The Wednesday Politics Panel for 20 August 2025
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RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
'It raises the IQ of both countries': How Muldoon stole a joke that was already stolen
Context - Few political one-liners are as enduring in New Zealand folklore as Sir Robert Muldoon's crack about the brain drain. Asked about Kiwis moving to Australia in the late 1970s, Muldoon famously replied that the migrants "raised the IQ of both countries". Trans-Tasman migration was surging at the time, with 103,000 New Zealanders moving permanently to Australia between 1976 and 1982. The joke has been repeated in speeches, pub banter, and the occasional barbecue argument for decades. But here's the punchline: Muldoon didn't write it - he pinched it from political cartoonist and columnist Tom Scott. However, Scott says he wasn't bothered. "I'd already stolen it," he admitted. "I couldn't get too pious". Sir Robert Muldoon served as the 31st prime minister of New Zealand. Photo: Stuff Speaking to Corin Dann in RNZ's new podcast Context , which looks at the history behind today's headlines, Tom Scott said he took the gag from Irish writer Brendan Behan. In his play The Quare Fellow Behan wrote the same thing about Irish people migrating to America. "I modified it without attribution," Scott explained. "I didn't give Brendan the credit. I took it for myself. I said, 'When Kiwis go to Australia, it raises the IQ of both countries.' And I put it in The Listener column." It was the perfect joke for the moment. The Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, introduced in 1973, had made it easy for Kiwis to live and work in Australia without visas. When Australia's economy surged while New Zealand's sputtered, thousands left for greener pastures. RNZ's new podcast Context looks at the history behind today's headlines. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi (photo), Robert Whitaker (design) Ten days after Scott's column ran, Muldoon dropped the line as if it were his own. Scott said he was only too pleased to see Muldoon borrowing from his (and Brendan Behan's) work given that, at the time, he was banned from Muldoon's press conferences. "It was doubly rewarding," Scott said, "to be a banned person and a quoted person. It was quite nice." Follow and listen to Context on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. David Lange served as the 32nd prime minister of New Zealand. Photo: Merv Griffiths. Dominion Post (Newspaper): Photographic negatives and prints of the Evening Post and Dominion newspapers. Ref: EP/1986/3948/17-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. Muldoon wasn't the only prime minister to steal Tom Scott's lines. "[David] Lange stole a lot of mine as well," Scott recalled. "In his farewell valedictory to Parliament, he said, 'Winston Peters can't be here tonight, he's been unavoidably detained by a full-length mirror.' And that was my line too. So, you know, I've had Muldoon and Lange both stealing my lines. It's quite flattering, really." Over the years, the "IQ" remark has taken on a life of its own. Many quote it without knowing its real author, assuming it sprang fully formed from the PM's famously sharp tongue. For more on the fascinating historical story of the 'Brain Drain' - including fears of farm workers fleeing for the goldfields, and anxieties over scientific migration in the 1960s - check out RNZ's new podcast Context , hosted by Corin Dann and Guyon Espiner, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Officials don't know if NZ is on US priority weapons trading partners list
In April, US President Donald Trump ordered a "list of priority partners" for arms transfers be drawn up within 60 days. Photo: NurPhoto via AFP New Zealand officials say they do not know who is on the United States' list of priority partners for trading weapons with, and have had zero input to it. In April, US President Donald Trump ordered a "list of priority partners" for arms transfers be drawn up within 60 days. His directive talked about giving partners help with financing and more flexible contracts, but also of "priority" partners having to share the cost of production more - "strengthening allied burden-sharing". New Zealand has joined several recent initiatives designed to boost America's military industrial base, but officials did not express any interest in the priority partner list. "Given this is an internal US government directive, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) is not aware of what countries are on this list," MFAT told RNZ. "We would not speculate further." US diplomatic missions were going to be updated about the priority list, Trump's directive said. These US moves and others to free up space technology trade so far primarily benefit its AUKUS Pillar two partners Australia and the United Kingdom. The NZ Defence Force is competing to get arms under its new $12 billion Defence Capability Plan in a world market where military spending is surging. The NZDF talked with US lawmakers in April about potential opportunities to buy from the US, Official Information Act papers showed. A foreign arms sales taskforce newly set up by Trump said it sought international input before launching its first six initiatives last month, including new legislation aimed to help lower the barriers that limit the proliferation of high-tech arms. MFAT said: "New Zealand has not had any input into the taskforce." Asked if the government was doing anything about getting on the priority list or helping local companies onto it, MFAT said: "New Zealand has not had any input into the US Foreign Arms Sales Task Force, including on the ITAR Licensing Reform Act. "Officials are monitoring developments." The move on ITAR - International Traffic in Arms Regulations - was designed to free up licensing of defence deals primarily between the AUKUS Pillar Two partners Australia, the US and UK, and possibly over time with Canada, official US papers said. The US recently also moved to free up space-related trade, such as in satellites technology. This has substantial overlap with defence but includes science and commercial sectors. It was "taking a bold step forward in fostering a strong space industrial base", an official close to Trump said . "The changes will strengthen international alliances" while maintaining stringer controls on sensitive technology. Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom were again at the front of the queue in these space trade moves, though Canada is not part of AUKUS. However, one move - to remove licence requirements for exports of certain spacecraft components - applied to over 40 allies and partners. It is not clear if NZ was one of those. The government here is closely attuned to the international space trade and has had talks with the US about streamlining and aligning regulations, papers showed. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
NZ facing toughest national security environment of recent times
