Hosking on Faafoi

Mike Hosking writes:

Kris Faafoi did what you would expect a Labour Minister to do, and the Prime Minister did what you would expect a Prime Minister of her experience and standards to do, nothing.

And that is this Government for you. If standards are important, if decency, honesty, openness, or transparency are important to you, this is not the government for you.

The only thing you can’t get away with it seems is assaulting your press secretary. Everything else goes.

As I said last week, I know Faafoi from TV days, and like everyone else who knows him, I know he is liked. He is unquestionably talented, and he’s been the sole shining light in that Labour Cabinet, having been justifiably promoted earlier this year.

Maybe that’s the bit that saved him? Maybe the Prime Minister looked around the room, saw the old stalwarts such as Grant Robertson and David Parker, solid professionals quietly keeping their noses clean and getting on with the job, and then looked at the rest of them, and breathed out a sigh of knowing despair. They’re a bunch of amateurs, so Faafoi gets saved because he’s good in a room full of numpties.

If Faafoi went, who would replace him? Aupito William Sio?

Maybe if Jacinda Ardern had never promised to be the most open, honest, and transparent government ever, this wouldn’t be as bad. Maybe if Meka Whaitiri, Clare Curran, Iain Lees-Galloway, Shane Jones, or Phil Twyford had never happened it wouldn’t seem so bad.

Don’t forget Winston!