David vs the Media: The Cabinet ‘SCREAMING MATCH’ the media MADE UP

The Press Gallery came looking for blood. Had David and the Prime Minister screamed at each other across the Cabinet table? Who raised their voice? Was there banging? Was it the worst Cabinet row ever? There was just one problem: it never happened. Winston Peters – supposedly one of the combatants – wasn’t even there. By the end, David has defended democracy from Te Pāti Māori’s constitutional plans, wondered whether ACT’s plan to halve the number of government departments is still too timid, and watched the media attempt to resurrect an imaginary brawl through sheer persistence. Another banner day for New Zealand political journalism.