BIG TICKS FOR GROSER AND JOYCE

Tim Groser and Steven Joyce have been star performers for the government and both have been given the recognition they deserve by the Prime Minister. We are pleased that Tim has been given the chance to lead the weighty and complex job of International Climate Change. His wisdom and pragmatism will give New Zealand the chance to optimise any trade gains that can be made from world wide rush to Emissions Trading. We need to ensure that international policy does not impact negatively on the backbone of our economy - dairying.

As for Joyce - it's well known that he has the capacity for a heavy workload and a head for long term strategy - his sector relations are also superb. The education portfolio will benefit from his helicopter roll.

The lack of large changes to Cabinet will dismay Labour who will have been looking for blood. While they will be able to make some mileage out of Anne Tolleys demotion, there is little else wher Labour can gain any traction.

Key has put his two "fix it" men in charge of the areas that are the two biggest risks - that type of decision making just underscores the PM's growing reputation for pragmatism.

TIM GROSER NATIONAL HERO

Out of the burning fires of dissent in Copenhagen comes a phoenix of commonsense and pragmatism.Tim Groser has against a backdrop of one of the most highly charged international events in some time, managed to secure a deal that unites nations large and small under one scientific collective.

Fourteen per cent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions are from agriculture, but for New Zealand and parts of the developing world, that figure is much higher.

"There is an urgent need to develop technologies and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration in agriculture while enhancing food security," Mr Groser said.

The Global Research Alliance will look at ways to mitigate emissions from Agriculture. We think it will do much more. It will also provide some common sense science that may help us better understand Agricultures part in green house gas production.

Tim has pulled off a significant coup and overtime New Zealand will understand that this one initiative could be of significant benefit to our country's economy.

We listened to Charles Chauval on Radio NZ this morning saying that the alliance may see us lose valuable intellectual property. That shows two things - that he doesn't understand the long term implications of this deal and that he is small minded as well as small statured. This is public good science and we should feel proud to have led this initiative.

OYSTERS ANYONE?

We are delighted that National ( and especially Tim Groser) has managed to ignite an other free trade deal. This time between Hong Kong and NZ. The government is really setting a cracking pace with free trade deals.

We can hear the Hong Kong Harridan screeching for a poly bin of her favourite Southern Glory oysters from here.

GOFF LEADS LABOUR ON INTERNATIONAL STAGE

Roy Morgan Poll

• National 57.5% (+6.0%)
• Labour 28.0% (-5.5%)
• Green 6.5% (-1.0%)
• ACT 1.5% (-0.5%)
• Maori 2.5% (nc)
• United Future 1.0% (+1.0%)
• Progressive 0.0% (-0.5%)
• NZ First 2.0% (-0.5%)

The Nats are up and Labour is down. But far be it be said, that this is a reflection on pallid leadership by Goff. Au contraire. Our sources say that Goff and Maryan Streets support in the USA have been invaluable in cementing trade and diplomatic ties. So while the Labour Party support may be withering on the vine at home, Labour supporters should be lauding Goff and Street for playing so nicely with the Nats for the good of our exporters and indeed the nation.

In fact Goffs selfless support for National means, that on the world stage at least , in everything but name - we have a Grand Coalition.

KEY JOYCE AND ENGLISH

Patrick Gower wrote an interesting yarn his morning on the rise and rise of Steven Joyce. He is on the money. As is Fran O'sullivan. And is Transtasman. Keys appears to be about to line this country up for some big changes. He relies on Joyce. Joyce has delivered as we have seen with broadband and transport. English has since the election stumbled here and there and many party insiders question his absolute loyalty to Key.

Labour sees English as a wounded animal after the Ministerial Housing debacle. He did himself no favours..

So with the governments rise in popularity will we see Key and Joyce along with Brownlie, Groser, McCully, and Finlayson who all understand the transformational changes required to get this country moving at pace, starting to rev things up a bit?

If they do, we think that English's long term position is at risk as he does not have the same strategic sense as Key and Joyce and there is still the question of his loyalty that currently rests on a sand wall built by the the promise that he keeps finance and the Deputy PM positions.

The cynics would say that if Labour continue to pick on English then that could ultimately speed up the transformation agenda.

The tranformational change we need is Keys game to play. He needs to start playing it soon.

NZTE UPDATE

Yesterday we blogged on NZTE and its supposed horror nite at the International Business Awards in Auckland this week. We linked the resignation of CE Tim Gibson to the untidy proceedings - apparently there was a technical hitch and MC Carol Hirschfield showed she gets a bit flustered without an autocue.

Anyway - we had quite a few mates there in various capacities, including some captains of industry. Apparently our NZTE snout must have had his nose out of joint over something because, despite the general feeling that Mr Gibson's reign had run its course - he actually resigned a couple of days before the awards ceremony. The Ministers concerned were well aware of his departure on the night of the awards.
So we were wrong. Perception is all, and it seems our informant had a very different view of the evening than most of the others we know who were in attendance as they say it was not near as bad as we painted it.

Anyway we can tell you that there were many soirees around Auckland that night following the awards and in each venue good times were had by all, in one case,till 5am in the morning. Hair of the dog or oyster?

However we still think that NZTE is still a fat govt department. Our money is on the new boy John Allen at MFAT, leaving the diplomatic boys to the schmoozing and grooving and will concentrate his efforts on increasing trade opportunities. To do that it seems very logical to wrap NZTE into the MFAT fold sooner than later.

