Be National-lite

That’s inevitable in the life of any new leader, when the public appetite for getting to know more about them is insatiable.

But the demand for wall-to-wall soft media won’t lesson once Ardern gives birth, which is why over the next few months she should be prioritising media opportunities that focus on the job, rather than personality.

Labour voters are of course chafing at the bit to see their agenda implemented after nine years in the wilderness. But they’re not going anywhere, unlike the soft voters in the centre who can just as easily flake off to National.

The Key Government’s first Budget defied National’s rightwing faction, who saw the global financial crisis as an opportunity for radical policies.

Key and his Finance Minister Bill English instead enacted policies designed to support the lowest paid and most vulnerable through tough times.

That element of surprise was carried through successive budgets, including the boost to beneficiary incomes for the first time in decades. It wasn’t at the expense of National policies, but it helped make many of the so-called third-rail policies under previous administrations more palatable, like asset sales.

Stop underestimating National

Labour was nearly sunk at the election by a clever campaign by National on taxes. Ardern is fighting the ghost of National’s 2017 campaign all over again after this week’s announcement about increasing the petrol excise.

Labour is flailing to explain its campaign manifesto promising no new taxes explicitly excluded excise taxes.

And it points out that National also raised excise taxes each year while in power.

But no-one reads the fine print and explaining is losing.

Labour should have made the case first. It’s been another rough week for the Government, with the Clare Curran story dragging on and a badly sold transport plan. It’s also been the third week of one of the Government’s marathon four-week sitting blocks, meaning everyone is getting a bit tired. As we head into the fourth and the Prime Minister heads off to Europe, we take stock of this week.

UP Simon Bridges:

Bridges held the Government firmly to account on the RNZ saga and the transport plan. But this honeymoon may not last with the problems the National Government gifted this one, like the rotting Middlemore Hospital and EQC blowout, starting to make more and more headlines.

Faafoi did some good, solid government work this week, beginning a compulsory recall of tens of thousands of cars with dangerous airbags. This penchant for tidying up messes could be well utilised in the broadcasting portfolio, which he once held. Speaking of!

Kris Faafoi: DOWN Clare Curran:

The Prime Minister is maintaining she is still confident in Curran, but calling board chair Richard Griffin about his select committee appearance smacks of political interference. It was also a great way to give legs to a story that was beginning to die out.

Twyford is one of the more reliable ministers to deliver wins, but his big transport realignment was badly signalled and badly managed. By announcing the excise tax increase as ‘‘10c over three years’’ — instead of ‘‘3c a year for three years, just continuing what the last guys were doing’’ — he handed the opposition an easy attack line. Combining this news with the ambitious transport plan just meant the actual transport plan got lost in the conversation.

Phil Twyford: Radio Gaga

‘‘It was a matter of courtesy, which may be foreign to some of those in politics.’’ RNZ’s Richard Griffin explains why he gave Melissa Lee a heads up before announcing Carol Hirschfeld’s resignation. Labour’s Paul Eagle asked about the difference between ‘‘courtesy and collusion’’.