Agreed. He has no idea of the damage he is doing. Blissfully ignorant.
Printable View
Labour's big ticket manifesto items should have had detailed project plans prepared and stress tested while in Opposition. They had 9 years to plan. In the case of Kiwibuild it was big ticket policy since 2012. Turned out to be a slogan without much substance.
To be fair there was a 100 day plan, and it was met, with much fanfare. But look closer and most of the list was spending money or setting something up.
The government has had some successes but complex delivery not so much. Yet any government has an army of resources available to deliver. It's not like Ministers have to do the grunt work themselves. They are the Executive team, their job is to drive the delivery of the vision.
Dr Bloomfield now apparently banished from the Beehive Press Gallery facility. Parceled off down the road to a venue he felt he needed to apologise to journalists for being cramped.
The reason? Separation from the Cynical One. Cindy doesn't want to be seen alongside the Good Doctor any more. Heaven forbid they cross paths in the corridor or worse yet, appear on the same stage.
The minute there was uncomfortable and bad news she was goneburgher. Done were the daily propaganda sessions. Cindy found better things to do with her time. Let's see....like butchering Light Rail.
Kelvin Davis dreadful interview on RNZ tonight, about the $m's gifted to tourism businesses like Hackett and the options for loans after that. Could not give a straight or factual answer to any of the questions, no idea whether loans backed by assets, didn't know the interest rate ... on and on. What an absolutely disgraceful display of ineptitude.
Bring on the election, Labour after screwing the economy by saving all but 22 people, is now completely out of their depth with the broken border controls, no idea whether their lax controls have seeded community infection again, and absolutely no idea how to recover an economy except spraying tax payer dollars around like confetti. Run by a bunch of complete muppets.
Minister Clark definitely don’t like Ashley
Threw him under the bus good and proper
https://twitter.com/tovaobrien/statu...975777793?s=21
The treatment of Dr Bloomfield seems to me to be dreadful. I understand his role to be Director General of Health is (loosely) described here https://www.health.govt.nz/about-min...utory-function
That doesn't seem to include:
- Responsibility for border control
- Responsibility for managing quarante facilities
- Participation in party political broadcasts as we experienced at the end of lock down
As a layman I think his performance in what are obviously very difficult and unusual times has been excellent all things considered. To see him thrown under the bus twice in the last week is a worry to be honest and I think we would be worse off without him. A serious question though, who would you most like to see managing the COVID response:
- Ashley Bloomfield
- Jacinda Adern
- Kelvern Davis
- Phil Twyford
- David Clark
- Michael Woodhouse
- National party leader (I can't even remember his name)
The point is we are in trouble when ministers don't take responsibility for their portfolios. If they can delegate responsibility to Bloomfield surely he can delegate responsibility down the line as well.
He was treated like crap by Simon too. politicians eh. I too think he has done a good job so far and the military now controls whoever was in charge of isolating the returning expats.
Minister of Embarrassing Failures - Phil Twyford
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...ssing-failures
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/a...ectid=12342772
This is going to hurt Labour in the election - David Clark is completely spineless & gutless.
So much for ‘Be Kind’ 😡
It seems that the esteemed Professor is an expert in Occupational Health rather than Epidemioligy.
So, as I suggested, just a person with an opinion.
Jacinda eviscerating Muller in the House yesterday.
https://play.stuff.co.nz/details/_6166800771001
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/polit...tacularly.html
Transformative?
Comrade Cindy & her incompetents have NOT delivered on one single ‘transformative’ election promise.
Truth is, they cannot even deliver a letter to a PO Box.
Labour's under the carpet sweepers are out in full force. Tamati Coffey doesn't want to know and throws the hot potato to Megan Woods...who doesn't want to know.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/121...urns-to-school
These idiots have spent tens of billions keeping us locked down and haven't the competency to follow through and make sure that it's not money down the drain.
Why is it only the opposition local MP that is outraged? Why isn't Coffey up in arms on behalf of his constituents? Is he scared of being pushed even further down the list to make way for the likes of Twyford?
Holy Cow...even leftie commentator Chris Trotter has torn Cindy's government a new one.
Watch the interview in the link below. He canvasses the widely acknowledged view of Ardern being a brilliant communicator and not much else. Scathing of her Cabinet. Trotter would be one of the most respected leftist commentators in the country.
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/natio...?ocid=msedgntp
Oh wow!
The most scathing criticism of this Labour government ever - and from Chris Trotter as you wrote!
" People are so grumpy & angry about this.
The only reason we got through this is because WE ALL DID OUR JOB.
