OPINION: Election year is almost here.
But before we get started on that, Stuff's gallery team has come together to award our ruling class both brickbats and bouquets for 2019.
Quote of the Year: "They are us." Jacinda Ardern in the hours after the terror attack in March making absolutely clear that the victims of the attack represented New Zealand far more than the alleged shooter.
Runner-ups: "Okay boomer" Chloe Swarbrick sent an already-existing meme into the stratosphere when she chided a (Gen X) National Party MP. Swarbrick ended up basically killing the meme, but this was only possible because those two words speak so well to how young people feel about their forebears right now.
"If [Nelson] Mandela can walk out of Robben Island after 27 years and forgive his oppressors, so can I." Winston Peters discussing his relationship with the news media.
"One person's misinformation is another person's fact." Simon Bridges takes a trip away from objective truthin a Morning Report interview.
Chris McKeen/Stuff
Winston Peters was a runner-up for Quote of the Year.
The Michael Cullen award for the funniest House moment: David Seymour's euthanasia bill finally passed in November after a two-year slog. Naturally the moment was joyous for the MPs and activists who had worked to make this happen, but the House waits for no man, and before the clapping and hugging had stopped Todd Muller was already rising to start speaking on his "Companies (Clarification of Dividend Rules in Companies) Amendment Bill" which is somehow more boring than it sounds. As he did this Labour MP Kiri Allan saw his plight and started cheering him on, screaming "let's go, Todd! let's do this!" as loud as she could across the chamber.
Ken Bone award for unexpected bipartisanship:National's finance spokesman Paul Goldsmith, for hisadmission that Grant Robertson's public debt settings were "about right" which briefly ended decades of National and Labour squabbling about fiscals.
KEVIN STENT/STUFF
National Party leader Simon Bridges put questions over his leaderhip to bed in 2019.
Steven Joyce award for hole-digging: Simon Bridges was asked earlier this year to describe new UK PM Boris Johnson, and started out by noting a "buffoon-like quality". Realising this may have been slightly impolitic, he attempted to back-pedal, saying many others had noted this quality, that it was a term of endearment, and he was someone who"sometimes gets a bit of marmalade on his chin, who sometimes doesn't say quite the right things, whose personal life can be interesting".
The Edward Snowden award for cyber-security:Treasury, whichmanaged not only to putconfidential budget data online but also to describe the accessing of that data using a search engine as "hacking".
Worst members' bill:Slim pickings this year, with no absolute shockers like Clayton Mitchell's bill to make English an official language (2018) or anything to do with lost luggage. Matt King's bill to stop the media reporting the name of a police officer involved in a shooting is definitely a law going in search of a problem the media don't do this by convention anyway.
KEVIN STENT/STUFF
Justin Lester had insult added to injury by the prime minister after she forgot he had run as a Labour candidate.
Aaron Gilmore award for not knowing who someone is: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, clearly seeking to distance herself from former Wellington mayor Justin Lester after he lost his election, noted he had not run as a Labour Party candidate. He had. Talk about adding insult to injury.
Ross Geller award for being a terrible friend: Opshop frontman Jason Kerrison for trying to secure some low-level immigration help from minister Kris Faafoi and then going to the media when Faafoi wasn't as helpful as he'd hoped.
Martin Luther award for angering the Catholic church: Brooke Van Velden, the David Seymour staffer (and potential ACT MP) who did the most to make sure the End of Life Choice bill passed through Parliament, against the considerable efforts of the Catholic church (and others besides), ably channelled through former prime minister Bill English.
National list MP Jo Hayes sent this nasty tweet late on Friday night, seemingly unprovoked.
The Sean Plunket award for worst tweet of the year: Jo Hayes, the National MP who wasbeaten forselection in the Palmerston North electorate by 17-year-old William Wood, randomly replied to a months-old tweet from a former Labour candidate late at night to say: "OMG Youre such a nastyperson and i hope that people checking you out for future work will visit your twitter page and see how ugly you really are [sic]."
The hurry-it-up award for slowness in public office: To the Serious Fraud Office, which hasbeen looking into the allegations against the National Party made by Jami-Lee Ross for months and months and months. The party is not yet cleared but not yetcharged either. The closer we get to an election the worse the timing will look just ask James Comey.
Rookie on the rise: National MP Hamish Walker has a long career ahead of him. This year he made a lot of political hay over the downgrading of the Lumsden Maternity Centre, to such a point that he entered the preferred prime minister polls. Not bad for a guy who was only elected in 2017.
KEVIN STENT/STUFF
Nicola Willis wins backbencher of the year for the second year in a row.
Backbencher of the year: National MP Nicola Willis, for the second year running. This year Willis, a former staffer for John Key, ran a strong campaign against Julie Anne Genter over Wellington transport. One to watch.
