The hoon about the week that was to June 3

TLDR: In the podcast above of this week’s ‘hoon’ webinar for paid subscribers, co-hosts Bernard Hickey and Peter Bale bring talk with special guests Robert Patman and Josie Pagani about China’s backlash against a strengthening of NZ’s security ties with the United States.

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This week, PM Jacinda Ardern met with US President Joe Biden in the White House. Photo: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images

Five things of note this week

Aotearoa-NZ strengthened ties with the United States

This week PM Jacinda Ardern met with US President Joe Biden in the White House. They talked about gun control, the Christchurch Call and trade, but most importantly they signed a detailed joint statement that was heavily critical of China in the Pacific and elsewhere, and which strengthened our security and defence ties with the United States.

China lashed back at the joint statement

Chinese officials attacked what they saw as a strengthening of our military ties with the United States and a ramping up of joint anti-China rhetoric in the strong joint statement. They suggested it might affect our trade ties.

Here’s what I wrote on Friday about the back and forth.

Friday’s Chorus: China lashes back

Cabinet threatened the grocery duopoly with a breakup

The Government threatened to break up the supermarkets duopoly if they don’t play nice with plans for mandatory wholesale access.

Here’s what I wrote on Tuesday.

Tuesday's Chorus: Finally, a real carve-up threat

The grocery duopoly’s oppressive lease clauses revealed

There were revelations that supermarkets on Thursday that the supermarkets duopoly have been using special clauses in leases to stop competitors in all sorts of retail categories being allowed into shopping centres.

Here’s the deep dive I published today on that.

The grocery duopoly's secret weapons

Yet again, a sugar tax is rejected

Here’s the chorus I wrote on Thursday, which led with the latest research showing sugar taxes work to reduce consumption, but the Government continues to oppose them.

Thursday's Chorus: Sugar taxes work

Ka kite ano

Bernard