.

Genter claims: The Green Party’s co-leaders have discussed with Julie Anne Genter fresh allegations of her poor behaviour.

Arbuckle juggle: Christopher Luxon says he would not accept one of his MPs simultaneously drawing salaries as an MP and a local councillor – as NZ First MP Jamie Arbuckle is doing.

OECD warning: The OECD has warned the New Zealand Government that it shouldn’t borrow to pay for tax cuts.

Trade talks: Minister for Trade Todd McClay announced this morning that New Zealand has begun trade negotiations with the United Arab Emirates.

Political donations: The National Party has disclosed a massive $10.4 million in donations in its election-year haul for 2023, more than double the amount declared by any other party.

Bridges interview: Former National Party leader Simon Bridges doesn’t think New Zealand was ready for a Māori Prime Minister when he had a shot at the top job.

Disability funding: The Ministry of Disabled People deliberately decided against giving advance warning of funding changes, newly released documents show.

Covid plan: Pharmac and Health NZ are weighing up the future direction of Covid-19 vaccinations and treatments in New Zealand.

Opinion: As former Green Party co-leader James Shaw bows out of Parliament, Simon Wilson looks at the outlook for environmental policy.

Opinion: Anybody watching Christopher Luxon and Erica Stanford speaking about the cellphone ban in schools would be forgiven for thinking they had been overcome by nostalgia, writes Claire Trevett.

When Parliament resumes at 2pm today, the Speaker, Gerry Brownlee, is expected to announce whether the aggressive behaviour of Green MP Julie Anne Genter last week has been referred to the Privileges Committee.

Quiz answer: Germany. The Foreign Minister was Annalena Baerbock.

Audrey Young is the New Zealand Herald’s senior political correspondent. She was named Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards in 2023, 2020 and 2018.

For more political news and views, listen to On the Tiles, the Herald’s politics podcast.