And now when it comes to be what seems to be the simple end, where it is simply to keep people locked in hotel rooms - they CAN'T DO IT. "
And there are those who want to entrust this government of incompetents to steer NZ out of the worse recession since the great depression! Scary & frightening thought!
50 released slightly early out of 20k+ who have successfully completed their isolation period. Sadly the govt seems to have listened to Simon Bridges and National MPs call to let some out on compassionate leave early for funderals. Which shouldn't have happened of course.
Why should I care if it's not based on facts?
Though clark should go as its bad optics now to keep him there. That is assuming a transition can be done seamlessly, if it can't then he should stay.
We shouldn't chop and change people during an active "health" crisis unless they have done something seriously wrong which doesn't seem to be the case as the procedures were correct but not followed by an employee.
Nothing seriously wrong ? Just failed to obey his own lockdown directions .Sat it out in Dunedin whilst we were in the midst of our biggest health crisis in a generation . He let Bloomfield run the show , when he should have been in Wellington 24/7 saving the nation .
Now he puts the knife into the civil servant that did his job for him ...maybe if he was here planning how quarantine would work we wouldn’t be faced with the problems that have eventuated.
If you think he has done nothing seriously wrong maybe look at it another way what has he got right ?
Some wag has edited wikipedia for David Clark. Note the "under the bus" policy
Description
DescriptionDavid Scott Clark is a New Zealand Labour Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for Dunedin North. He is the Minister for Health. And an avid campaigner for throwing under the bus policy. Previously he has been Opposition Spokesperson for Small Business and Economic Development. Wikipedia
By the way Dr Clark studied medicine before changing studies. He is a doctor....evidently the wrong sort.
Nah don´t worry stoploss. Panda says it´s just "bad optics" keeping Clark there. I don´t think we have seen a more incompetent senior Minister in NZ for a very long time and it is beyond belief that the PM still keeps him there. The biggest health crisis in the Nation´s history and he is nowhere to be seen (thankfully) and if he does show up, he disgraces himself with his incompetence and gutlessness. So normally one would expect the assistant Healh Minister to step up. How many of you have seen that Minister during this crisis or even know who it is ? Well it is the same Minister who is also assistance Transport Minister. She has shown the lack of talent pool in the Greens as well. Totally useless.
The election which has been regarded as "in the bag" by the left and NZ media for the last few months, may be a lot more interesting than they are predicting. NZ is finally waking up to this incompetent PM and Government.
Gerry Brownlee? Hekia Parata?
David Clark hasn't done "anything" is what some are saying. I say that's good. That's what you want when you have better qualified people available to the government. National's health person is not even a doctor and made up some claims about a homeless man. not ethical.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300...ry-in-new-poll
9% swing away from Labour back to National, and 1% swing from NZF to Act.
Game back on.
LOL panda re the national health spokesman ...
News for you David Clark is not a medical Dr either
"PhD Student, University of Otago 2000 - 2003
Presbyterian Minister, Community of St Luke 1997 - 2000
University Exchange Student, Germany 1997
Student, University of Otago, BA, BTheol(Hons) 1991 - 1996"
I know but the public thinks he is one and that's what matters :p
He is a dr but not in health.
1 person (yes, one) actually voted for non-essential worker David Clark 🐒 as preferred PM in TV1 polls released tonight. 🤣
The Commissar is now between a rock and a hard place of her own making. The calls are coming from all sides that David Clark has to go. Cindy has already stated she won't sack him, and glibly told media she doesn't revisit her decisions. According to this, unless Dr Clark cocksup further, he is safe, and an albatross around Cindy's neck.
The second obvious part of her self made dilemma is....Who the hell would she replace him with?
I'm picking Aunty Helen is already on the phone telling her protege that David Clark has to go. One thing old Helen did quick was clean up an internal mess.
Trouble is...Cindy didn't go hard and go early!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rBhwxRUcCQ
Hmm thats 18-32 like to dislike ratio...
Unfortunately with voting and polls often people pick the second worst of the two parties. They do not pick which is the best party, but say I don’t like Labour therefore I will vote National without considering whether National will be better. Too often people focus on the negative and treat it like a retaliation i.e. stuff you I’ll vote for someone else then.
Which is understandable but national.. really? still not close to a majority though.
You can't be on the team when you're trying to divide the team. They are in their own team.
Some praise for our healthcare workers is helpful too rather than calling their efforts a disaster.
In the not to distant past many here and around NZ took Ashley from hero to zero in about 10s.
Suddenly he represented all that was wrong with the system
Then along came Clark and Ashley is back to hero.
