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RNZ News
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Deputy PM David Seymour defends Chris Bishop's AMA outburst
In his first act as deputy prime minister, David Seymour has defended cabinet minister Chris Bishop's behaviour at Thursday night's Aotearoa Music Awards. Bishop earlier told RNZ he should have kept his comments to himself, after declaring "what a load of crap" during singer Stan Walker's performance, which prominently featured Toitū Te Tiriti banners. Musician Don McGlashan said he confronted Bishop at the event, telling him to "shut up, you dickhead". Speaking to media on Saturday, Seymour defended Bishop's statements and denied the hubbub had distracted from his big day. "Only the people watching or reading your news can decide that, and I suspect that there'll be people who think Bish was absolutely right, people who think he was wrong, people who don't care... each person will make up their own mind. "Just because you become a senior minister, it doesn't mean you should stop having opinions and it might well be that, based on [what] Chris saw in that moment, he was correct. It may be that people will agree with him." In a statement to RNZ, Bishop admitted he said something about performative acclaim and said "what a lot of crap". He said it referred to what he called the overtly political branding on display. "On reflection, I should have kept my thoughts to myself," he said. A spokesperson for Christopher Luxon told RNZ the prime minister had nothing further to add to Bishop's statement about the incident. ACT leader Seymour took over from Winston Peters as deputy prime minister at a ceremony at Government House in Auckland on Saturday. Seymour promised to remain "quirky", as he stepped into the role, although he declined to elaborate on what that meant. "Well, the great thing about quirkiness is it's spontaneous, it sometimes just happens. Anyone who plans to be quirky is, to quote Don McGlashan, a bit of a dickhead." Seymour vowed that, as he tookl over the new role at the halfway point of the current government, he would keep speaking freely. The official paperwork making David Seymour the new deputy prime minister. Photo: Felix Walton / RNZ Seymour said the transition - in most respects - would be "business as usual". "I've actually been the acting prime minister several times and we're all still here, so don't worry." He admitted feeling the position was largely symbolic. "Any position in politics is only an opportunity to be good and do good, and I will be judged by how much we deliver for the people of New Zealand, all of the people - those who support ACT and those who don't. "However, I also believe that for many people who never ever thought an ACT leader could be deputy prime minister, there is some significance in the position." Reflecting on his career to this point, Seymour poked fun at his history. "If I've proved anything, it's that anyone can dance, not always that well, but well enough to earn people's respect and give a lot of entertainment along the way." Seymour was featured on Dancing with the Stars NZ in 2018, in which he finished fifth. Watch the press conference at the conclusion of the swearing-in. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Deput PM David Seymour defends Chris Bishop's AMA outburst
In his first act as deputy prime minister, David Seymour has defended cabinet minister Chris Bishop's behaviour at Thursday night's Aotearoa Music Awards. Bishop earlier told RNZ he should have kept his comments to himself, after declaring "what a load of crap" during singer Stan Walker's performance, which prominently featured Toitū Te Tiriti banners. Musician Don McGlashan said he confronted Bishop at the event, telling him to "shut up, you dickhead". Speaking to media on Saturday, Seymour defended Bishop's statements and denied the hubbub had distracted from his big day. "Only the people watching or reading your news can decide that, and I suspect that there'll be people who think Bish was absolutely right, people who think he was wrong, people who don't care... each person will make up their own mind. "Just because you become a senior minister, it doesn't mean you should stop having opinions and it might well be that, based on [what] Chris saw in that moment, he was correct. It may be that people will agree with him." In a statement to RNZ, Bishop admitted he said something about performative acclaim and said "what a lot of crap". He said it referred to what he called the overtly political branding on display. "On reflection, I should have kept my thoughts to myself," he said. A spokesperson for Christopher Luxon told RNZ the prime minister had nothing further to add to Bishop's statement about the incident. ACT leader Seymour took over from Winston Peters as deputy prime minister at a ceremony at Government House in Auckland on Saturday. Seymour promised to remain "quirky", as he stepped into the role, although he declined to elaborate on what that meant. "Well, the great thing about quirkiness is it's spontaneous, it sometimes just happens. Anyone who plans to be quirky is, to quote Don McGlashan, a bit of a dickhead." Seymour vowed that, as he tookl over the new role at the halfway point of the current government, he would keep speaking freely. The official paperwork making David Seymour the new deputy prime minister. Photo: Felix Walton / RNZ Seymour said the transition - in most respects - would be "business as usual". "I've actually been the acting prime minister several times and we're all still here, so don't worry." He admitted feeling the position was largely symbolic. "Any position in politics is only an opportunity to be good and do good, and I will be judged by how much we deliver for the people of New Zealand, all of the people - those who support ACT and those who don't. "However, I also believe that for many people who never ever thought an ACT leader could be deputy prime minister, there is some significance in the position." Reflecting on his career to this point, Seymour poked fun at his history. "If I've proved anything, it's that anyone can dance, not always that well, but well enough to earn people's respect and give a lot of entertainment along the way." Seymour was featured on Dancing with the Stars NZ in 2018, in which he finished fifth. Watch the press conference at the conclusion of the swearing-in. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
