Chance to look back at our wins
Christmas feels like it has had a late start this year. Perhaps it was politics that caused the delay. Normally Parliament winds down for the year with weary short tempers on all sides and thoughts of Christmas are a blessed relief.
This time John Key’s shock resignation has invigorated the past two weeks as National MPs chose a new Prime Minister, several ministers jumped, or were pushed, overboard and today Bill English unveils a new Cabinet.
No wonder Santa Claus has struggled for attention.
But this is the beginning of Christmas week and the spirit is upon us.
Newspapers will not appear on Christmas Day so this is our chance to offer compliments of the season and some thoughts on the year.
Sunday has been a gratifying day of publication during 2016. We have celebrated the successes of our Olympians at Rio, the All Blacks’ run of success, and just last weekend, Joseph Parker’s world heavyweight boxing title.
We take pride in fighting for you, or readers, and those who do not have a loud voice. We have brought you the light and bright sides of life too. And you have rewarded us with a steady rise in readership.
There are now 316,000 readers of the Herald on Sunday, 8000 more than three months previously and 19,000 more than a year ago. We have 27,000 more readers than our main rival and 106,000 more in Auckland. Newspapers are competing against digital devices but clearly many people like to sit down with a paper on a Sunday morning.
We hope today’s issue is especially enjoyable, particularly the feature explaining the origin of some Christmas traditions, and the interview with Farah Palmer, the former Black Fern who is going to bring a woman’s voice to the highest table of New Zealand Rugby.
It has been a tumultuous year in world politics. Britain must now negotiate an exit from the European Union and the world must come to terms with a US president who does not intend to operate by previous rules of diplomacy and trade.
That is for the new year. For now, we wish you good reading, fine weather, safe driving and a happy Christmas.