Te Ururoa Flavell and Cabinet

matthew

Yesterday was the day when the new Cabinet was sworn in at Government House. There were a number of new Ministers in there, David Seymour, Maggie Barry, Paul Goldsmith, Louise Upston and Te Ururoa Flavell. It is Flavell’s post on Facebook that I want to talk about today.

 

I can only imagine how overwhelming the prospect of becoming a Minister would be. Especially walking into a role where you have to fill the shoes of someone like Pita Sharples. It is on this tone that Te Ururoa posted the following yesterday:

Tena_tatou_katoa__Had_a_great_day_today__Whanau____-_Te_Ururoa_Flavell_MP

It is good to see a new Minister openly talking about the nerves they have about taking up the job, but at the same finding out that they are fully up to what lays before them. So much of what we see on social media from politicans is of the “I did this, I did that, I am going to be here, I am going to be there” format, or it is low level discussion among MPs and followers about issues in the media. It is rare to get a bit of an insight into what Ministers are thinking about their actual role, as opposed to the issues they face. I hope Flavell keeps up things like this. He and Marama have a hard job this term, trying to build support for their party, while achieving policy aims in government. Little insights like this could play a key role in helping them do that.

Miley and David?

matthew

During the campaign David Seymour made much of the fact that he was aiming to knock on every door in the Epsom electorate. I am not sure how he got on with that goal, but by the sounds of it he is a great exponent of retail politics. It looks like he plans on keeping it up during the coming term:

David_Seymour_on_Twitter___Door_knocked_a_Miley_Cyrus_pre-party__betterworkstories_http___t_co_AaRQQpIunP_ Continue Reading →

This is why you don’t link your Facebook and Twitter accounts

matthew

One thing I am not a fan of is Facebook and Twitter accounts that are linked. Especially for acocunts that are not highly active. I have my photography page linked to my Twitter account but I don’t post much to my photography page and my Twitter account is pretty active. But I find people who have their Twitter accounts set up to post to their Facebook pages/profiles annoying. Content that works on Twitter is less likely to work on Facebook. The other risk is you end up with things like this:

wade brown Continue Reading →

Clare and the Viper Part II: Show Down at the ODT

matthew

Last week I blogged about Clare Curran and Tat Loo’s exchange on Twitter. There were some links in there that pointed to this dispute being part of a longer running disagreement between the two. Tat Loo is Colonial Viper on the Standard, and he was one of the people that Clare Curran was accused of trying to silence from commenting on Labour party issues, or at least control how they were commenting.

 

Well it looks like the battle has broken out into the mainstream media. David Farrar over at Kiwiblog has blogged about a report in the ODT. The ODT starts:

The weeping sores of Labour Party divisions following a devastating election defeat are not confined to the Wellington Beltway. Political editor DeneMackenzie finds Dunedin South MP Clare Curran is fighting her own opposition.

It continues:

Mr Loo remained a strong supporter of former Labour leader David Cunliffe, who wants the job back but is facing a challenge from Wellington Central MP Grant Robertson, formerly of Dunedin.

Ms Curran and Dunedin North MP David Clark both supported Mr Robertson previously and can be expected to provide similar support in the Labour leadership contest.

And there is specific reference to the Twitter exchange:

Mr Loo was annoyed Ms Curran ”jumped on Twitter” to castigate him, believing she let herself down in her reactions.

”MPs should look after their own side and leave the party organisation to the party.”

Now I am not going to get involved in trying to figure out who is in the right and who is in the wrong about internal party issues around the status of branches. But this goes to show that MPs, and high profile members of parties, should be careful about how they use social media. Social media can draw attention to issues that may not otherwise gain attention. Social media provides a traceable, provable record of statements. If you don’t want something reported about, don’t post it on social media.

 

It is interesting to watch how issues and disputes that in the past would have stayed inside the party and out of the public eye are now being carried out in the public eye. There are a number of people from different factions within the Labour party who are using social media to discuss the Labour leadership race. I suspect that part of the issue between Clare and Tat comes down to this issue. Since one is an MP and one is a former candidate who is still engaged in the party, one element in their thought processes when engaging on social media should be “is this exchange in the best interests of the party”?