The PM’s air force travel

I’m going to defend the PM (at least partially) on her use of the Air Force to campaign in Invercargill, after commercial flights were closed.

For the sake of the organisations that were hosting her, it is right that she did everything she could to turn up on time. A lot of work will have gone on behind the scenes by those groups hosting her. Previous PMs have always had the Air Force available as backup transport.

So I don’t think the PM did anything wrong in using the Air Force. She is still the Prime Minister.

But what I will criticise her for, is not offering the service to other party leaders who were stranded. That would have been a magnamious and principled decision. Because while she is PM, Parliament has been dissolved and she is out campaigning like they are. It would have been a widely applauded measure if she had offered John Key or other leaders with public commitments a lift, if it could be fitted into the schedule. That way there is a level playing field.