Another day and more Simon Bridges f*&k ups

Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, November 19th, 2018 - 54 comments
Categories: cost of living, making shit up, Media, national, phil twyford, Simon Bridges, spin, tax, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

The media must feel like this is becoming a daily event, where they beat up on Simon Bridges because of the crazy things he says …

The latest episode includes his brazen claim that the increases in rentals are all Labour’s fault because of tax rises.

TVNZ did not respond positively …

From the article:

National leader Simon Bridges blames new taxes and regulations introduced by the current government for rents rising two-and-a-half times faster this year than under National, though he struggled to name the taxes behind the rise.

Under the previous National government, rents rose $12 to $13 per annum compared with a $30 rise this year.

Mr Bridges said the cumulative effect of a bunch of regulations and taxes was behind the rise, causing some landlords to exit the market and supply of rental properties to be reduced.

“You’ve got the extension to the bright-line test, you’ve got a potential capital gains tax, there’s another one there if I catch my breath and think about it,” he said on Breakfast.

“You’ve got a bunch of regulations, whether it’s healthy homes, whether it’s residential tenancy act, I’m not saying they and every single part of them are terrible but what you do see cumulatively when you do those things, is tax, cost that goes on landlords.”

Pressed on further taxes, Mr Bridges asked Breakfast co-host Jack Tame: “Are you saying there are not new taxes?”

“You can’t even name them,” Tame replied.

“Well I have, (brightline) is effectively is an extension of a tax, there’s others there is well,” Mr Bridges said.

The bright line test was actually imposed by National. Sure Labour has extended the period that it will apply to but this should actually slow down the sale of rental properties, not speed them up.

And Twyford’s comment, that it is a supply problem and will take time to resolve is much more coherent.

Bridges other faux pas is to refuse to apologise for what happened at Pike River.  How difficult is it to give an apology?

On the 8th anniversary of the explosion …

From Radio New Zealand:

… Mr Bridges told Morning Report he didn’t believe the families were owed an apology from the current or previous government.

“I don’t think so,” he said, “because I think what is true is the one thing that honours the legacy of these 29 men and their families best is what happened with the Royal Commission with an independent health and safety taskforce and then the most comprehensive health and safety changes in the history of New Zealand, particularly in mining, but in others areas as well.

“I think that’s what honours the legacy of these men,” he said.

“In terms of the re-entry of the mine, we wanted to do it, but the advice was universal and clear that it wasn’t the thing to do.

“If he (Mr Little) has different information, that is good, I’m not against that but safety must be at the front of this,” Mr Bridges said.

However the head of the Pike River Families Group Committee, Carol Rose, said while the previous National government took steps to change health and safety regulations, it did nothing to bring the bodies of the 29 men home.

“I was a little bit offended to hear him talking about the legacy to those 29 men. We felt the National government did everything they could do to prevent the reclamation of the drift and the recovery of any of the bodies.

“The families have not only been let down, it’s every worker in New Zealand that has been let down by that National government. It’s about every New Zealander having the confidence that the government of the day will do its best to keep everybody safe in the workplace and if things do go wrong, they’ll do everything they can to find out what happened, why it happened and how they’ll stop it from happening again,” she said.

If he is looking for Government action that caused or contributed to the whole fiasco there are many examples.  For one how about Worksafe’s decision to withdraw the prosecutions against Boss head Peter Whittall, a decision the Supreme Court ruled to be illegal?

And to top things off he has claimed that most Pike River miners families oppose the re-entry.  Good luck proving that.

Some advice for Simon, if you are going to go out and blame Labour for things make sure that you at least have a coherent explanation for it.  And learn to eat humble pie.  It will make you look more like a human.

54 comments on “Another day and more Simon Bridges f*&k ups ”

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  1. Pete 1
    19 November 2018 at 2:41 pm

    Big ups to those on here helping Simon Bridges carry on his campaign. His campaign of making himself look like a blithering idiot.

    He doesn’t need help mind you since he is doing such a great job of it all by himself but he surely will be happy that his efforts are not going unnoticed.

    • k 1.1
      19 November 2018 at 7:19 pm

      Simon Bridges represents National perfectly and is the best leader that National can find for themselves at present. Perhaps 2029 may see someone better qualified emerge.

    • Kat 1.2
      19 November 2018 at 7:28 pm

      Makes you wonder if all those pro National people at RNZ and TVNZ realise what they are doing, most likely they are as oblivious as Simon Bridges.

