The best and the rest
National’s finance spokesman,
for his admission that Grant Robertson’s public debt settings were ‘‘about right’’ – which briefly ended decades of National and Labour squabbling about fiscals.
was asked earlier this year to describe new UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and started out by noting a ‘‘buffoon-like quality’’. Realising this may have been slightly impolitic, he attempted to back-pedal, saying many others had noted this quality, that it was a term of endearment, and he was someone who ‘‘sometimes gets a bit of marmalade on his chin, who sometimes doesn’t say quite the right things, whose personal life can be interesting’’.
which managed not only to put confidential budget data online but also to describe the accessing of that data using a search engine as ‘‘hacking’’.
clearly seeking to distance herself from former Wellington mayor Justin Lester after he lost his election, noted he had not run as a Labour Party candidate. He had. Talk about adding insult to injury.
Opshop frontman for trying to secure some low-level immigration help from minister Kris Faafoi and then going to the media when Faafoi wasn’t as helpful as he’d hoped.
the David Seymour staffer (and potential ACT MP) who did the most to make sure the End Of Life Choice Bill passed through Parliament, against the considerable efforts of the Catholic church (and others besides), ably channelled through former prime minister Bill English.
the National MP who was beaten for selection in the Palmerston North electorate by 17-year-old William Wood, randomly replied to a months-old tweet from a former Labour candidate late at night to say: ‘‘OMG Youre such a nasty person and i hope that people checking you out for future work will visit your twitter page and see how ugly you really are [sic].’’
To the which has been looking into the allegations against the National Party made by
Jami-lee Ross for months and months and months. The party is not yet cleared but not yet charged either. The closer we get to an election, the worse the timing will look – just ask James Comey.
National MP has a long career ahead of him. This year he made a lot of political hay over the downgrading of the Lumsden Maternity Centre, to such a point that he entered the preferred prime minister polls. Not bad for a guy who was only elected in 2017.
National MP for the second year running. This year Willis, a former staffer for John Key, ran a strong campaign against Julie Anne Genter over Wellington transport. One to watch.
Climate Change Minister
got bipartisan support for his Zero Carbon Bill this year, is passing a law to (technically) bring agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme, and is looking to limit emissions at 2020 levels.
began the year with the rot of the Jami-lee Ross saga hanging over him, and the airing of real questions over his leadership. He’s put those questions to bed and has kept the party vote up in the polls.
had a year for the history books. Her response to Christchurch hit the right note – not just rhetorically but also legislatively. It was not a perfect year but it’s unlikely to be one she will ever top.