Form battle lines

With apologies to the Book of Job, the Government giveth and the Government taketh away – this week, both renouncing and bestowing upon itself immense power.

First, it was forced to admit to plans for a large-scale devolution of power to Māori in some key portfolios, as outlined in the He Puapua report.

Although it commissioned this report, the Cabinet has yet to fully consider it, so its status is uncertain, and its timeline is practically generational. But the bottom line is less power for the Government.

Then it announced a new “delivery unit”, a super squad led by Finance Minister Grant