When ministers know best | Raw Politics | Newsroom

Are we being governed now by a cadre of middle managers? People who won't stay in their lanes but need to be dipping into the detailed operations of government agencies and making the small decisions, well.

Newsroom senior political reporter Marc Daalder, Newsroom national affairs editor Sam Sachdeva and co-editor Tim Murphy discuss the coalition's forked tongue approach to 'operational matters' in government departments and in relation to the boards of state companies.

When the Prime Minister, no less, devotes his post-Cabinet press conference to whether public servants are working from home or gathering at offices, and shareholding ministers in Crown entities are wanting to be consulted on all manner of small value decisions, there's been a change of approach.

Ministers will, with some justification, argue that an interventionist, hands-on management is needed given they can't trust the deep state to change itself adequately, fast enough.

The panel discusses the sensitivities over New Zealand's foreign affairs stance on the latest UN vote on Israel - and whether in a three-party coalition if such vote-by-vote decision-making could, or should, be consulted on among party leaders before being actioned.

Our reader question asks why the leader of a big bank has waded into the political quicksand of advocating a capital gains tax.

Finally, the panelists recommend something to read, listen to or watch on the weekend ahead:

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This week's recommendations:

Marc: Eloise Gibson's story on RNZ on the gas industry claiming it successfully lobbied to kill the Climate Change Commission's recommended ban on new residential gas connections

Sam: Thomas Manch's great story on The Post about NZ officials "war-gaming" the US election outcome

Tim: Jonathan Milne's story on Newsroom simply setting out a growing list of those arguing in favour of a capital gains tax, and two important voices speaking against.

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