https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/04/12/minister-left-46b-benefit-of-smokefree-reforms-out-of-cabinet-paper/
Some comments following the article:
*The arrogance and incompetence of this government appears to know no
bounds.
* If our news media continues to be decimated how will examples of the duplicity outlined above ever be subject to public scrutiny?
* If a senior figure in the corporate world withheld significant
information from colleagues they would be fired. With the seething
cauldron of our three-way coalition it’s pretty scary to find that
ministers apparently have total impunity when the same thing happens
in Cabinet.
*Costello’s action highlights the expediency of the Luxon government.
Because this was part of the coalition agreement and the target for
the “first 100 days” the advice could not be released to Cabinet
unless it weakened individual politicians’ resolve. Even worse, one of
them could just have slipped what the officers had to say to the
press. Costello’s answer: Fudge it. This is the start of real
corruption rather than the small corruption we have always had. We
live in the days of Trump and Putin, fellow readers, where anything
goes if you can get away with it. Is New Zealand really going to
accept such behaviour?
*So much for the Government’s stated commitment to evidence based
decisions. Just rhetoric – the only winners are the power brokers.
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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