Bespectacled, besuited Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi made his debut in Parliament on Wednesday. He has a full face tattoo, waved a maori club and wore a stetson.
The clear message; an attention-seeking buffoon in the eyes of 99% of the population.
Parliament is described to political science students as a talking shop. The underlying proposition is to debate policies, not show off.
Over my life I’ve watched thousands of new MPs arrive with high expectations, and, (in the immortal and accurate words of Enoch Powell who once accurately declared that all political careers end in failure) ultimately, many after only a single term, leave hugely disappointed as they return to their former obscurity.
Few leave with a publicly respected legacy. It’s a musical chairs scenario that on my observation is largely destructive of too many participants’ lives.
15 Comments
Absolutely spot on Bob. World class show pony.
Your absolutely right and his off sider with the Top Hat and feathers grinning ear to ear ready to feed from the trough and do nothing
Come on, he’s a good Shakespearean clown while we wait for the next “Game of Thrones”.
Nowadays, if politics is a supermarket then the politicians are the checkout girls, talking the publics orders. Politicians are shallow poll-driven nobodies…because they have to be, to survive. So of course they’re all losers. If they really wanted to pull a number on society then they would have joined TV1 or facebook, or something.
Honestly if it wasn’t so tragic it really would be funny.
I firmly believe we are approaching the point where people have to actually pass a test to qualify to vote. It gets worse year on year as “swing voters” with the ethics, moral fortitude of and alley cat and of questionable IQ vote for the party that offers the best bribe, best cause of the moment or most loveable leader.
Half of our current crew would have been much better in the McGillicuddy Serious Party. That party would have gone really well today!
Then add people there SIMPLY because they are of a particular race (an infinitely Racist concept) and we end up with . . well, the rubbish we deserve.
I’m reminded of an old 78 rpm record I own called “The Two Black Crows,” produced in 1929 by Moran & Mac who were trying to pay their way through university. These 2 Black Crows were acting up on the Railway station platform while waiting for the train, and told each other so much B.S. it was almost believable, just like all the the diatribe spun to all the voters who elected these 2 crows. Of course I’m expecting Jacinda to join them at playcentre to placate to their needs, perhaps change their nappies. No matter what happens, these crows are only there to grandstand, spit their dummies, make as much noise as they can for unreasonable demands. and spread pure unadulterated hatred. Who made their fancy hats? Probably some old wahine sitting around the heat-pump smoking a pipe.
I suspect in this instance we are looking at a different beast. The words of David Lange resonate and in my view will be the defining issue of the new decade. “How is it possible to reconcile Maori sovereignty with democracy?”
Apologies if the quote is inaccurate
John
Being elected an MP is the fastest way to make half the country hate you. On top of that your family relationships get wrecked and your life has no rest, no privacy and continual scrutiny. If you are unlucky enough to become a Minister you inherit a department you didn’t hire, can’t fire and is probably still committed to the policy settings of your political opponents your party just defeated. They know they are permanent, you are temporary and for them delay is always a winning tactic and minimal risk.
Who wants a job like that?
The job sucks, but they are there for the money, the perks, unequalled super scheme, and insider trading, and if you happen to be of a certain influence, able to be bribed into letting rich very large person/s of dubious integrity, get fast track citizenship. You will never know which politician has funds paid into a Cayman Islands bank account, or given shares in some foreign company for services rendered. No paper trails here in NZ.
Don’t ask Kim.
The right people. Ready and willing to make change they believe is good for a country rather than agendas or themselves.
As we are seeing we have fewer and fewer of those people these days.
He is on board with climate change and is doing his bit to help with a carbon neutral foot print by riding his horse to town, complete with his Stetson
“You might very well say that, but I couldn’t possibly comment.” – PM Francis Urqhuart – House of Cards 1990 – BBC
What I found odd was the combination facial tattoo with bookish specs..and a Stetson hat. The combined effect was clownish rather than fearsome..very much in the self deprecating tradition of Maori comedians such as Billy T James and Sir Howard Morrison
And that, I believe, is in part SBJ’s apt naming as a “BUFOON”. Spot on.
Clearly the man fancies himself as the replacement for Shane Jones.