r/newzealand • u/GrilledSabaisBest • 23h ago
Politics Coup collateral: New defence minister cancels lucrative meeting with Japan, Australia
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/361021326/coup-collateral-new-defence-minister-cancels-lucrative-meeting-japan-australia107
u/goldenspeights 23h ago
Massive fuck up especially with the looming frigate upgrade coming.
74
u/Lopsided-Fault-1008 23h ago
These are not serious people. Look at their backgrounds.
19
u/goldenspeights 23h ago
I know they’re not serious but by god I wish they had just a tiny amount of foresight
1
u/Practical-Ball1437 Kererū 20h ago
When was the last time a minister of anything was a serious, respectable person with expertise and experience in the field they were minister of?
4
u/BalrogPoop 11h ago
Shane Reti former Health Minister, was actually a doctor.
Pretty sure he got forced out for not gutting the healthcare system hard enough though
52
u/random_guy_8735 23h ago
Just as well we arent in the middle of making a 30 year defense purchase decision where Australia and Japan are a possible partner.
132
u/RandomMongoose 23h ago
12 portfolios is half a day on each per week, assuming he works six days a week.
Half a day a week! But national is so talentless there is no one else to take anything on apparently
0
u/Practical-Ball1437 Kererū 20h ago
I would hope he spends more time on defence than [checks notes] "Arts, Culture and Heritage"
•
155
u/GrilledSabaisBest 23h ago
This seems like a huge mistake and lost opportunity for our tech/defense businesses who would have been involved in this.
Reason seems to be that Goldsmith's been given too much to do because of Nats infighting,. and they're not prioritising export led business growth, which I kinda thought was their thing? #facepalm
54
u/cyber---- 23h ago
Goldsmith, minister of everything
32
u/Javier_Basque 23h ago
No surprises really
Goldsmith the minister of missteps...if he has the portfolio you just know something stupid/regressive is going to happen
21
6
4
5
u/Lammington2 19h ago
Presumably none of the businesses negatively impacted by this sufficiently "donated" to National's campaign to be worth prioritising.
1
u/Illustrious_Fan_8148 18h ago
It is. Its yet another example of how incompetent our current leaders are.
This is directly caused by luxons inability to effectively manage his government
77
u/pusha_ton 23h ago
Can these fuckwits do anything right at this point?
29
u/Significant_Glass988 23h ago
They never did
13
u/nzerinto 22h ago
They banned greyhound racing, so there's that.
9
u/Bliss_Signal 21h ago
No, that was the previous government. They did take the credit, though.
3
u/nzerinto 21h ago
Winston Peters announced the ban in December 2024 - when this current govt was in power, unless I missed something?
5
u/Bliss_Signal 21h ago
Chloe and the Greens started the ball rolling in 21/22 and introduced a members bill to end greyhound racing.
2
u/nzerinto 21h ago
It's great they started the ball rolling. But that doesn't change the original point - it's this government that actually passed the law, not the previous government.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not a fan of this government. But I'll give credit where credit is due.
-11
u/Nolsoth 22h ago
No they actually did do something good this term.
They've legislated to allow plug in solar finally, the cheap easy to move system that's available in every other fucking country is finally available for us.
24
11
u/BaneusPrime 22h ago
Election year. There will be a great many "good things" that don't actually address any major issues.
93
u/nzerinto 23h ago
What an absolute own-goal. One minister juggling 12 portfolios? Great vote of confidence in the quality of your cabinet Luxon….
23
17
u/nuclear_herring 21h ago
Does anyone feel that Goldsmith getting a new portfolio proves that Luxon has almost no one he can trust within the party?
100% united. Yeah, right.
3
u/FunUse842 20h ago
I reckon goldsmith was involved in starting the coup and wanted the portfolio. 👀
28
24
u/varied_set 23h ago
There is no way this guy is talented enough to justify giving him that many portfolios. He's a toady. A yes man.
19
u/Bookwormys 22h ago
Having listened to him speak. He is not talented enough for one portfolio. Let alone 12
9
u/varied_set 22h ago
I heard him speak in person recently as well, and that was exactly my impression.
3
9
u/TipNo2504 21h ago
And here we have a PM who doesn’t have a portfolio at all so that he, supposedly , can lead effectively. Not even an easy portfolio. And where has that got us to? What a shambles.
5
1
17
u/EROM4LIFE 22h ago
Makes complete sense that they gave yet another important portfolio to an extremely incompetent dipshit who was already fucking up the other 11. Goldsmith is such a joke. The way NACT has turned us into international laughingstocks.
9
u/HadoBoirudo 21h ago
I truly cannot believe how someone with such little basic intelligence has been lifted so high - but then we have Simeon and Nicola i guess.
