This is beneath the Finance Minister of New Zealand…
Craig Renney and CTU want apology from Nicola Willis over Treasury ban
The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) wants an apology from Finance Minister Nicola Willis after what it argues is a false characterisation of an error Craig Renney made in an October press release, which ultimately saw him blocked from future Treasury briefings.
Documents now released under the Official Information Act (OIA) show that Willis’ office’s frustration at an error made in one of Renney’s press releases fed into Treasury’s decision to bar him.
Renney maintains the mistake, an inaccurate quote, was an innocent error that was quickly corrected, however Willis and her office have said the quote was “made-up” and “fabricated”.
The spat deepened this week, when the CTU saw the way Willis’ office had characterised the incident to Treasury officials in OIA documents, which are mainly emails from Willis’ office to Treasury.
The CTU and Renney want an apology from Willis for those remarks and they want Willis to back Treasury reinstating Renney’s access to certain Treasury briefings. Willis, however, is not apologising and maintains that the quote was “made-up”.
…banning the Economist for the largest Union access to Treasury Briefings because of a mistake in a press release, a mistake that was quickly corrected, is the sort of behaviour of a wide eyed free market ideologue with an enemies list, not a Finance Minister of the Crown.
This is really, really, really petty of the Finance Minister.
Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.
Nicola Willis is a mistake.
She’s doing one thing very well. She’s a compelling argument for compulsory voting. Then, we can focus on chucking mmp out with the rest of the Natzi brain-fart junk.
You further write @ MB. ” not a Finance Minister of the Crown.”
“…not a finance minister OF THE CROWN.
A finance minister of the crown. So, do you think we need a royal commission of inquiry up and into every crack and crevice of our politic, our Big Urban Business mafia and then of where our agricultural exports derived economy’s gone and who’s built fortunes from that? Maybe ron brierly, the titan if NZ industry, could help with that? https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/fresh-child-abuse-charges-for-disgraced-nz-businessman-ron-brierley/7OAULJ2VAVALDHCLLKMS3AIQRQ/
New Zealand businessman Ron Brierley is facing three fresh charges of possessing child abuse material after an appearance in court in Australia today. Aged 87, Brierley appeared in the Waverley Local Court in Sydney this afternoon following his arrest by police this morning.
https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/the-life/looking-back-bnz-part-2-rob-campbell-frank-pearson-and-the-bank
This might also be of some use when trying to understand what the fuck it is that’s actually going on.
‘Female narcissism is often misdiagnosed’: how science is finding women can have a dark streak too
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/feb/02/female-narcissism-is-often-misdiagnosed-how-science-is-finding-women-can-have-a-dark-streak-too
Evil prevails when good people are coerced by a bias MSM into abandoning their responcibilites to remain ever vigilant in the day to day activities of rich, influential, political psychopaths.
Loopy willis has absolute zero interest in people. He interests lie in wading fat arse deep through our money. To use a common phrase, she’s ‘not a fit and peoper person’ to do the job she’s fucking up.
Sticking to the subject would be helpful rather than going off in tangents.
Bob the hypocrite. Fuck off back to Whale Oil.
Outstanding comments again Killer White and on point.
The only reason she is banning Craig Rennie is because he is the only economist exposing the bullshit she, and her office (NZ Initiative/taxpayers union) are feeding the brain dead fourth estate and, thus, the public.
Her English degree isn’t helping her.
Martyn – this is outrageous. Willis needs to stick to Chaucer and leave economics for the qualified. Petty? No, scared.
Anyone who read Chaucer with an ounce of attention would never be as misanthropic as Willis.
Rennie should be next minister of finance he has more idea than the silly woman .Luxon should mover aside and make Rennie a commisioner like he did with health ,the difference being Rennie is up to the job unlike Levy .
It’s not the person. It’s the Party. The National Party, regardless of the evidence has taken the view that the only way for New Zealand to succeed is through tax cuts, budget cuts and down sizing.
National Party was started with those goals.
Disgraceful.
“Made-up” and “fabricated” are apt descriptions for much of the reasoning behind many of the gummint’s economic policies, just saying
Falling in line with the PRC masters.
From this inveterate liars maiden speech to Parliament:
“Politics is not just about the what; it is about the how. We do our best as leaders when we listen well, when we treat each other with civility, and when we bring people together, not when we drive them apart.”
In reality, it’s “Yeah nah. Just ban contrary opinion and exclude those who disagree. It’s all about power & position baby, and repaying the donors who put you there.”
Her kamikaze knee-jerk financial policies have now plunged this country deep into recession.
The Coalitions contribution to the global lurch to fascism and far right extremism, will negatively impact on New Zealanders wellbeing for a long time.
Another Tory sellout scared of folk like Craig analysing her actions and revealing the reality: she is promoting the interests of the rich as somehow being good for everyone.
It’s more important to them to stick to their guns, not back down one bit, than to do the job properly.
Ego is everything.
Pathetic, a punctuation error gets a ban for a union professional?
Minister Costello ran whole bogus documents (authors unknown) in support of Tobacco industry and that was fine for CoC…
Get Rennie into Parliament Chippy asap, and then he can stick it to whiny, whinging Willis.
Another one who can’t stand being told she’s wrong. Like her bosses.
I love seeing Nicola and National showing their commitment to ‘free speech’, refusing to be ‘told what to think’ by other people, refusing to be ‘cancelled’, and standing up for ‘common sense’ in the face of the ‘freedom-hating woke mob’ of leftie economists.
But mostly I love her intellectual consistency – go Nicola!
Willis is just plain thick she can’t help it
She’s good at making babies though.
Ice cream scoops on cones too
“Union Economist”
Noe there’s an oxymoron !
Oh Andrew don’t be a silly boy. Economics is an intensely contested ideological space – and it (almost) always has been. The domination of the neoclassical economics taught in our universities and its 40-year long mutation in neoliberal economics, is something of an aberration in human cultural history. Stop pretending that economics is something it’s not, like a science.
Andrew is 5 years old give him a break!
Barbara Edmonds gets her shrieking every time and her shrieking is not a pretty sight
Basic really, just like Maori, not being, invited to this corporate talk fest about our,oop!s truth invest here now, we are open.
No, Tuti we have not forgotten Morgan, had the best to demand Maori, place at the Pai, eh!, THIS GOVERNMENT,AND OTHERS WILL COME AND GO, our Iwi, invest shall always be .
That is why, no don!, invite them.
i Have Birthed four children, believe in me. Invest.
” This is really, really, really petty of the Finance Minister. ”
No ! Her comments are on behalf of this coalition government of National , ACT and Winston Shane First.
All members of this cartel speak as one !
Mr Bradbury what are your thoughts and ideas on how we resist this attack?
You formed the Mana party to resist Keys government. And this current shits are worse than Key and his gangsters.
Bernie Sanders is leading the fight in the states and getting huge numbers coming out to support the fightback.
Martyn can you advise on where to from here ?
” This is really, really, really petty of the Finance Minister. ”
No ! Her comments are on behalf of this coalition government of National , ACT and Winston Shane First.
All members of this cartel speak as one !
Mr Bradbury what are your thoughts and ideas on how we resist this attack?
You formed the Mana party to resist Keys government. And this current shits are worse than Key and his gangsters.
Bernie Sanders is leading the fight in the states and getting huge numbers coming out to support the fightback.
Martyn can you advise on where to from here ?