Forget the recent scandals around Clare Curran and Meka Whaitiri. Jacinda Ardern's real problem over the past month has been that Deputy PM Winston Peters is undermining her, says political commentator Bryce Edwards.
Her "major" speech yesterday, while it didn't reveal much new information, was a necessary response to that disunity of the coalition Government, he told TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning.
"New Zealand First have been going a bit rogue, and it's made people question the unity of this Government," said Dr Edwards, a lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington.
"So they really needed something to put them on the front foot, to show that they're united, to give the Prime Minister a chance to be on the stage and perform the way that she does, which is brilliantly," he said. "And it gave a sense of purpose and shored up those supporters that things are united going forward."
The Prime Minister gave details of the Government plan during a speech in Auckland.
The speech, at Auckland University of Technology, saw Ms Ardern outline 12 priorities "looking 30 years ahead, not just three".
The goals are: supporting thriving regions; growing New Zealand's prosperity and sharing it more fairly; making New Zealand carbon neutral; responsible government; ensuring everyone is either earning, learning, caring or volunteering; healthier, safer and more connected communities; warm, dry homes for everyone; making New Zealand the best place to raise a child; transparent, transformative and compassionate government; building closer partnerships with Māori: valuing who we are as a country; and creating an international reputation.
"Stylistically it was brilliant but it was fairly hollow in terms of substance," Dr Edwards said. "I don't think there was anything particularly in this roadmap that couldn't have been in a National Party roadmap if they were in Government."
The prime minister laid out her vision for the coming years today alongside her coalition partners.
But that wasn't really the point, he argued. Shoring up support was.
"We saw the leaders of all the parties together on the stage, which we don't often see, and they did look happy," he said. "They looked united. They wanted that vision...
"If you're a supporter of the Government, that looked brilliant. If you're a cynic, maybe it looked hollow. But supporters are what the Government's worried about at the moment. They just want to shore up those people that are having doubts."
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