  2. BM 2
    19 November 2018 at 3:32 pm

    Both RNZ and TVNZ will have to get the chop next time National gets in, they’re just mouthpieces for the Labour government, state media has to be neutral, both TVNZ and RNZ are failing so dismally at that, it’s almost reaching levels Putin wouldn’t be comfortable with.

    Also the audacity of that fuckwit Little demanding National apologizes, after his involvement in Pike River, Christ, what a delusional knob end.

    • mickysavage 2.1
      19 November 2018 at 3:51 pm

      Little had no involvement in Pike River. You are clearly confused.

      • Mr Marshy 2.1.1
        19 November 2018 at 5:03 pm

        You are clearly confused. EPMU ring any bells?

      • shadrach 2.1.2
        19 November 2018 at 9:17 pm

        No involvement? Are you serious?

        I’ll steal from BM’s reference on another thread (https://nzagainstthecurrent.blogspot.com/2017/10/andrew-little-and-pike-river-fatally.html)

        “As national secretary of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU – now E tu) Little jumped to the defence of Pike River Coal management, even though the EPMU represented approximately half of the 140 strong workforce at Pike River. But Little’s view that everything was fine at Pike River was contradicted by miner Brent Forrester. He told TVNZ’s Sunday (December 5 2010) that he once helped organise a walkout of some ten miners to protest the lack of basic emergency equipment, including stretchers and an emergency transport vehicle. He also said they had received no support from the EPMU. Little’s apparent lack of concern about what was happening at Pike River and his willingness to believe what management told him, was also highlighted by Gerry Morris of Greymouth, a former writer for Coal magazine. He told the NZ Herald that he had heard regularly from contractors at the mine that “over the last two or three years that this mine is unsafe, there’s far too much gas, there’s going to be a disaster here one day”.”

        • mickysavage 2.1.2.1
          19 November 2018 at 9:28 pm

          All you right wingers referring to a single leftist blog ad holding it up as conclusive proof.

          Blog posts to you are not things to consider and think about. They are weapons to use if they back your side.

          The post is poorly written and rather weird in its conclusion.

          Do you have anything else?

          • Mr Marshy 2.1.2.1.1
            20 November 2018 at 9:40 am

            You really dont like facing facts do you. This has nothing to do with a blog post. Any Google search on Littles involvement in this can show his dismissal of safety concerns. This from Wikipedia :

            Several commentators criticised successive National and Labour Party governments for deregulating safety in the mining sector and some also argued that the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), which had several members at Pike River, did not do enough to prevent the tragedy.[86][87][88] In the days after the explosion, EPMU leader Andrew Little (who later became Labour Party leader) said there had been no problems at Pike River Coal and defended its safety record.

            So before you start bleating about right wingers, do some research.

            • mickysavage 2.1.2.1.1.1
              20 November 2018 at 9:49 am

              I am struggling with saying “there had been no problems”, if that did happen, being equated with “being involved in Pike River”. See the problem?

              • shadrach …
                20 November 2018 at 10:18 am

                You said “Little had no involvement in Pike River.” That is patently untrue. Little was National Secretary of the Union who represented half of the workers at Pike. He made repeated public statements supporting Pike’s safety, and failed to support those who spoke up with concerns. Of course he was ‘involved’ in Pike. And now he is seeking the limelight. I wonder if that’s guilt or just posturing?

                • te reo putake …
                  20 November 2018 at 11:41 am

                  Bullshit. See my earlier comment. Little had nothing to do with Pike River. He answered questions at the time about what the union knew as accurately as he could. He was, at the time, the national secretary, not the local organiser. The company went out of its way to keep the union out of the mine and deliberately kept them in the dark about safety concerns.

                  Andrew Little is many things, but his not a mind reader.

                  • shadrach …
                    20 November 2018 at 3:03 pm

                    “Little had nothing to do with Pike River. ”

                    https://nzagainstthecurrent.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-andrew-little-failed-pike-river.html
                    “After the first explosion the EPMU strongly defended the management of PRC. EPMU National secretary Andrew Little (now a Labour MP) told the New Zealand Herald on November 22 2010 that there was “nothing unusual about Pike River or this mine that we’ve been particularly concerned about”. He then appeared on TVNZ’s Close Up to again defend PRC management. He told Close Up that underground mining was inherently unsafe and the risk of gas explosions, particularly on the West Coast, was high. While the industry was aware of the risks and took the necessary precautions, unfortunately these kinds of incidents still happened, he argued. On November 26, 2010 the Dominion Post ran an article that denounced ‘wild’ rumours that the mine was not safe. It declared that “Any suggestion of obvious or known safety lapses does not find traction with unionised staff or union leader Andrew Little.””