‘I asked Queen Elizabeth II if she had any advice for me': Jacinda Ardern on her time as a pregnant prime minister
There was one cheerful and imperfect baby blanket that stood out when it arrived in the post. It was made up of 24 squares, bright blocks of colour, each crafted with simple, uneven purl stitches. Looking at it, I could imagine the small hands still learning to master their needles and could almost hear the adult voice leading them. 'The prime minister is having a baby. Shall our class make a gift for her family?' The response to the announcement about my pregnancy in January 2018 was almost overwhelming. It began with so many emails. In the 24 hours after the news broke, the person who managed correspondence for me said she'd never seen such an influx. Handmade gifts arrived at the office, too. The correspondence team created a display table, and within days it overflowed. I had braced for the worst. I was a public figure, used to judgment and scrutiny. Now I was pregnant and unwed. I was also new to the job. If people wanted to have a go at me, they had plenty of reason to. But I hadn't considered a fundamental truth: that politicians are humans first, and perhaps the public hadn't lost sight of that. And so maybe in the beautiful country of New Zealand, the happy news of a baby could be just that: happy. But for all this support, my pregnancy added a new kind of pressure. I was only the second world leader in history to have a baby in office. The first was Benazir Bhutto. She was the first woman to lead Pakistan, and in 1990, two years into her first term in office she had a baby girl. I didn't think the world's eyes were on me, but I did think naysayers' were. Those who might be waiting to say: See, you can't do a demanding job like that and be a mother. Not long after I'd made my announcement, I was at an event, speaking with a woman who'd had an impressive career in the corporate sector. While we were talking, I'd forgotten something minor – a word, or a name, perhaps – and I'd laughed off my memory lapse. 'Baby brain,' I said. She hadn't laughed. Her eyes were serious, her voice firm. 'You absolutely cannot say that.' She was warning me: if you give your opponents any opening whatsoever, they will use your pregnancy to say that you – or any woman – shouldn't be given a position of authority. I knew this, but suddenly I was reminded how easy such a lapse could be. From then on, I treated my pregnancy like a test, a set of hurdles to get through without breaking a sweat. By March, I was six months pregnant on a Pacific mission with a group of delegates to Tonga, Samoa, Niue and the Cook Islands. The goal was to position New Zealand as the Pacific nation we were, shifting the relationship with these countries away from a donor and recipient dynamic toward one of partnership. The media were with us around the clock. They travelled on the plane with me. They were on the ground with me, at every event, meeting and meal. I decided that if they were going to be my constant companions, then I would show them, pregnancy or not, that I had stamina. The air was sweltering throughout the tour, and at one press conference I could see streaks of sweat trickling down journalists' faces. I was dressed modestly, my arms and knees covered, and before long my feet began to swell, and my shoes dug into my skin painfully. Rather than wrap things up, I kept going until there were no more questions, long after the time available had passed. Only then, when I was certain I hadn't been the one to cave, I hobbled away to shove my feet into a cold bath. A month later, now seven months pregnant, I picked up a letter from my obstetrician confirming, should an airline ask, that I was fit to fly so late in my pregnancy. The Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm) was being held in London. Queen Elizabeth II, our head of state, would preside over it. We gathered at Buckingham Palace for the opening session and a formal photo. Before the leaders filed into the room with its bright red carpet, white and gold pillars framing the royal ensign that hung as a backdrop, ushers ordered us into lines. I jokingly asked whether the lines would be organised 'boy, girl, boy, girl'. They looked at me for a moment, perhaps trying to decide whether to take the comment seriously, before moving on to the next leader. Of course I hadn't been serious. There were 53 leaders at the meeting. Only five of us were women. My partner, Clarke, meanwhile, was having the inverse experience, as one of very few men in the group of international leaders' spouses, and he was relishing it. He enthusiastically joined the formal spousal programme, which included afternoon teas and garden tours. He made a studious effort to get to know 'the wives'. One night, I told Clarke I needed to have a conversation with a leader I had been struggling to connect with. 