Beehive Diaries

This week, PM Jacinda Ardern had a birthday, National Leader Judith Collins drowned under people demanding a debate, AND David Seymour inspected the business end of cows.

Monday

PM Jacinda Ardern turns … 62?

Ardern spent her 41st birthday in Northland where she spoke to students at Ruakākā School. She later reported on her Facebook page that she had learned not to ask children to guess how old you were.

“In case you were wondering what the kids guessed my age to be, the answer was 62.”

Tuesday

Judith Collins’ ‘who dis?’ problem

National’s Demand the Debate campaign has had the desired effect, judging from a message sent to National Party staff and MPs.

The message noted leader Judith Collins had been inundated with phone calls from unknown numbers, and so would only answer calls from known numbers. It advised people to text her before ringing if they wanted to be certain Collins would answer.

Each week, more and more elements are being added to the Demand the Debate list of things National thinks we need to worry about. The billboard is now getting rather crowded, and the font more and more microscopic with no end in sight.

Wednesday

Act leader David Seymour’s honest conversation with the rear end of a cow

Meanwhile, Seymour was continuing on with his Honest Conversation roadshow, the rival to National’s Demand the Debate, which canvasses many of the same issues.

While in Northland for some public meetings, Seymour visited a farm to experience life for the rural sector. He helped in the milk shed at Act MP Mark Cameron’s farm in Ruawai — where the rear end of a cow had a very honest conversation with him.

Seymour might be hoping for the same amount of media coverage Prince Charles got when he stepped into a cow pat at the Great Yorkshire Show.

Alas, all Seymour gets is the Beehive Diairies.

Battle of the pun-dits

Transport Minister Michael Woods’ press secretary is very fond of puns in the headlines of press releases. Transport press releases come with references to things being “on track”, “taking off” or being given the “green light”. This week delivered news that quicker public transport was “motoring towards West Auckland”.

New National Party chief press secretary John Mitchell is apparently not such a fan. Beehive Diaries was told Judith Collins suggested the pun of “vaccine stroll out” for a release after the vaccine numbers were released. It was vetoed by Mitchell.

To rub salt into Collins’ wounds, the very next day, Act Party leader David Seymour put out a press release: “It’s not a vaccine roll out, it’s a vaccine stroll out”.