Steve Braunias has David Shearer’s diary:
TUESDAY
My new chief of staff brought in an unfamiliar document.
I said, “What is it?” He said, “It’s a newspaper.” He suggested I read the latest column by political commentator Chris Trotter.
I said, “I love his show on National Radio on Sunday mornings. It’s very relaxing.”
He said, “No, that’s Chris Laidlaw.”
Trotter’s column wasn’t very relaxing. It demanded that I get off the fence and take a stand alongside locked-out workers at the Port of Auckland.
It’s hard to take Trotter seriously.
He’s Left-wing.
WEDNESDAY
Called a meeting with my new chief of staff.
I asked him, “You look familiar. What’s your name?”
He said, “Stuart Nash. I was an MP last term.”
I said, “Forget the past. Focus on the future. We need to connect with New Zealanders much better than we have.”
He suggested we sit down and discuss policy.
I said, “Didn’t you listen to a word I just said, Steve?”
He said, “It’s Stuart.”