Jacinda took a broom to them all - from The Strategist.

Cleared deck of the week: With the Beehive bathed in the first sunshine of the season, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was intent on a spring clean.

There have been plenty of niggling issues dogging her premiership lately - a cocksure Winston Peters, ministers behaving badly, and questions over the Government’s economic management.

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This week, Ardern took a broom to them.


Peters was pulled into line over the refugee quota, allowing Ardern to fulfil a campaign promise to home 500 more. It’s not clear what price the deputy prime minister extracted in return for his cooperation - but that a problem for another week.

On the economy, Ardern had a messy start to the week, fluffing a question on gross domestic product in a live radio interview and another daming consumer confidence survey.


But Finance Minister Grant Robertson is toasting the weekend with a largely unexpected GDP boost of 1 per cent, putting to bed doom and gloom over economic direction.

By the time Thursday came around, Ardern was on a roll. The investigation into bullying allegations levelled at Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri landed on her desk on Wednesday evening.

Her decision was swift, but merciful. Whaitiri had to go from the ministerial team, but she can stay on to lead the Māori caucus.

Much was made of the unusual setting of her press conference to announce the firing - from behind her Beehive desk.

It certainly exuded strong leadership, but it was actually down to convenience and timing.

All the immediate troubles hanging over the Government were swept away, leaving Ardern to jump on a plane for New York.

Her focus for the next week will be international. She is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly and a glamorous whirlwind round of television shows in the United States.


She should make the most of it because waiting back home is another potential time bomb: her Government’s cornerstone employment relations legislation.