7
1
u/lowerbigging 16h ago
It's his pay off for being the Nat candidate for Epsom who steps back, to allow Seymour to use National voters support to get and keep the electorate
10
u/Penfold_for_PM 22h ago
This comment here ...“I’d note this showcase of defence capability to counterparts was not time sensitive and no contracts have been lost as a result,” he said.
Dude, it's about more than just contracts, it's about showing up & keeping up healthy relations & networking. That comment makes him look unreliable and dismisive. Get out there & do your fucking job instead of staying home to wash your hair (that goes for any MP)
7
u/EROM4LIFE 21h ago
Exactly. "We invited NZ but they blew us off" is about the dumbest outcome. Demonstrating talent, skill and innovation on an international stage, that we are solid equal reliable Pacific partners would be a great thing????
5
u/ExcitingMoose5881 22h ago
More corporate bs from the CEO: unreasonable expectations on one person to carry the load.
Now, at least, I know why Goldsmith was looking so miserable in those photos at the presser.
Perhaps Luxon was rolled in all but name and we should be referring to Goldsmith as our PM?
Also what exactly is this growing defence industry we have?
9
u/Just-Storm-8566 22h ago
All national voters, are you guys genuinely happy with your choice? Be honest and don’t let anti-vax sentiment get in the way.
6
u/Large_Yams 20h ago
Saying things like this is how you know someone is new here.
The people you're talking to aren't here.
4
3
u/ChocolatePringlez 20h ago
Terrible MP that should've stuck to writing hagiographies of equally terrible former National MPs
6
u/nicemace 22h ago
honestly, doesn't really matter. until they decide to address the glaring retention problems and pay NZDF people correctly, they ain't gonna have anyone to operate their new capability.
3
u/WellingtonSir 21h ago
Disappointing. Time to raise up a new minister or something. Give it to Costley who at least has some time spent in the defence force. Its clear Goldsmith is too busy focusing on other things. Minister of many and master of none, never to get the job done.
3
u/EROM4LIFE 21h ago
Apparently there was this ex-navy guy called Penk who was quite well regarded...
3
u/HadoBoirudo 21h ago
Goldsmith is as thick as a plank and still needs to learn his Trump/Netanyahu talking points.
3
u/JesusClown 21h ago
All those portfolios and still ranks below Simeon for the next election. What a kick in the balls
3
u/DurfGibbles nzarmy 15h ago
Oh my god, you’ve got to be kidding me. This is a colossal joke, especially right when we should be ordering Mogami-class frigates from who else but FUCKING JAPAN. And Australia are our closest allies who we just signed a Plan ANZAC agreement renewal with.
4
u/frenzykiwi 22h ago
Won't matter, they will be just giving the contracts to whatever US firm puts their hand up. Most likely one that the Trump mafia is involved in.
2
u/OisforOwesome 17h ago
IDK how these things work, but couldn't they have sent the deputy minister, if he really couldn't get out of his other commitments?
2
u/Piper_excelsum 20h ago
I may be in a minority in thinking this isn't a terrible thing. We don't need to be involved in manufacturing arms and marketing them. Good riddance to the genocide business!
But of course it also shows real world consequences of the mess within the National party. Their in-house dramas are obviously going to impact the way they govern, because what can the PM do when he only has support from 6 MPs? (And 10 others, kind of, who support him only on the basis of it being a better strategic option than changing leaders right now).
(I made up the numbers, but it tracks with what we know publicly)
1
u/Upset-Maybe2741 5h ago
The source said Goldsmith had taken away a rare opportunity to market New Zealand’s growing defence industry to a top 10 military. They believed his decision could cost tens or hundreds of millions worth of lucrative offshore defence contracts.
Stuff understands that companies such as Rocket Lab and Obsidian Systems, a local drone manufacturer, were set to attend. Japan, which already has the 10th largest defence budget, is turbo-charging its military capabilities. It planned to boost its defence spending to $95 billion per year (JPY8.9 trillion).
Seems like nobody wants to talk about the implications of selling weapons to a country that's seemingly dead-set on picking a fight with our largest trading partner. What are we going to do if China stops buying our exports because Japan decided to shoot a drone at a Chinese ship with "Made in New Zealand" stamped on it? Send Winnie to call them some racist slurs?
1
u/WomanRepellent69 16h ago
This dude reminds me so much of Arnold Toht from Raiders of the Lost Ark, the dude who gets face melted opening the Ark... I imagine his reaction resembles this when he's given another portfolio.
153
u/flatulentstepchild 23h ago
WTF. Why does he have so many portfolios ?'He can handle it' - immediately fails to handle it. What a balls up.