Straw poll results have been disappointing for NZ’s candidate. But the process is complex and the die not yet cast, writes former NZ ambassador to the UN Terence O’Brien The selection of the next United Nations secretary general is being conducted this year according to a new formula which extends a greater role to the … Read more
Going off like a frog in a sock, the third edition of the Spinoff politics pod, featuring Annabelle Lee and Ben Thomas with Toby Manhire A brand new Gone By Lunchtime is here – unless you’re reading this some time in the future, in which case it will no longer be brand new. On the … Read more
Helen Clark faced the United Nations overnight in a marathon session in New York to pitch her case for becoming the next secretary-general. Former Herald editor-in-chief Tim Murphy set the alarm to watch. It was billed as the “Job Interview in Front of the Whole World”. Live-streamed from the United Nations in New York, one … Read more
Were it down to competence, ability and integrity, the former NZ PM would be all but a shoo-in for Secretary General. But it’s much less straightforward than that, writes former NZ ambassador to the UN Terence O’Brien Helen Clark’s bid to be next UN Secretary General is now official. It is hardly a surprise. Speculation … Read more
The French capital will host close to 50,000 visitors from Monday for the milestone fortnight-long climate summit. In the lead-up to the event, many people have had a lot to say. Below is a selection of the best and most eye-raising verbal (and illustrative) emissions. 1. Christiana Figueres: Paris Will Mark, Rather than Create, a … Read more
Helen Clark and the media: it’s like a thesis subject. She cowed them, bossed them, milked them. How did she get away with it? Extracts from Helen Clark: Inside Stories by Claudia Pond Eyley and Dan Salmon explore the phenomenon, with views from Clark’s former media advisor and (authorised) biographer Brian Edwards and journalist and … Read more