Fascinating study is peoples reactions.
Audrey Young has a bit of balance here (premium unfortunately for some)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/n...ectid=12343107
A few snips
"The infatuation with Bloomfield masked failings during the Covid crisis, particularly over the supply and use of personal protective equipment, testing criteria, and presentation of results."
"It was only then that it was revealed the day three and day 12 tests Bloomfield had promised had been occurring for people in managed isolation were not occurring.
Twice Cabinet was told they had been happening but they weren't.
Bloomfield apologised to the Government and took responsibility as public service ethics require of him."
" That is exactly what David Clark said yesterday: "The director general has accepted protocol wasn't being followed; he has accepted responsibility for that and has set about putting it right."
It is not an equal relationship. The Ashley Bloomfield defence society does not have a leg to stand on.
Nor, however, would the David Clark defence society, were it to exist.
Clark was negligent in not keeping greater watch on the officials. His failing was not just in believing his officials, it was not knowing what questions to ask."
I agree with that dobby41. Bloomfield is neither a hero or zero. He is a public servant that appears to be working hard to do his job and what looks like a lot of additional work such as border control etc. which is not and never has been part of his job description.
I think the outrage yesterday was at the low blow from Clark in calling Bloomfield out as he did at a press conference, a Minister that has completely failed to do his own job, breaks his Ministry's own rules and takes no responsibility for any of it. Pot calling the kettle black.
Gee Chris....tell us what you really think!
Chris trotter continues to go off at the Cynical One. Interesting Machiavellian sub plot alluded to.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/06/2...-sack-him-now/
This is unprecedented from Chris Trotter in my memory.
Shhhh .... let the gutless & despicable one keep his job. Best weapon to be handed to the Opposition to hammer home the point that this government is a government of incompetents bereft of talent, ability, and most damning of all, a bunch of CYA lifelong politicians with zero business experience.
Oh sorry, I forgot - Clndy did work in the corner dairy?
If National had been in power during the pandemic True true true , so help me Dog.
Sure balances things out a little . What if?
Jt's finally cracked. Can't stand the reality of it all. His betrothed, the resting place of his besotted heart, has trampled his same gentle heart underfoot in her callousness.
Read up on some good all fashioned Labour values with Chris Trotter JT. He'll make you realise she wasn't worth it and that there are plenty of other fish in the sea....Just not in Cindy's Cabinet, as she hasn't got anyone to replace Clark with anyway.
Chris trotter has got rabies.Pretty offensive too.no balanced journalism, just one persons opinion. highly unprofessional. he could be balance?
A way more balanced opinion piece imo
Audrey Young: Bloomfield-mania is back - but he is no victim. He has clear failings
"both are decent people. Neither are the villains in the stark way social media defines the world.
They are both lucky the failings were discovered early and did not lead to a new outbreak of community transmission."
taking it on the chin and get back up mate;)
Most of the true villains are some media and some trump like divisive kiwis who really dont care about their country.Haters hate.
Same here. Have read his pieces for many years and often like his perspective, even though I often don´t agree with him. But he has his finger on the Left´s pulse and they are pissed off right now. JT can say it is only one man´s opinion, but it isn´t. Just look at the comments on the article. Jacindamania is fading fast as people see what she really is like, surrounded by a team of incompetents.
It's a team that delivers real things as opposed to marketing and slogans. The polls don't reflect what you say and (..so far at least) its Nationals rural supporters coming back to their natural home. which is expected more or less.
I think the ambition of light rail is good but you need Lab to deliver this. I am constantly slowed down on my travel to work by Stephen joyce's roadworks that have not been completed more than 10 years on. which ends up being a hit to productivity for me and others.
Roadworks = Nats kiwibuild.
Dream ares free my friend dream on.Fantasies too thats all they are. National have had a dream week supported by some embarrassing hyaena media(tova is so good ) amping everything up,like someone went under a bus??lol. Some body english experts in the national party, some lunatics too, one shouting" Nazis" in parliament today as he got chucked out again after sneaking back in. Lots of drama from the perfectionists, 95% of it is spin.Now get up and carry on regardless. Nobodies perfect but we nearly were for quite some weeks and months ehh.;)
It started with some made up stuff from the 'past her prime' commentator Fran o'sullivan.
Simon's pleas for compassionate release with funerals were pretty much the only valid thing I think. Though what I don't understand is article after article on the 'scandal' of people who leave without tests AFTER their 14 days when the virus has disappeared. Some journalists need to learn how viruses and epidemiology works.
