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The Beehive and Parliament - Source: ONE News
Politics is rich in jargon and there are some fabulous and fascinating terms.
I was talking to friends about work at the weekend and realised just how many bizarre terms we use in politics.
So for those of you who don't spend the majority of your waking life in the precinct of Parliament, here are some tips.
Filibustering
Although this word sounds like the name of an industrial weed
killer, it's actually a description of the process when the
Opposition deliberately delays the process of legislation through
Parliament.
The best recent example of this was over the Auckland Super City Bill where Labour came up with hundreds of suggested name changes for the Auckland Council including the John Key Memorial Council.
Each name change had to be voted on separately, going through the same process over and over.
Filibustering is a legitimate tool in democracy but it can be painful to watch as a political reporter.
The bells
Have you ever wondered why so many fire alarms seem to go off in
the background when journalists are talking to MPs?
Theses 'bells' are like a giant alarm clock for MPs to tell them to get to the debating chamber.
The traditional use of the bells was for voting. The bells would ring and then MPs would have a few minutes to get to the chamber before the doors were locked and no one could get out until the Speaker announced the results. I like that idea.
Recess
This is not to be confused with play time at a kindergarten.
Unfortunately for political reporters, saying "we're in recess" doesn't mean we're drinking Raro and eating Roll-ups. Recess means Parliament isn't in session, so MPs often go back to their electorates to do work.
It is typical to have three weeks in session and then two weeks of recess. It is usually quieter in recess week but this year it seems the biggest stories have broken in recess weeks.
The 9th floor
That's the Prime Minister's office - quite literally because it is
on the 9th floor of the Beehive. Obvious really. In politics the
9th floor is often spoken of as a metaphor for power or knowledge -
terms like "coming directly from the 9th floor" or "I'll have to
check with the 9th floor" are often heard in the corridors of
power.
It conjures up images of press secretaries praying to the oracle of the 9th floor for guidance.
Rubber doors
A little like the 9th floor, the rubber door is an actual place in
Parliament. If you stand outside looking at the steps of
Parliament, the rubber door is to your right. It is not soft and
rubbery but regardless it is called the rubber door.
It's a mystery. Taxi drivers in Wellington even know what you mean when you order a cab to the "rubber door please".
DPS
It stands for Diplomatic Protection Squad. They are the guys
standing behind the Prime Minister in the back of shot who aren't
holding a microphone, are not listening to what he is saying, and
whose eyes never stay still. There are a lot of acronyms in the
political world - DPS is a particularly useful one to know.