The Postman Pat award for actual policy delivery: Climate Change Minister James Shaw got bipartisan support for his Zero Carbon Bill this year, is passing a law to (technically) bring agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme, and is looking to limit emissions at 2020 levels.
Party leader of the year: Simon Bridges began the year with the rot of the Jami-Lee Ross saga hanging over him, and the airing of real questions over his leadership. He's put those questions to bed and has kept the party vote up in the polls.
Politician of the year: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had a year for the history books. Her response to Christchurch hit the exact right note not just rhetorically but also legislatively. It was not a perfect year but it's unlikely to be one she will ever top.
Read more here:
Stuff's political awards for 2019: The best and the rest - Stuff.co.nz
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- Dutch doctors against euthanasia for advanced dementia patients - NL Times - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Canadian study touts euthanasia's cost 'benefit' - Brnow - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
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- Patients Rights Council - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- New euthanasia debate in Spain - BioEdge - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Labour will not introduce private members bill on euthanasia - Scoop.co.nz (press release) - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- MP's personal story behind euthanasia support - Clarence Valley Daily Examiner - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Could laser therapy help dog owners avoid euthanasia? - 12news.com - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Speaker receives citizens' initiative on legalisation of euthanasia - YLE News - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Euthanasia's march Down Under - Catholic Herald Online (blog) - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Another company issues recall after euthanasia drug found in dog ... - KATU - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Medical Council against euthanasia: 'We don't want youths euthanising their grandparents' - MaltaToday - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- More dog food recalled because it may contain euthanasia drug ... - Q13 FOX - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Law students accuse Medical Council of twisting their euthanasia arguments - MaltaToday - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Hanson, Hinch launch passionate arguments for euthanasia law - Starts at 60 - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Pauline Hanson and Derryn Hinch get riled up about euthanasia - Starts at 60 - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Brigit Forsyth on euthanasia, internet dating and whether she'd consider Likely Lads revival - ChronicleLive - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- FDA confirms euthanasia agent pentobarbital in dog food | Food ... - Food Safety News - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Oregon's Euthanasia Bill Is Intentionally Ambiguous - National Review - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Conservative leaders argued drugs, euthanasia, and fiscal policy in Langley - Langley Advance - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- New German film addresses Nazi child 'euthanasia' - euronews - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- How Did a Euthanasia Drug End Up in Dog Food? - Care2.com - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- Why euthanasia slippery slopes are inevitable - National Right to Life News - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Oregon's euthanasia bill awash with 'ambiguity' - OneNewsNow - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Adoption center works to reduce euthanasia - The Dominion Post - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Police stance was to not answer questions over details of euthanasia checkpoint - Stuff.co.nz - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- WA election: Euthanasia, Safe Schools hot topics as Liberal, Labor leaders face Christian voters - ABC Online - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Lessons from indigenous wisdom in the euthanasia debate - MercatorNet - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Dying man gathers his family together for final hours before ... - 9Honey - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Quebec Moves Toward Euthanasia for Alzheimer's | National Review - National Review - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
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- APA Position on Medical Euthanasia - Psychiatric Times - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- Pike County animal shelter reduces euthanasia rates - WYMT News (press release) - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- BioEdge: Should Quebec's Alzheimer's patients be eligible for ... - BioEdge - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- 45 Rescued Cats and Dogs Are Facing Euthanasia But One Woman is Fighting to Build Them Shelter - One Green Planet - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Minnesota Euthanasia Advocates Introduce Legislation to Legalize ... - LifeNews.com - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Italy: tetraplegic DJ stirs up euthanasia debate by assisted suicide in Switzerland - euronews - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Euthanasia and Alzheimer's: Canada takes a step in the wrong direction - MercatorNet - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Choice is an Illusion President Margaret Dore States Hawaii ... - EconoTimes - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Evanger's expands recall because dog food may contain euthanasia drug - The Seattle Times - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Last Wishes mobile pet euthanasia service adds storefront hospice for pets - Chron.com - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- DJ's assisted suicide stirs up Italy euthanasia debate - BBC News - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- The euthanasia debate is polarised, yet shared concerns unite all sides - The Guardian - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Jagged Vision Streaming "Euthanasia" - Metal Underground - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Paralysed Italian DJ takes own life in Swiss clinic after fruitless euthanasia campaign in his native country - The Independent - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Mane Attraction hosts Beauty to the RESCUE to fight animal euthanasia - 12news.com - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- Finnish parliament debates legalising euthanasia - Expatica Netherlands - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- Euthanasia Advocate Changes Her Mind After Watching the Euthanasia Deception Documentary - LifeNews.com - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
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- Corgi pit bull with lopsided jaw saved from euthanasia - BBC News - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
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- Gentle Journey Phoenix Arizona In Home Pet Euthanasia - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]