'Well, if it helps,' he told me, 'his wife has an extensive orchid collection.' The opening night for the meeting was a formal affair. To accommodate my bump, I'd had a gown specially made by a New Zealand designer, Juliette Hogan – a flowy mustard number, which I wore with a kākahu, a traditional Māori cloak woven from flax and covered with feathers. Next to me, Clarke, who hadn't even owned a suit when we first met, looked handsome in his tuxedo. As we walked through the halls of Buckingham Palace, we marvelled at the beauty and the history of everything we saw. I looked over at him. He was every bit the statesman, but just 20 minutes earlier he'd been standing in front of a mirror and screaming blue murder at the person back in New Zealand who told him a freestyle bow tie was a good idea. That was life in those first few months: incredible, unreal moments, mixed in with the daily reality of having a job to do. Like any job, there was a tremendous amount to get done: papers to sign, press conferences, events, shoes to strap on, bow ties that won't do up. It was all still life – just a very different one. While in London, we met Queen Elizabeth. She had, of course, raised children in the public eye, so in our private meeting I asked if she had any advice. 'You just get on with it,' she said simply. She sounded so matter of fact, just as my grandma Margaret might have. I squeezed the package I was holding, a gift for the queen. It was a framed image of her during a royal tour to New Zealand in 1953, her head back in a full relaxed laugh. You just get on with it. Of course you do. This is an edited extract from A Different Kind of Power: A Memoir by Jacinda Ardern, published globally on 3 June by Pan Macmillan in the UK; Crown in the US (a division of Penguin Random House LLC); Penguin Random House NZ; and Penguin Random House Australia. To support the Guardian, order a copy at Delivery charges may apply.
RNZ News
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
The Mixtape: Frank Booker
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. Dance/electronic DJ Chris Cox, aka Frank Booker Photo: Cam Hay Dance and electronic DJ Chrix Cox, aka Frank Booker, joined Maggie Tweedie for The Mixtape. Booker grew up in Ōtautahi Christchurch, where a formative love of jazz and funk informed his lifelong passion for DJing. He taught himself how to DJ during his teen years, cutting his teeth opening for friends at their shows and playing local venues. He played his first overseas DJ gigs in the early 2000s and moved to London in 2004, where he immersed himself in the local club scene. Upon his return to Aotearoa in 2006, Booker began collaborating with producer Nathan Haines, and the two co-produced Haines' dance/electronic album, Right Now . Booker recently added the support slot for Chaka Khan at the Civic to his DJ credentials, among others including playing a private party for Prince. DJ Frank Booker behind the decks Photo: Dan Bali Booker runs event promotion company Music First with his friend Sam Harman, through which he has hosted renowned Chicago house DJs such as Ron Trent. He recently returned from touring Australia and is set to play Auckland's Double Whammy on June 13th. Frank's Selection:
RNZ News
12 hours ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Early childhood sector facing 'dark future', pay parity to freeze for two years
Early Childhood Education teachers play a crucial role in educating young children, the Teaching Council says. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly The Teaching Council has spoken out, after the government watered down early childhood teachers' pay-parity arrangements. The professional body for teachers said the government must take care not to undermine a well-qualified early childhood sector. Chief executive Lesley Hoskin said early childhood teachers played a crucial role in educating young children. "We urge the government to proceed with caution with any changes that could make education and care centres less attractive places to work in for the qualified teachers that our children need. "Unless they are based upon a strong focus on meeting young children's learning needs, changes in this area risk undermining educational outcomes at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. They could also create a two-tier system, where only families that can afford higher costs receive better learning opportunities." Last year, the government cut relief teachers from pay parity and, this week, it announced newly qualified teachers could be placed on the lowest salary step , regardless of prior qualifications and experience. It also introduced a two-year moratorium to prevent services moving from a lower-paid to higher-paid tier of the graduated parity system. Early Childhood New Zealand Te Rio Maioha, which represented hundreds of early childhood centre owners and managers, said the sector faced a dark future as a result of the changes and the budget's below-inflation 0.5 percent increase to the sector's subsidies. Organisation chief executive Kathy Wolfe said the government demonstrated that it did not believe decades of evidence that showed high-quality ECE led to better outcomes for children. "This government appears to be saying that experience and education no longer matter, that quality early childhood education can be sacrificed in the name of government cost-cutting," she said. "The announcement to freeze pay parity for two years is also a further sign that the government's aim is to reduce their future investment commitments. "This is purely a fiscal decision for the government. Employers now cannot opt into funded higher parity options to value their teaching staff." Some ECE centre owners said pay parity was difficult to afford , because the associated government subsidies were inadequate. However, Ministry of Education figures showed the number of centres opting into the highest tier of parity had increased by 400 since 2023 to 1484 in March 2025. They also showed the sector employed 23,699 qualified teachers last year and 9610 people who worked with children in teaching roles, but were not qualified. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
