Yesterday no media covered the fact that media still have no idea what solution this Government will propose to help solve their decline as time marches on.
The Government has been missing in action and that comes back to leadership.
Stuff reported - "Luxon did not indicate if Goldsmith would bring a new approach to the media portfolio, and he didn’t say if the Government’s position on the Digital News Bargaining Bill had changed."
Media are still guessing and wishful thinking about what might happen while the Government sits on its hands and takes its time like there is no hurry really. Waiting for Winston? Whatever.
There was no mention by any media that Luxon was slow to act to address issues that the rest of New Zealand had seen months ago - although some media ( RNZ ) picked up on the fact Luxon had left a clue about ten days ago that he was going to do something when he said "not at this point" regarding Melissa Lee. ( I mentioned this to Vicki at the time and now regret not highlighting it on G News ).
No media covered how well Labour's Priyanka had put Penny Simmonds in the spot light in Parliament over the issues - which seemed at odds with the way Melissa Lee had regularly been featured on TV News prosecuting a hesitant Clare Curran in the House some years ago.
Labour is mostly rendered invisible and minimised, especially when a female MP does a sterling job.
Most Media limited comments by Chris Hipkins to those concerning " a fast revolving door" should Luxon continue to make "regular adjustments" and edited out Hipkins remarks about Luxon being slow to act, the defamatory nature of Simmond's remarks, the suggestion Upston start with an apology to the Disabled Community.
Stuff may have reported this material in their blog, but all others were an epic fail.
There was some reference to the way Luxon should have taken up Chippy's suggestion he double down - and sack Jones and Seymour in a "regular adjustment" - and an acknowledgement by Amelia Wade that Luxon was powerless and limited to acting in his own caucus for fear of destabilising the Government.
A situation we see on a regular basis as Seymour and Peters mock Luxon and reprimand him in public.
Predictably TVNZ 1 News began with action hero words describing Luxon as "Double trouble" and "swinging the axe" as did NewsHub at 6.
Both TVNZ 1 News and NewsHub played up Luxon's soundbites about the three "rights" ( right people, right assignment, right time ) and action hero words like "This is how I roll, this is how I lead" and both highlighted what Melissa Lee and Penny Simmonds had botched up.
On TVNZ 1 News, Bryce Edwards said nobody buys Luxon's BS about complexities when this was about underperforming ministers and on NewsHub at 6 - Amelia stated that Luxon refused to state that this was about performance.
But no such comments could be found at the NZ Herald where Claire Trevett was "making up" what Luxon meant by "complexities" as she streamed Luxon consciousness saying the situation in media had become white hot.
Maiki Sherman reported that neither sacked Minister would respond to requests for an interview - and Maiki mentioned how they had both signed "almost identical statements" that they supported the decision.
Stuff published parts of those statements and all that differed were the names. This looked like duress and coercion from Luxon.
There was bugger all coverage of Debs take that this was misogyny and instead the pom pom team at the NZ Herald took up the ridiculous angle that what we just saw was our action hero Luxon striking fear into the hearts of all National MPs.
Thomas Coughlan dribbled on the tiles podcast like a paid sycophant :
"Luxon probably emerges stronger - this guy is not mucking around and this guy does not tolerate the weak".
Ironically "this guy had been mucking around for months" and was very late to act and unable to be honest about the reasons why.
Given both ministers were crap, tone deaf, embarrassing to Luxon and this government needed to do damage control and hide the reality without accepting any accountability - the whole exercise was heavy handed and comedic.
Luxon bounded on stage as the pom pom team gasped in admiration but everyone else thought what an egotist and a ham over acting wide boy...endless memes were created on X and social media echoed with derision.
The notion that Goldsmith is an ace in any place is a face palm - after all those $4 Billion holes and clearly there's nothing Paul Goldsmith would have done differently given all decisions are being delayed by Winston right now.
Goldsmith proved he was an ace when he recently moved a motion without Justice in Parliament and everybody mocked his arse for his incompetence.
Upston will not be apologising for Simmonds when Luxon sees nothing wrong with Simmonds - it's just the complexity - and now some of the support cruelly taken away from carers has been allowed again - by Whaikaha - the Ministry for the Disabled.
Amelia Wade got it right when she said both ministers had lost the trust of the sectors they support - but there is also the fact that the Government behind these ministers was all lost at sea and fighting with each other behind the scenes.
NewsHub at 6 actually canvassed the view of a disabled person while TVNZ 1 News focused more on Melissa Lee, at a supercar event.
The NZ Herald cheered for their action hero who is now stronger and more feared - which was sickening - and as mentioned right at the start of this article, media are no closer to a solution, and no media criticised Luxon for being slow footed and late to act.
The wheels are coming off and bouncing all over the track as the pom pom team dress up utter incompetence as strength and we wonder why New Zealanders vote for Neoliberal governments.
What a shocker.
It's how he rolls.
Media Coverage of Sackings
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