Live politics blog 28 Nov
Luxon and Peters v the media
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon threw his support behind his deputy, Winston Peters, during his first post-Cabinet briefing when facing questions about Peters' repeated claims that the media was "bribed" by the Labour Government.
Peters been alleging the media was "bribed" through the Public Interest Journalism Fund, a $55 million fund, administered by NZ On Air to support the production of public interest journalism including Māori and Iwi journalism that is relevant to, and valued by, New Zealanders during the pandemic. It closed in June.
Peters on Tuesday asked reporters "what they signed up to, to get the money" as they were reporting on the first Cabinet meeting in the Beehive. The National-led government had allowed reporters, photographers and camera operators to capture the first few moments of the event.
Luxon, during his first post-Cabinet briefing with reporters on Wednesday, had the opportunity to dispel the concerns. He said he would not have expressed himself in the same way but understands people's frustrations with the fund. When pushed on what those frustrations were, he said: "it actually leads to perceptions of bias, rightly or wrongly. I just say to you, you know, that's the perception. Whether that's real or not doesn't really matter, that's that's what the perception that creates".
However Luxon did not go as far to dispel the allegations of bribery, which have no base.
"Winston's allowed to make his remarks in the way that he chooses, he may not express it in the way that I do it. But honestly, we have serious challenges in this country. And we are focused on those things."
When asked whether Peters' fixation on personal grievances are a distraction for his government, he said they were not.
"Winston Peters and I've had a number of conversations in the last 48 hours on Foreign Affairs."
He was pushed again on how his deputy calling into question the integrity of the media would further erode trust and said : "the view about the public interest Fund is a view that's held by many New Zealanders, who say that it was not a good program or a good idea."
Peters been alleging the media was "bribed" through the Public Interest Journalism Fund, a $55 million fund, administered by NZ On Air to support the production of public interest journalism including Māori and Iwi journalism that is relevant to, and valued by, New Zealanders during the pandemic. It closed in June.
Peters on Tuesday asked reporters "what they signed up to, to get the money" as they were reporting on the first Cabinet meeting in the Beehive. The National-led government had allowed reporters, photographers and camera operators to capture the first few moments of the event.
Luxon, during his first post-Cabinet briefing with reporters on Wednesday, had the opportunity to dispel the concerns. He said he would not have expressed himself in the same way but understands people's frustrations with the fund. When pushed on what those frustrations were, he said: "it actually leads to perceptions of bias, rightly or wrongly. I just say to you, you know, that's the perception. Whether that's real or not doesn't really matter, that's that's what the perception that creates".
However Luxon did not go as far to dispel the allegations of bribery, which have no base.
"Winston's allowed to make his remarks in the way that he chooses, he may not express it in the way that I do it. But honestly, we have serious challenges in this country. And we are focused on those things."
When asked whether Peters' fixation on personal grievances are a distraction for his government, he said they were not.
"Winston Peters and I've had a number of conversations in the last 48 hours on Foreign Affairs."
He was pushed again on how his deputy calling into question the integrity of the media would further erode trust and said : "the view about the public interest Fund is a view that's held by many New Zealanders, who say that it was not a good program or a good idea."