News media went for Simeon Brown with the cheap shot that his appointment as Health Minister meant getting an abortion could be threatened.
It would be an overreach. And against the spirit of legislative change to decriminalise abortion. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has made clear β after being wrong-footed by a reporter on his abortion views early in his political career β that there will be no changes to the settings under his leadership. I went back and watched the speeches Brown made in Parliament when the legislation was debated. There was no doubting his sincerity and his obvious pain, particularly when it comes to near-term abortions.
But it also came through that he was a realist and deeply respectful of the right of other MPs to have opposing views.
This reflexive approach by press gallery journalists in particular drives coalition ministers to exasperation. The default position is often to go for the negative first instead of trying to understand what new policy positions involve. In my view, it contributes to a loss of trust in media β particularly among those who have an appreciation for the challenges Governments and businesses face in a fast-changing world.
Step outside of New Zealand β as I am for the next 10 days β and you will find the political environment is changing fast.
