LABOUR NEEDS A LITTLE LESSON ON FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Thakur Ranjit Singh.

It was Mark Twain who said: It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt.

He said it some centuries ago (1835-1910) but it very aptly applies to Labour’s Justice Minister, Andre Little regarding his retort to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s  stance that: “My expectation is that when we set a budget, we stick to it.”.

This was when the final cost of Justice Summit held in August in Porirua was more than double its budget of $700,000.  Prime Minister was reacting to the final cost of $1.5 million dollars - more than double its budgeted/estimated cost. 

Andrew Little defended this cost and said he was satisfied with it.
Poor Andrew Little, he made a huge error of judgement. He is a nice fellow, and in fact FIJI PUNDIT bestowed him the honour he deserved as the Queen-Maker. Had he not given that strategic Hail Mary Pass of Labour Leadership to Jacinda Ardern, Labour would have been languishing in opposition. His timely relinquishing of his position gave him this opportunity to be in Government and now defending the indefensible when his portfolio is caught napping.

Andrew Little (right) is, indeed, the "Queen maker". He very prudently vacated Labour leadership and gave the position to Jacinda Ardern. And the rest is history. However, his handling of the busted costs of Justice Summit leaves a great deal to be desired. He needs to inculcate financial prudence in his portfolios.

I wonder whether Little has previously done any big projects, events or organised anything involving financial management and budgeting? I wonder whether he was ever obligated to work to an estimated expenditure. Having worked with Boards of a Bank, a City Council and a Newspaper in Fiji, I appreciate the importance, prudence of financial management and working to budgets and forecasts. One’s career and livelihood may depend on it. 

It appears Andrew Little is bereft of any past experience in this area, because unexplained variance of over 100%, as in this case, would have resulted in his termination, unless it was beyond his control. If in any of the Boards above, we had attained the variance as in Justice Summit, heads would surely have rolled.

What Justice Minister failed to realise is that the Prime Minister was NOT questioning the cost of the summit. What she rightly questioned the lack of financial discipline by somebody who could have been the Prime Minister. She was questioning double the estimated costs, and as the guardian of national purse, she has a right to do that and expect her Ministers to regard public money as their own. All she called was a show of financial prudence by her team. 

This whole incident reflects on dereliction of duties of Little’s support staff, and they need to be disciplined. What credible support service does he get as Justice Minster? Doesn’t he have a highly paid Chief Executive (read ‘on six figure’)? In turn is he/she not supported by equally highly paid and highly qualified finance people and bean –counters? Did they do project plan, especially projected costing and budget and estimate for expenditure of this summit? If no, why?

If yes, then heads needs to roll unless Labour wishes to look at some real holes in their overall budget with its support staff sleeping on the job. And does Labour have other Ministers who are also sleeping on the job, supporting such oversight, and lacking proper judgement? How long will people expect Jacinda Ardern to be her brother’s keeper?

This article comes on the heels of FIJI PUNDIT article questioning a wanting media and communications support for the Prime Minister. I take no pleasure in writing such critique of a Party which I support and whose member I am. But I had warned them, and they have failed to notice that this Devil’s Advocate is real.

NZ Herald cartoon of 12 September, 2018 said it all. The Justice Summit was estimated to cost $700,000 but ended up costing more than double, at $1.5m. Apart from a busted budget, the summit will also be known for a very elaborate and sumptuous lay of the buffet table.

I will not sit on the side line and allow Labour Party to score own goals, and falling on their swords as they did while nine years in opposition. They need to be accountable to their members and voters who have shown confidence in their capabilities.

And Fiji Pundit, its Devil’s Advocate will pull them up whenever again they aim towards their own goal.

Finally, to the apex of the summit. I have attended many such summits, seminars, conferences or whatever you call them, both in Fiji and New Zealand. And what do you remember them for? The fine speakers? The video presentations that wake you from boring speakers? The message? The fantastic multi-media presentations? The free bag and other souvenirs? No, wrong. What you remember is the buffet layout and feasting.

And this Justice Summit in Porirua will be known for a “decadent glutton free chocolate brownie, pork, apricot and thyme pastries, four different kinds of croissants, luxury pies and chicken and cranberry casserole”

Indeed, justice has been done to this Justice Summit!

[Thakur Ranjit Singh is a media commentator and runs his blog, FIJI PUNDIT]

Hang on, Girl: Do not be distracted by Pundits of Doomsday

Thakur Ranjit Singh

It appears the curse on Labour Party of having a deficient and wanting media and communication cell has weighed down on the Party since leadership era of Phil Goff, David Cunliffe, David Shearer and Andrew Little. And that jinx seems to be an obstinate one, has not been exorcised and stuck on for the millennial Labour Prime Minister and Hail Mary conversion scorer, Jacinda Ardern.

While having the blessings of Opposition Leader, Simon Bridges digging a hole in the travel leak fiasco, she nevertheless is cursed with some right-wing commentators in certain mainstream media. We get an impression that such commentators are doubling as cheerleaders of the National Party, and still haven’t fathomed the fact that we have a change of government now.

Jacinda Ardern, the first ever millennial Prime Minister has been carving out  a new culture granting natural justice to those caught in disciplinary issues. While she is seen as a PM with a heart, unfortunately her government appears to be cursed,  by her media team unable to communicate, project reality and facts to the general public and counteract many media wolves trying to devour this Government. 

