JOHN TAMIHERE
Well, Te Pāti Māori seems to be ticking along very nicely, so it’s nice to take the Labour Weekend holiday as an opportunity to roll up my sleeves, get into the old DIY ethic which has always served our people well, and work hard to strengthen, fortify and uphold my dictatorship.
It’s a beautiful thing. It’s taken years of experience in the political landscape to build this fortress.
Some dictators gently nip dissent in the bud but that’s not tikanga. Tikanga, properly applied, means ripping dissent out by the roots and shaking them in the air for all to see.
As president of Te Pāti Māori, though, I have a holiday message to Toitū Te Tiriti spokesperson Eru Kapa-Kingi, who has flown off the handle a bit recently.
He’s welcome to come over. I’m cementing the dictatorship walls and need someone to stir.
CHRISTOPHER LUXON
Well, New Zealand seems to be ticking along very nicely, so it’s nice to just put my feet up at our bach on Waiheke Island for a few days especially since a property devaluation has given us an $8100 discount on the annual rates bill.
It’s also a chance to take stock and see things for what they really are in the big picture of things because a key component of blue sky thinking is all about making an assessment of it in the macro not the micro which too easily can mean getting bogged down in fine details.
For instance it was really good that strike action was averted on Thursday. The official reason was adverse weather but it doesn’t take a genius to see that their heart wasn’t really in it.
There’ll always be a few malcontents but most New Zealanders are happy with their working conditions and while it’s a shame that not many New Zealanders are actually working at least they’re looking for work or they should be and if they’re not then they’ll be out on the street — and you’re not going to get a rates discount if you’re homeless.
CHRIS HIPKINS
Well, the Labour Party’s raft of three new policy launches seem to be ticking along very nicely, so it’s nice to drift away from the nitty-gritty of politics for a few days and sit on my bum while the world turns.
Because that’s the thing about the planet. It spins on its axis.
Day follows night as surely as Labour follows National. There was a bit of criticism that our Future Fund policy seemed a bit thin but we will show how we will pay for it in a full fiscal plan before the election.
It will all come out in the wash. The important thing to remember is that Labour are radically different than National.
We mustn’t get bogged down in fine details.
WINSTON PETERS
Well, here I am this Labour Weekend hopping around Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
I am in negotiations with Iceland to establish a reciprocal Working Holiday Scheme.
This programme will allow young citizens from both countries to live, work, and travel in each other’s territories for extended periods.
A working holiday scheme with Iceland will create new opportunities for our young people to connect, collaborate, and contribute to each other’s societies.
It also provides valuable international experience while enriching our economies and communities.
I am confident this scheme will tick along very nicely until lack of interest puts an end to it without anyone ever noticing.