Funny how journos are past their use by once they start exposing cracks. I do recall Fran being asked what she thought of Cindy's Foreign Policy pre election. Fran's reply..."She clearly has no clue."
The issue with people being released from managed isolation without being tested was largely due to the cockup of that managed isolation. People on day 10 mingling with new arrivals etc...all documented. If you don't understand this being a problem I can't help you.
Yes a concerted biased attack .all the wonderful successes from the beginning to last week , its like they never existed. this has been an intense media and national attack bomb ala trump dumbing down tactics focuses entirely on negativity,misinformation, bias, divisive in extreme and malicious for our country.
Gordon Campbell says it well on Werewolf.
Gordon Campbell on the media collusion with National’s attack lines
"I’m not suggesting that border lapses should not be reported. Some of the past mistakes – probably born of complacency about our early success – have been identified and rectified. Yet on the current evidence they have been corrected so far, without any serious consequence for anyone. Again, why has the media – presumably through naivete rather than complicity – been so willing to piggy back on the Opposition attack lines in lieu of doing its own reporting on and evaluation of our response to the pandemic? Sure, good news tends to be boring, but the readiness to blow some of the lapses that have occurred right out of proportion has been inexcusable, and is of advantage to only one side of the political debate."
A very scary thought, what if? A very colourful,simplistic but accurate "What if".Weve dodged covid tipped bullets there!:scared:
"If National were in charge during pandemic, they would’ve ignored it like the Housing crisis, they would’ve underfunded it like the Health crisis and they would’ve followed the science the way they followed it over the state house meth hysteria!
In short, we’d all be dead.
"National is the party of the property speculator, the banker and the farmer. They would have moved heaven and high hell to protect them from the pandemic by keeping our borders wide open. They would allow a mountain of dead to have occurred before doing anything that might hurt their rich mates.
Don’t tell me National would have listened to the ‘science’ – National don’t give two ****s about the ‘science’! Remember the State House meth hysteria?
Remember how National needlessly pissed $120million against the wall for state house decontamination that the science said wasn’t needed?"
TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com
Remember how National threw 1000 beneficiaries onto the streets in the middle of a housing crisis and banned them from any more state housing despite the science saying there was no health contamination issues or legal proof those tenants had actually even smoked the meth?"
Excellent common sense article in my opinion by Gordon Campbell, although some may disagree.
It is not in the best interests of the team of five million either to blow the lapses out of proportion. There is already lot of unreasonable fear in the community which is not based on the actual risk of catching coronavirus. The fear and associated mental health issues will not help us in the recovery and to get the economy going again. Building and maintaining trust and confidence in the government response is so important. Some commentators in the media take a short sighted approach manipulating and escalating people’s emotions to sell the news. The media has not always served New Zealand well during the crisis.
Has the full agreement ever been made public? What, for example, did it say about CGT? Or light rail for Auckland?Quote:
Refer to the agreement between NZ first and labour.. nearly everything delivered.
A long list in the published coalition agreement, and it would be interesting to see a comprehensive analysis of delivery against the list. Even a quick glance indicates plenty not delivered, and a lot of those that may have been achieved are not exactly real things.
Which is why they have quietly changed how they measure the "success" of this policy. Originally measured by how many additional high school students went into tertiary. After 2 years of falling numbers, they now are going to stop this and report something like "the average amount paid per stundent in fees".. This will be successful since the first year will be free ! This Government is just unbelievable. None of the very few policies Winston has allowed them to implement, actually delivers any half decent outcomes.
Is having Kiwi kids take on less debt (todds new scary word) for the necessary skills that they need not worthy as an ambition? Does student debt matter or is it only our internationally low national debt and nothing else.
$1.2b into apprenticeships by this government compared to nothing under national. Skilled workers ready to go soon to build that brighter future that sir john couldn't deliver in three terms with a majority plus a couple of rubber stamp MP's. Easy mode in other words.
Did you make that up?
BCITO - 2016 year. Highest ever level of apprentice sign ups and also apprenticeship completions.
BCITO - 2017. Even higher number of active apprenticeships, and more completing their training.
And these with no free fees. Numbers have been increasing at a similar rate but with free fees. That is only one provider but the key one in the construction industry. Data is readily available, no need to make it up.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/...ectid=12343644
Paywalled
Excellent summation how gutless, disgusting and repugnant David Clark (& Comrade Cindy) are for not taking responsibility for the quarantine mess.
‘Real Leadership is about allowing the team to take credit for successes and stepping up to take the blame when things go wrong.’
Who would you prefer to lead you in a crisis in future - Bloomfield or Clark & Cindy🐒🐒?