Lest I be accused of hate speech, one glaring fact in New Zealand is that the mainstream media is still very White. Despite some plea, even the Labour Party did little to colour its media team. What I am writing should have been written by one of their well-connected and well paid media expert, and not this Fiji Indian, writing voluntarily for his blog, FIJI PUNDIT.

There is no problem in having an Anglo-Saxon (White) team. Nevertheless, their weakness is lack of exposure to alternative kaleidoscope, and missing on diversity of wider views appropriate to a rapidly changing world.

Some mainstream commentators, including Mike Hosking and Matthew Hooton, among others appear to be spin doctors of the opposition party, tainting the fourth estate with their questionable and unbalanced views, masquerading as neutral media commentary.

In fact such blatantly blinkered media commentary haven’t gone unnoticed. One NZ Herald writer observed: 

Has there ever been a more concerted attempt to undermine a NZ government than that we are seeing from the National Party and its apologists such as Hooton, Hosking and Business NZ? If it weren't so serious, it would be seriously funny.

There is a frenzy of views on Ardern’s lack of business experience, drop in business confidence and her lack of decisiveness in party discipline. The latter refers to Labour youth conference scandal, and issues affecting two of her Ministers. They expect Ardern to be her brother’s keeper. While the editorial writer of NZ Herald could appreciate the issue on cabinet discipline, some of its celebrated columnists and radio commentators appear to be very naïve.

While being accused by some blinkered media commentators of lacking decisiveness, she nevertheless has proved to be  PM with a heart, and can be firm and resolute when need arises. Unfortunately she has been subject of unbalanced media commentary.

NZ Herald of Saturday 1 September, 2018 really summed it well when it rejected former Labour Party President, Mike Williams’s contention that such lack of discipline reflected a lack of training for those appointed ministers.

The Herald corrected him, by stating:

Voters and taxpayers have a right to expect that all of the people a political party offers for election - let alone those chosen to be ministers in government- possess the personal qualities needed at any level of leadership.

The question that arises is, did Clare Curren and Meka Whaitiri meet this criteria? Do you expect Ardern to nanny-sit these two, or any Ministers, who are experienced in management in their own rights? Should she be held responsible for their lack of judgement? And should she be castigated for what comes naturally to her - having a heart? Why should she not allow them natural justice that her older predecessors may have denied them? Should heads roll for all moments of indiscretion? (Read Bill Clinton)

We have for the first time in New Zealand history, a millennial Prime Minister. Being of the new generation, she introduced immense personal charm and aura. Having delivered for the vulnerable and the so-called underclass in our community, she has proved she also has compassion for poorly paid people ignored by previous governments.

Thankfully, Ardern rightly lacks ruthless and cold-blooded management style of her predecessors. She believes in natural justice and has a right to carve out a new culture that delivers mercy. That is where lack of diversity in media becomes noticeable. Kiwi journalists need to appreciate the Pacific Way of leadership with compassion, humanity and forgiveness. This is not a sign of weakness.

Media has failed to acknowledge her virtue and justice in halting undeserving pay rises for highly paid parliamentarians as well as state Chief executives in recognition of so many lower paid people who really deserve a pay rise.

Neither have these media commentators given her deserving kudos for outstanding achievement in working with the “enemy.” The fact that she has roped in rock star chief executive of Air New Zealand, Christopher Luxon as chair of Prime Ministerial Business Advisory Group speaks volumes for her charm offensive. As we are aware, Luxon was caught on the wrong side of Shane Jones, when Jones criticised Air New Zealand for ignoring the region and calling Luxon to resign and enter politics if he wanted to play politics. 

Working with the "enemy": Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon  heads Prime Ministerial Business Advisory Group, despite being caught on the wrong side of Regional Minister Shane Jones.  Jacinda Ardern's ability to build and mend Bridges (pun intended) has not been recognized by certain section of the mainstream media.

And the fact that she has not reigned in Jones makes sense, and speaks highly of her maturity. Government needs a loose cannon the boom of which can open up the eyes and ears of corporate that were seen as treating the region with scorn and arrogance. Jones deserved the loose rope that Jacinda has given him - he is a hero to a great number of people who have been victims of big corporate (read Air New Zealand, Warehouse and, Australian Banks, among others) and had nobody speaking for them until Jones came on the scene.

The pundit of doomsday need to realise that so-called lack of economic confidence is not supported by economic indicators. (That will be visited by FIJI PUNDIT in another article). Media commentators who humiliate the Fourth Estate need to realise that New Zealand now has a new government. It has the agenda to correct weaknesses they inherited: skills shortage, lack of investment in productive sector (inflated house price is not productive), under-investment in infrastructure, low productivity, low-wages, environment neglect and little care on social welfare with an obsession for healthy books but extremely unhealthy everything else.
 

Shane Jones, the secret weapon, a loose cannon that the government deservedly needs. He has been given a loose rope to tie in delinquent corporate who have been used to bullying public under protection of previous government they supported. He is seen as the savior of the region.

Perhaps it is not too much for an ethnic (read Fiji Indian) journalist to request better understanding from the mainstream (read Anglo Saxon) journalists who need some refresher course on ethics, morals and balance in journalism. Hope that is not asking too much from a media which still fails to reflect the country’s demographic colour in its newsrooms.

Sadly, political parties also mirror such deficiency, including PM Ardern’s Labour Party.

[Thakur Ranjit Singh runs his blog, FIJI PUNDIT, and is a media commentator]