There is also a cultural difference between advice from officials and advice from political advisers. Yet “taking advice” has another life in politics, one that has little to do with genuine deliberation and a great deal to do with communication. When none of those things materialise, “taking advice” is functioning less as a description of action than as a polite, procedural non-answer. Ministers will often say they are “taking advice” from police or regulators. So what should a listener – or a stakeholder – do when a minister says they are taking advice?

Source: New Zealand Herald March 01, 2026 06:15 UTC