Transtasman Political Letter – 9th February Digest

9th February 2006

NZ Flinches at the backlash to re-publication of those Danish cartoons
... Helen Clark criticises the media for its “Ill-judgement”
... In Canberra, she gets the full-on treatment from Howard: did she give him a bag of NZ apples?
... The Party Caucuses limber up for Parliament’s return
... So if across-the-board tax cuts are a “lazy approach,” what’s Revenue Minister Peter Dunne proposing in his bold tax initiatives?

Relationship Strong But SEM May Be Stillborn

Helen Clark was greeted with the full Canberra panoply and covered a wide range of topics when she met John Howard on Wednesday for the best part of an hour and then had a roundtable with other key Ministers Mark Vaile, Peter Costello, Alexander Downer, Warren Truss and new Defence Minister Brendan Nelson.

Clark Lashes Media Over Cartoon Fiasco

The NZ economy, always vulnerable to external shocks, had its vulnerability laid on the line, some would say unnecessarily, by the re-publication in NZ media of Danish cartoons caricaturing the prophet Mohammed, a move the Helen Clark described as “particularly ill-judged, gratuitous and regrettable.”

Transpower’s Plans Raise Questions

International credit rating agencies say regulatory uncertainty poses a “major credit concern” for the utilities sector in NZ.

Parties Limber Up For Parliament

Both the Labour and National Caucuses were limbering up this week for the opening of Parliament next week. The Labour Caucus, running like a well-oiled machine, got through its business in short order, leading some cynics to suggest backbenchers were standing to attention as they received the word from the leadership.

CAPITAL TALK

Is Finance Minister Michael Cullen overworked? The question is increasingly being asked along Lambton Quay in view of the Minister’s ongoing extreme testiness with questioners of his Treasury stewardship.

Play of the Week: Want To See My Etchings?

A few bad drawings full of rather adolescent humour and suddenly the world goes berko.

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