Surely Labour will drop their agreement with The Greens after their unworkable, naive and insane wealth tax proposal. Or are they locked in for a specified term?
Fortunately Labour have distanced themselves from the Kermits.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...ty-tax-reforms
Another example of those lovely cuddly "kind" lefties eating themselves.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertain...ectid=12343800
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-...just-good-luck
Comrade Cindy still does not get it.
Stuck In her mind with the adoration of weeks past, she has yet to realise that majority of NZers are fed up to the back teeth with the gross mismanagement of the quarantine regime.
They are fed up with no community cases and being in level one..?
.................................................. ................
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/a...ectid=12343897
Yesterday the Greens unveiled its first major election policy, which would tax the wealthy more to fund a payment of at least $325 a week for anyone not in fulltime work.
A wealth tax of 1 per cent would apply to "net assets worth over $1 million" and 2 per cent for net assets over $2m. These would only apply to the value above those thresholds and would discount the value of, for example, mortgages held by landlords owning a suite of rental properties.
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said this morning that the policy was a priority but wouldn't say if it might be a bottom line in any post-election coalition negotiations.
She said older people or retirees who had assets but lacked cash could defer payments.
We understand that many older people may have a home, for example, worth more than $1m and it is paid off, they don't have a mortgage, but perhaps they're living on Super or perhaps they're moving to a retirement home and wish to put their home into a trust - you can defer payments," she told RNZ.
"The trust also is liable for a wealth tax, but again, it is shared among all beneficiaries and trustees, so again only if each individual has more than $1m net wealth worth then we are asking them to chip in at 1 per cent over and above that $1m.
This has to be the first tax proposal where the co-leader of the party proposing tax policy with a new tax then suggests how to avoid that new tax with some tax planning? Arguably, the folk where there is arguably more to derive from the wealth tax are going to be better able to participate in tax planning than someone who is trying to pay their house off in Auckland and has some Kiwisaver?
You wish.
Media simply reflect what public are thinking and discussing - don't shoot the messengers just because the media is not blowing smoke up Comrade Cindy's ego anymore.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/a...ectid=12343692
Notice how Comrade Cindy skirted around why her Health Minister is such an inept and gutless individual?
She still does not get it which is FANTASTIC! The more she attempts to defend the indefensible, the worse it is going to get. :t_up:
How can you get a policy through when you can only work with one side.
This applies to Seymour too. Maybe if he plays his cards right he can be associate minister of statistics . Even if they have 20 seats. Dave will never support labour so is in no position to demand real policy. :)
IF the media is not biased how do you explain headlines like this:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/hea...h-cant-contact
Who cares if they have been through their managed isolation. and stuff is pretty moderate/sensible compared to the nz herald and esp Newstalkzb
What's wrong with that headline? These are people they are desperate to contact because of their earlier lax testing.
If you want to examine ridiculously partisan reporting....examine the Cindy lovefest post her appointment to lead the Labour Party and the subsequent 24 months. Cracks started to appear when the media realised Cindy's government was less transparent than previous administrations (despite claiming the high ground in this regard) and were taking longer over Official Information Requests and avoiding them if at all possible.
Pretty shocking if they didn't take down enough details to be able to contact that many people . What chance did we have with a big breakout of their contact tracing working ....this shows it as a total shambles ...maybe the 367 were all "homeless' so gave false details ..... :)
Is Panda-NZ really the only apologist Labour has?
JT, El Z, Westerly, where are you in Labour's time of need? Or have you woken up and smelt the coffee?
The media smell blood....when that happens they are a rabid pack of dogs....no matter who you are....Cindy look out. She knows this. Hence the Social Distancing from Dr Bloomfield. No more cosy media conferences alongside the Cynical One. No...it's off down the road to a room that is obviously not designed for media briefings. Anything to put distance between her and failure. I would bet she is already sounding out a future role at the UN as we speak.
$1 million may only be a round of drinks to you and I Fungus Pudding, but to most Kiwis its a serious chunk of change. I'll gladly pay my share of the wealth tax if it is spent wisely. My main concern is the younger generation. Merit based social mobility used to be a strength in our economy, I know longer think that is the case.
Really Arthur? Tax is generally a concept that you pay it once on either something earned or a transaction. The Greens want to make it an annual event based on what you have. You will already have paid tax on income etc...but if your assets total more than their arbitrary amount they will sting you again...and again...and again. Paying tax on the same thing over and over.
It's one of the reasons Local Council Rates are called Rates. They are not meant to be a tax as only the Crown can set a tax.