                    Andrew Little was donkey deep in Pike. It seems you are content with participating in a whitewash of his culpability. I’m calling you on it.

                    “The company went out of its way to keep the union out of the mine and deliberately kept them in the dark about safety concerns.”
                    Really? And yet an Australian gas drainage engineer visited the mine in 2009 and warned about the safety standards. And what about the group of workers who walked off the job to protest the lack of basic emergency equipment? Was that a mystery to the EPMU?

                • Gabby …
                  20 November 2018 at 6:12 pm

                  Gotta quote or two there shadders?

                  • shadrach …
                    21 November 2018 at 8:59 am

                    “Every mine on the West Coast takes great care when it goes into production and I don’t think Pike River is any different from that. They’ve had a good health and safety committee that’s been very active. So there’s nothing before now that’s alerted us to any greater risk of this sort of incident happening than at any other time.”

              • Mr Marshy …
                21 November 2018 at 1:26 pm

                Every time you reply and try and defend Little, you lose any more credibility that you may have had. Little was ultimately the guy in charge of the workers welfare here and he knows it.

            • Gabby 2.1.2.1.1.2
              20 November 2018 at 6:11 pm

              You got a quote there messes mash?

          • shadrach 2.1.2.1.2
            20 November 2018 at 10:13 am

            And Brent Forrester? Gerry Morris? Are they part of some right wing conspiracy to undermine Andrew Little?

    • Anthony Rimell 2.2
      19 November 2018 at 4:06 pm

      From BM: “Both RNZ and TVNZ will have to get the chop next time National gets in, they’re just mouthpieces for the Labour government, state media has to be neutral, both TVNZ and RNZ are failing so dismally at that, it’s almost reaching levels Putin wouldn’t be comfortable with.

      Also the audacity of that fuckwit Little demanding National apologizes, after his involvement in Pike River, Christ, what a delusional knob end.”

      BM: please go and take the meds you need. The only delusional and offensive knob-end in this is you.

      Fact: those of us who have worked in/ with mining know that it is the right thing to do to get to the bottom of what happened in 2010. If that means going into the mine and assessing the crime scene (because it IS a crime scene), then so be it. No-one is claiming it’s totally safe: what we’re saying is that it needs to be done.

      Fact: Rob Fyfe has also called on the previous Government to apologise. Anyone who knows Rob’s cv knows he’s a genuine independent (both National and Labour have drawn on his skill base.) Agree or disagree: but dont ignore that it’s not just a political call.

      Fact: RNZ and TNZ were hardly Labour-friendly before or since the election. Any number of articles could be cited. If Bridges could not name a tax that supported his argument, it’s hardly a sign of biased news: more a case of Bridges being monumentally un-prepared, as usual.

      Fact: National dropped the ball on this from the start. They could step up now and accept this. But, with supporters like you they wont. Thankfully also, with supporters like you, real Kiwis will ensure the Gnats are kept as far from the levers of power for years to come.

      Begone, shrill.

    • Pete 2.3
      19 November 2018 at 4:36 pm

      Next time you hear someone from RNZ or TVNZ giving a Minister a hard time keep chanting that they’re just mouthpieces for the Labour government. And ‘Putin, Putin, Putin.’

      Next time you hear someone from RNZ or TVNZ letting Simon Bridges mouth mindless cliches without questions eliciting sensible justification from him, chant that they’re just mouthpieces for the Labour government. And ‘Putin, Putin, Putin.’

      At the end of whichever event chant ‘delusional knob end fuckwit’ several thousand times. Use a mirror for that last bit.

    • marty mars 2.4
      19 November 2018 at 4:50 pm

      Lol splutter went the bman.

      Gnats will never apologise – too weak, too cowardly. Lol I hope the polls show them what decent kiwis think of them and drop them into the teens.

    • Ed 2.5
      19 November 2018 at 5:19 pm

      I disagree.
      I would take back airwaves from private corporations.
      Close down ZB and other hate speech.
      Return airwaves to grassroot community organisations.

      • solkta 2.5.1
        20 November 2018 at 9:30 am

        I wonder if Radio Hauraki would become pirates again.

        • gsays 2.5.1.1
          20 November 2018 at 1:43 pm

          if pirates stop playing ads and ditched the egos then it would be a marked improvement.

          • joe90 2.5.1.1.1
            20 November 2018 at 1:47 pm

            You need a bit of Brian in your life.

            http://www.brianfm.com/

            • gsays 2.5.1.1.1.1
              20 November 2018 at 2:52 pm

              Cheers Joe, looks like my cup of tea. I will be sure to check it out.
              The reception for radio control gets a little sketchy in the country on beautiful days like today.

