One step forward and three back

Audrey Young writes:

It has been one step forward, and three steps backwards for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as she seeks to establish some momentum for the Government since her return from leave.

Shane Jones, Helen Clark and Meka Whaitiri have all put the brakes on some of that momentum this week in their own ways.

In doing so, they have also allowed Ardern’s critics to portray her as a weak leader.

Don’t forget Curran also.

The revelations by Newsroom back in March about incidents at the boozy summer camp in February have been without a doubt the lowest point at Ardern’s leadership and the only glaring example of weak leadership.

It is still unbelievable that Ardern did not expect her senior party officials to have informed her of the serious allegations, did not publicly admonish officials for failing to do so and did not believe any of the young people’s parents should have been informed.

Comparisons were made at the time – including by me – between Ardern’s expectations and what Helen Clark’s would have been.

Unhelpfully for Ardern, Clark reminded the public this week of those differences in saying heads would have rolled.

Labour’s response to the issue was far far weaker than Russel McVeagh’s.