TRANSTASMAN HAS A PLAN

We think that its also the governments plan . We have for some time believed, like TransTasman, that we are as a Nation, are on the cusp of a period of extraordinary transformational change.

The paper says our future centres on our relationship with Aussie, Using energy as a transformational platform for economic growth, planting more trees , leading the development of sensible environmental policy, sorting out the Pacific, sorting out our fragmented research industry, broadband, and digging ourselves out of a fiscal hole quickly.

It is a well thought out White Paper and gives a voice to the thoughts of many.

What it needs to light the fire , the paper says is for the government to make some bold moves soon. We agree, we have seen some evidence that the government has a good plan, the broadband option that stopped the Telecom monopoly that could have crippled the competition needed to give customers the best deal. Groser is leading some fascinating policy ideas on climate change and agricultural emissions.

And the government has started the debate on what lies beneath and how best we can harness it and protect our environmental values.

So we reckon much of the white paper is in train. What we need now is for the government to articulate that grand plan and make it the catchcry of all New Zealanders. New Zealand the future today.


A Road Map for Transforming Nz Inc

THE WINNER OF THE BEST SELF PROMOTION AWARD GOES TO........

NZTE - New Zealand Trade and Industry. The gloaty government agency is widely regarded around the Wellington public sector traps as the department of puffery. They spend heaps on crap , less on measuring it and look real flash poncing around in the name of increasing trade opportunities. Now it hasn't all been bad - there have been a few good initiatives. However they have generally been held in contempt by the doing departments, for nearly a decade.

And it was expected that this government would look at folding some of their functions into MFAT.
So it no surprise that we see that NZTE boss Tim Gibson resign today... we wonder if this slightly earlier departure than expected had something to do with the fact that the NZTE New Zealand International Business Awards last night were not flash. Apparently the night was plagued by technical glitches and was as one insider said - not a good look for the department famous for creating good looks.

So with the departure of Gibson will the Government seize the opportunity to make NZTE the MiniMe of MFAT?

MONDAY FUNDAY

Well you here some good stories when you are on tour as we currently are. You also see some pretty interesting things. More on that later.

However, some pertinent questions of the day.

How long will it take before Ralston becomes the must read blog for everyone in the media.

Who made the decision to put Key on Letterman?

Whats up with the Bill Liu scandal?

Can someone please draw a map of all Crown Land ( including DOC estate ) that does not have a high conservation value?


And finally a joke.

A woman gets rushed to hospital with a heart attack and on the operating table she has a near death experience. She see the light in the distance and there stands God.
"Bugger me" she says. "I'm dead."
"Nah sorry" says God, "you are not. I have decided that you aren't ready to come and join us in heaven yet."
" Really! How long have I got? she asks.

"Oh, 43 years and 62 days" says God..

The woman soon regains consciousness.

And she decides that she is going to make the rest of her life the best it can be.
So she books herself in to the clinic and spa next door and gets a facelift, tummy tuck, full liposuction, teeth whitened, butt and tit lift. She gets her hair done and new nails. finally she is ready to leave. She walks out the door and heads across the crossing and gets wiped out by a bus.

She finds herself back in heaven .

"Shit God," she says -" you bloody lied to me! you said I had 43 years and 62 days to live. "

"You did," said God.

"So what happened?" the woman asked.


"I didn't recognise you....."

FTA ON THE SLOW TRACK

Well this is not good news TVNZ reported that the FTA agreement with the US is on the backburner. Pretty much because Obama hasn't got his shit together and needs to appoint a trade guru.

However we were listening to Matthew Hooton interview Tim Groser our Trade Minister at 7pm tonight and Tim is alert to the consequences but far from panicked.

We have other FTA's on the table so there is still lots of work for him to do.

WELL DONE TIM

It looks like we are moving to a free trade deal with India. Thats excellent news - many New Zealanders are un aware of the size and scope of this huge market. Federated Farmers is also ecstatic about the news.

BUSTEDBLONDE DOES POLLYANNA

As much as bloody old curmudgeon Alf Grumble MP , the member for Ekatahuna ( his nickname is "wee willy" by the way) would have you believe, we are not a doom spewing dame like Cassandra

He has his cravat in a knot over our concerns about the economy.

Reckons we are too negative. But does appreciate our breasts. He is not alone in appreciating our assets. He calls BB a lass but well, as we have lost all our wisdom teeth and a back bicuspid chewing on one too many birdy heads, it is fair to say we are fortyish and fab, buxom and bodacious, wrinkly and reckless but alas a lass no more.

So "wee Willy" Grumbleguts - here is our list of things to be pleased about.

• We are fit and well endowed.

• Paula Bennett is shaping up to be an inspiration for all who come from struggle street.

• Judith Collins looks like she has full control of her police portfolio

• Georgina te HeuHeu has employed some thinking women's crumpet as her advisor - and he is smart as well.

• We have some lovely new clients.

• We like Tim Grosers approach - he has his guitar strumming fingers on the pulse.

• We have tended to reserve our judgement on McCully - but bugger us, he is rising to the occasion and considering the Mculliavelli is not that tall that's a bit of rising.

• Wellingtons Restaurants have improved their service as they have to look after their customers more.
• And best of all there is a wine glut - that means we can drink more for less!!