A thought-inducing story for gullible New Zealander’s appeared in Britain’s Financial Times.
It quoted Estonia’s attractive female Prime Minister Kaja Kallas saying, “lasting damage to western liberal democracies which adopted authoritarian measures during the pandemic could occur. Some countries had been slow to relax restrictions on free movement of people and goods, even as vaccination rates increased”.
She accused some countries of not returning the old liberties because “it’s more convenient this way”.
Never a truer word. Here in New Zealand we’re living in a hermit kingdom to an absurd degree. There’s a single reason for that, specifically the utterly inept Health Department’s failure to order vaccines. Less hogging the television by the scoutmasterish Ashley and more getting down to work a year back, would have seen us in a happier place.
Disappointingly, the government has lied about the situation. Start with then Health Minister Hipkins, nigh on a year ago, twice giving assurances we were at the head of the queue for vaccines, which I don’t doubt he was told by Health Department officials.
But instead of subsequently saying so, the government has made numerous, mostly meaningless imminent vaccination announcements, suggesting all is well. All is not well. We’ve vaccinated about 10% of our population.
A similar, almost as bad blunder, occurred in Australia but with a sharply different political response, namely a week back, Prime Minister Morrison apologising to the nation for his government’s slow-off-the-mark vaccine ordering blunder. That’s not just an honest response but a grown-up one.
When everything is done and dusted ultimately this disaster blocking New Zealand off from the world will sink in to voters and will be one of an increasing number of reasons I believe the government will be swept out of office in two years time, as I will explain on Thursday.
14 Comments
What I am appalled at is the number of NZers content with current border arrangements here, for 2021, 2022 and beyond! It really has caught me by surprise. It looks as though even with a fully vaccinated population, we still want the same border policy. It’s irrational, and a really, really sad and sorry state of affairs that this many people believe this.
Yes. It’s truly depressing and I just can’t be bothered with them…this sort of ‘I’m alright Jack’ sort of insularity. You just wanna shake them.
Looking forward to Thursday…. In my 40 years of being a voter never before have I wished so deeply for a New Zealand Government to be swept out of office.
… this government will be swept from office , you say …. I’ll bring some pitchforks , just in case the brooms don’t work …
Yup, we are now the North Korea of the South Pacific – no one in, no one out
I can’t wait for your summation. Folk I talk to who ‘may’ have been (lying) labour led, are slowly waking up to the fraud.
Credit to Australia, who are ahead of us in vaccination statistics, for apologising for the slow roll out. Would NZ follow suit? Hell no!
They keep this pretense up that everything is going fantastically. We are on target. Other countries need the vaccine more. Our systems are working perfectly. Even when confronted with the statistic that we are last in the OCED Ardern insists that this is not correct.
Obviously she thinks we are incapable of looking up tables for ourselves .The facts are that we are a long last.
In my lifetime I have not seen a PM or a government who practice such obfuscation, mendacity, sanctimony as this lot. Honesty is just not in their make up.
Powers-once taken-are rarely given up easily. The ballot or the bullet is usually the only way back.
I have alluded to this in earlier comments-the most dangerous lunatics in governments are the ones who look and sound normal.
Got my text to line up for the jab today, I’m 63. I told them to bugger off, the bloody vaccine is killing or maiming more people than lying Ashley is letting on. I know as my neighbour is one of them. Admittedly she is 83 but she was a fit old bird, an hour after shot two flown to Nelson hospital after almost carking it. Four weeks later home, but looking completely stuffed. The grim reaper is getting close. Take your chance, but not for me.
https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-opinion/big-lie
Thst says it all. Ardern has gone to far!.
I am concerned that we will end up with a worse outcome. That is a Labour led government which requires the support of the greens. While this is the most incompetent and damaging government since Muldoon days it could actually get worse.
I too am looking forward to Sir Bob’s prediction for the next election. Just wish it was sooner. I can’t begin to imagine what damage another two years of this government will do to our country.
High anticipation prevails as I await your Thursday announcement Bob!
The lunatics are in charge of the asylum and taking us down a very dark tunnel, without any plan or ability to plan for the return trip.
I’m very worried the lunacy being foisted on us will not be able to be reversed.
And the media remains asleep.