Left in charge of New Zealand's ship of state whilst Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern takes maternity leave for her and partner Clark(e) Gayford's newborn - the entire six weeks, evidently, from *Midwinter's Day itself (i.e. the winter solstice, otherwise known as **'Matariki') - Winston Peters has undergone another twenty-year metamorphosis, stepping up to the political plate once more as the nation's 'man for the hour'. And did he start off on a high note or what!
Despite el usual media attempts to trip him up and serve him **** his own medicine, Peters acquitted himself well (superbly) at his first official news/press conference as NZ's Acting Prime Minister: with exquisite calm and composure ("Let's get things right from the outset, sonny/dearie, I've never suffered fools gladly") - with due gravitas and statesmanlike aplomb; as perfectly befit the occasion.
My gut/instinctive reaction to WP during the TV1/TV3[Newshub Nation] *****6 p.m. News Programme - on the evening of June 25th (following the public presentation and announcement of the naming of the nation's 'first baby' live on Sunday morning television the day before) - was more positive than ever; but substantially less so (to put it mildly) as far as his media would-be 'interrogators' were concerned.
Full of undue self-importance after her premature (and arguably, unwelcome) return from 'Brexiting' Britain - ******where her innate political biases against the same were only all too evident for all to see upon the United Kingdom's *******clear-cut decision to exit the European Union, the uppity and full-of-herself, newly-appointed Newshub Nation Political Editor Tove O'Brien(sp?) readily gave sheer, undisguised vent to her own highly partisan political prejudices as she sought to waylay PM Peters as he addressed the media and then proceeded to exit the scene.
O'Brien was quite literally beside herself (with an odd combination of barely-veiled umbrage and contempt alongside schadenfreude-like glee, at Mr Peters' utter gall for ignoring the popular zeitgeist of naming Ms Ardern's special occasion 'an historic(al) moment' worthy of thus being enshrined in New Zealand's collective psyche for now and for ever as such: no ifs, buts or maybes allowed (to borrow PM Peters' own characteristic turn-of-phrase).
Yes, Winston Peters' evident refusal to simply fall in line with media-sanctioned niceties of public decorum and thereby acclaim Ardern's situation a unique snapshot in time/the history - or rather, her-story - of NZ Inc, instantly rendered him offensive to public sensibilities - a public pariah as it were; a cultural barbarian, philistine if you will...totally oblivious evidently to what was the accepted thing in present-day Aotearoa.
In response to O'Brien's desperate search at all costs to somehow uncover some peg or angle to hang her rather 'out there' obvious as personal agenda, even vendetta to, to effectively label Peters a public outcast for simply refusing to deem and publicly declare 'on the record' the first on-the-job prime ministerial birth the best thing since sliced bread, Peters simply and calmly, ever so deftly, deflected all such pious pretence (admittedly worthy of a special guest appearance in 'the Importance of Being Earnest', let's give O'Brien all due 'credit') with his winning, characteristic, 'grinning from ear to ear', all-so-knowing smirk (for which he is so justly renowned).
A superb, no, a class act...though methinks any forthcoming media acknowledgement to that effect will be about as forthcoming as the imminent freezing over of hell...or the deathbed conversion of Adolf Hitler. Not very likely...ever.
*I.e. June the 21st, the day many kiwis indulge in the highly unseasonable annual 'polar plunge' (into a local ocean, lake or river). Interestingly, though I was hoping said 'Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford' might've been born just a tad earlier (upon my Mum's 84th or a sister's 57th), the P.M. not only christened her girl with a family name (of my own kith and kin), but paid tribute to said winter solstice ***as a basis for aspects of her naming.
Just as intriguingly to me, a half dozen years back (around the very same time of year, perhaps a few weeks on) when I began this and my other blogsite, I'd concluded - whether stated in my various, Dunedin weather-related posts at the time, or not - that one basically needs to count six weeks off from midwinter's day till we start to finally de-thaw from our annual winter's hibernation. As they say, things always get darker before the dawn, and there's invariably quite a time lag till the weather 'hollows out' or suchlike (though one might naturally assume that the shortest day is likewise the coldest; but not so...) .
And so PM Ardern looks set to resume official duties pretty much right on that stipulated schedule (legislated period of maternity leave), as her fellow kiwis lift up their heads and hearts and hopes in anticipation of brighter days to come; a fitting metaphor if ever there was one (i.e. for a leader resuming her duties on a positive note).
**Though I believe 'Matariki' - actually named after a constellation known as the 'Seven Sisters' in the Southern Hemisphere's night sky (according to Newstalk ZB evening host Marcus Lush the other night) - depicts the entire midwinter 'season' (rather than one specific day only).
***I'd volunteered (c/o a previous blogpost and Ardern's PA in the Beehive) that name 'Matariki' (though I'm sure it or something similar was frequently suggested, and obviously the actual day of birth would've made such a possible choice rather obvious anyhow).
****An allusion to the fact that Mr Peters has never been what one would call a 'media darling' (in terms of enjoying an acrimony-free relationship with the same, that is; not in terms of his at times
great popularity (as potential Prime Minister) - at least way back in the mid-later nineteen-eighties).
*****Including via Freeview Television's TV1/TV3 Plus (one hour on) channels.
******See for example numerous blogposts of my own at the time (upon both this and my other blogsite: http://nuffsaid:consideryourself-frombothsidesnow.blogspot.co.nz/ (or .com/), especially the one titled (I believe) 'the Morning After').
*******Whether mathematically or numerically, a 52:48 margin/ratio/percentage differential of the popular vote is not only determinative ('a miss being as good as a mile', and hence vica-versa) but moreover both significant (signifying 13 people supported the Brexit and 12 opposed it, in every 25 voters) and meaningful (in sheer numbers alone, I believe a million-and-a-half more people voted 'Yes' than 'No' in the referendum - surely not an inconsiderable figure in terms of numbers of voters).
And, though the generally anti-Brexit (non-tabloid and print media, admittedly) mainstream (broadcast) media tended to vehemently oppose leaving the European Union, if it hadn't been for the awful and completely unexpected cold-blooded murder of staunchly pro-Remain M.P. Jo Cox by a crazed neo-Nazi in the closing days of the referendum, the result might well have been - indeed every (opinion polling) indication was that it would have been - far more decisive in terms of leaving the EU; (some polls just prior to this absolutely unforeseen turn of events, which some (like myself) might well have conjectured was a last-ditch conspiracy attempt by Remainers to turn the tide the other way - which it actually largely succeeded in doing (if that was indeed the case) - were indeed then indicating a margin as wide, as huge as 55:45 for leaving the European Union - which lead suddenly vanished 'overnight' as it were.) However unless said hate-filled lunatic had been bribed or set up to do his dastardly deed, then any conspiracy theory appears to hold no water, admittedly.
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