          • solkta 2.5.1.1.2
            20 November 2018 at 1:55 pm

            Never listen to it now. I can’t understand why people choose to listen to the same music their whole lives. I have lots of classic rock in my collection for when i want it.

            • gsays 2.5.1.1.2.1
              20 November 2018 at 2:54 pm

              I am the same, sometimes (building sites for example) I don’t contract the radio and am subjected to ugly radio.

    • Ed 2.6
      19 November 2018 at 5:21 pm

      I disagree.

      TVNZ and RNZ are both mouthpieces for the neoliberal establishment.
      I would take back airwaves from private corporations.
      Close down ZB and other hate speech.
      Return airwaves to grassroot community organisations.

    • Michelle 2.7
      20 November 2018 at 9:22 am

      You sound like sour grapes BM and I think you will be waiting a long time for the next time national get in cause at the moment they are currently being exposed for the bunch of condescending a.. wholes they are and their policies that have benefitted a few.

    • Delia 2.8
      20 November 2018 at 11:59 pm

      I know it is hard to be on the losing team, but try and control that temper, you could get high blood pressure and I would say you have got another eight years to go, off feeling out of sorts BM

  3. ianmac 3
    19 November 2018 at 3:43 pm

    Simon has been practising words like “Safety.”
    “Its all about safety you know. We looked at the safety aspect and safety was our reason for avoiding action because our Party is very aware of the need for safety you know. And of course if Andrew knows things about safety that we don’t know good on him. But be warned if the recovery goes wrong we will pounce on the lack of safety and give Andrew hell and ask him to resign. If it goes well we will be very pleased with the use of what we had planned on doing with due regard for safety. That’s the Reality you know.”

  4. Cinny 4
    19 November 2018 at 3:47 pm

    I missed simon’s media this morning.

    Cheers for the TVNZ interview link, Jack Tame cracking up laughing so funny.

  5. Michelle 5
    19 November 2018 at 3:59 pm

    They (national should be apologising to the whole country for telling lies and making false promises as we the 99% are still waiting for our brighter bullshert future john

    • Bewilderd 5.1
      19 November 2018 at 4:27 pm

      I would say a few more kiwis than 1 percent are doing ok, 2 percent doing it tough, 20 percent just have a over inflated view of entitlement The rest just get on with and own their circumstances with out the need to be a victim

      • patricia bremner 5.1.1
        20 November 2018 at 5:41 pm

        Bewildered.. such certainty is amazing!! “2% ???? doing it tough”

        What about those whose farms have micoplasma bovis?

        What about those who are on a benefit?

        Have you considered those on waiting lists for operations or treatment?

        How about Manuka honey producers threatened by wind borne myrtle rust?

        Or the relatives and friends of the road carnage victims?

        Or those affected by Fletchers’/ (corporate) behaviour?

        Oh but to be sure, you “get on with it without needing to be a victim.”

        What a foolish unfeeling thing to say. You and Simon have a great deal in common.

  6. marty mars 6
    19 November 2018 at 4:47 pm

    Desperately seeking traction little simon the engine that couldn’t tooted his wee horn and rang hus wee bell and spun hos wee wheels really really fastly vroom vroom went simons weeeeee engine…

  7. adam 7
    19 November 2018 at 10:41 pm

    As in complete market failure in relationship to rents is a good topic to discuss. Oh wait simon was happy with that, he was just trying to score points.

  8. Ken 8
    20 November 2018 at 12:20 am

    NZ really does deserve a better opposition.

  9. Naki man 9
    20 November 2018 at 1:43 pm

    I am not a fan of Simon Bridges but in this case he is absolutely correct and Tame is as usual being a complete cock.

  10. patricia bremner 10
    20 November 2018 at 2:51 pm

    Simon says “Let me catch my breath”

    Is that after writing 42 000 questions Simon?

    Or running to keep up with Jacinda?

    Or making up excuses for your errors?

  11. Observer Tokoroa 11
    20 November 2018 at 3:05 pm

    Hi Naki man

    What’s this about your cock? You and Bridges have the same ones? Strange.

    You both should watch what you do with your dirty cocks. Both of you are polluted.

    It’s all that very carcinogenic Diesel that you suck in.

    New Zealanders don’t want your Oils and Pollution.

  12. A 12
    20 November 2018 at 7:51 pm

    I think this site needs a Simon Bridges appreciation thread.

  14. Tamati Tautuhi 14
    23 November 2018 at 4:54 am

    What about a Slimey Wedges Fan Club ?