Director-general of security Andrew Hampton. Photo: VNP/Louis Collins The intelligence service warns threats to national security need to be taken much more seriously than they currently are. The Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) has released its third annual Security Threat Environment report, containing its assessments of violent extremism , foreign interference , and espionage in New Zealand. The report said New Zealand was facing the most challenging national security environment of recent times, with foreign interference, espionage, and online radicalisation all highlighted as threats. Much of the report contained similar analysis and threats to the two previously released reports, though the NZSIS noted further deterioration since last year's report. This was largely driven by less stable relationships between states, and increasing levels of polarisation and grievance, the agency said. Commenting on the report, director-general of security Andrew Hampton said the deteriorating environment had a direct impact on safety and security. "Increasing levels of polarisation and grievance are driving support for violent extremist ideologies and foreign states are more willing to target New Zealand organisations and communities in order to achieve their aims," he said. "We are seeing active cases of young and vulnerable people being radicalised online, there are foreign states seeking to interfere with our democratic rights, and there is almost certainly undetected espionage activity targeting valuable intellectual property crucial to our future prosperity." The "downward trajectory" of relationships between foreign states becoming less stable and less predictable was continuing. It meant some were wanting to gain more influence, power, and strategic advantage. The relationship between the United States and China was cited, as well as Russia's willingness to assert its influence in Europe. The conflict in the Middle East would also have an enduring impact. The report highlighted the strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, saying China had demonstrated a "willingness and capability" to undertake intelligence activity targeting New Zealand's national interests, in bids to extend and embed influence across the region. The NZSIS said several states were responsible for foreign interference activities, including transnational repression designed to target diaspora communities. Foreign states had also attempted to exploit people inside the public and private sectors to gain influence. A Pacific Regional and National Security Conference panel on transnational crime and national security last month. Photo: Facebook / Pacific Security College Over the last eighteen monthths, the NZSIS had seen an increase in foreign interference actors visiting New Zealand. The report said these foreign delegations were tasked with building relationships with specific parts of society, often by seeking an invitation from a New Zealand organisation to host them. "On the surface, few organisations will sense any issue but many will not know the delegation's link to foreign interference entities. Members of these delegations will conceal these links so our communities and organisations are unable to assess the risk involved in the engagement," the report said. They have also arranged travel for representatives of New Zealand organisations to build long-term influence. The trips would often include business deals or photo-ops with foreign officials, which were then used by the foreign state to promote a perception of close ties and political support from influential New Zealanders. "This can have an alienating effect on repressed communities back in New Zealand experiencing transnational repression activity from the foreign state." The NZSIS observed diaspora groups were being targeted, with foreign interference groups seeking to co-opt or replace leaders and then sideline anyone deemed to be a challenge to the state's agenda. Certain religions, ethnicities, rainbow communities, and pro-democracy movements were also targeted. While foreign states often flagged legitimate violent extremist concerns with the NZSIS, some states were accusing New Zealand-based groups of being extremists or terrorists when they were not. "The NZSIS is extremely cautious about this deliberate labelling tactic, as it is used to stigmatise particular groups and to justify repressive activity against them." While the report said China was not the only foreign state carrying out activity of concern, it would not specifically name those other foreign states. A Chinese warship operates north east of Australia in February. Photo: AFP / Australian Defence Force The assessement said the most plausible violent extremist scenario remained a lone actor who had been radicalised online. While no one ideology stood out to the service as presenting a greater threat than any other, grievances and polarising issues online were driving support for those ideologies. Young and more vulnerable people were seen as being particularly at risk of becoming radicalised, with ease of access being a key contributor to the cases brought to NZSIS' attention. "Individuals who hold mixed, unstable or unclear ideologies are especially vulnerable to being radicalised online. The NZSIS has identified a number of people who appear to explore a range of violent extremist beliefs online and adopt certain aspects to suit their grievance," the report said. Violent extremist content was easy to find, and frequently shared in anonymous online networks hosting groups contributing to the radicalisation of people both in New Zealand and around the world. "What might have previously been considered societal risks associated with internet safety, now have the potential to pose an ongoing risk to New Zealand's national security." Artificial intelligence had emerged as a way of facilitating violent extremism and state-sponsored interference activities. "AI is making harmful propaganda appear more authentic and allows it to be spread at scale and speed," the report said. "The ease of access to AI will be assisting violent extremists to research and plan attacks and is reducing barriers that previously made it difficult to access information about more advanced capabilities or weapons." Five Eyes intelligence alliance leaders at a technology summit in California, in 2023. Photo: supplied Throughout the report, the NZSIS provided case studies and security advice, with the agency warning it could not automatically pick up on all concerning activities. In mitigating foreign interference, it suggested steps such as researching someone online before agreeing to meet them, or determining whether their interest had become suspicious or persistent. Considering the opportunities and risks of hosting a foreign delegation was also suggested. "We are not all-seeing and all-knowing, and in a democratic society like ours nor should we be. In many cases the public will notice a threat before we do," Hampton said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
