Bungling Brownlee under fire

34 comments on “Bungling Brownlee under fire ”

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1. One Anonymous Bloke 1

   18 February 2017 at 8:44 am

   Weird.

   When they’re announcing funding the minister is all over it…

   The extra funding announced today will bolster the Ministry’s ability to provide more nationwide support and leadership, to ensure New Zealand is better placed to manage the risks posed by natural hazards and other disasters.

   Bolstered eh.
   • Carolyn_nth 1.1

     18 February 2017 at 9:25 am

     When they’re announcing funding the minister is all over it…

     And yet when it comes to RNZ (which provides essential coverage and information during a disaster) has had a funding block for years.
2. Skeptic 2

   18 February 2017 at 9:05 am

   Is the idiot a Trump wannabe?
3. Matthew Whitehead 3

   18 February 2017 at 9:36 am

   Yeah, as we’ve all known for ages, Brownlee’s only real strength is in procedural rules in Parliament and talking a big game. He’s a lightweight and it’s time to get someone willing to wake up at all hours and give some real support to people into that Civil Defense position, preferably by changing the government.
   • gsays 3.1

     18 February 2017 at 5:19 pm

     be careful what you wish for, matthew.
     if the tories got competent, strong leaders, they may get re-elected again.
     • Matthew Whitehead 3.1.1

       19 February 2017 at 4:56 pm

       They don’t have the depth on their bench yet for that, and they won’t grab that much talent all at once, as their born-to-rule types in Cabinet wouldn’t tolerate their jobs being at risk.
4. Ethica 4

   18 February 2017 at 9:41 am

   It was amazing to hear that even National-fan Mike Hosking had a go at him last night. Hosking understands property rights and the need to protect them with all the resources of the state. But other protections, human rights etc, not so much.
   • Guerilla Surgeon 4.1

     18 February 2017 at 10:33 am

     +1.
5. Ad 5

   18 February 2017 at 9:50 am

   He’s been in Ilam since 1996.
   Still gets nearly 20,000 electorate votes.
   Labour candidate was 8,000, Green candidate was 4,200.

   Can’t stand him myself.

   While they’re keeping him as long as he wants locally, he’s doing the right job corroding the government nationally.
   • Skeptic 5.1

     18 February 2017 at 5:13 pm

     Ilam would vote for Hitler if he stood for National
     • tc 5.1.1

       19 February 2017 at 8:26 am

       Sargent Schultz it is in the meantime then.
6. JustMe 6

   18 February 2017 at 9:59 am

   Through subtle forms of innuendo Gerry Brownlee tried to infer the ‘I told you so’ form of blame games. That is if Christchurch had a National Party affiliated mayor then the state of emergency etc would have been called for earlier.

   What a lousy cop-out by Brownlee to infer/say this. It’s like closing the stable door after the horse(s)had bolted.

   And when he(Brownlee)is caught in a corner he resorts to pathetic excuses. Avoiding by using feeble excuses of answering a relevant question is the action of an arrogant and ignorant person. He(Brownlee)is both arrogant and trying to portray to NZers that he is holier than thou.

   Has this child(Brownlee)ever grown up or does he still think he is a school teacher telling students to read say page 200 of a 100 page book in one of his woodwork classes?

   If this is the ongong track record of Brownlee and others in this government then it’s time they jumped ship rather than be pushed off.

   The National government are in for a hiding they have never ever experienced before. They do not have the so-called ‘golden goose’ that is John Key to look upon or depend upon. They are being caught out regularly for being hyprocritical and arrogant. And when this happens they resort to temper tantrums, blame games and perpetual elusiveness of answering questions. Avoidance of questions just shows how useless they are at government. Hardly credit-worthy let alone legacy worthy. But then that is the legacy of John Key.
   • Janice 6.1

     18 February 2017 at 10:38 am

     He is also (not so subtlety) implying that a woman mayor who is Labour affiliated, isn’t up to the job.
     • tc 6.1.1

       19 February 2017 at 8:31 am

       Shows how stupid he is, Dalziel just got her term renewed and he keeps giving her valid reasons to have a pop at him.

       In an election year doing little more than pointing out the facts on nationals treatment of Chch and all the cronyism is enough so carry on gez
7. Pete 7

   18 February 2017 at 10:25 am

   Bungling Buffoon Billy Bunter Brownlee Blustering Bullshit.
   Again.
8. red-blooded 8

   18 February 2017 at 11:31 am

   All he needed to do was:
   1) Express sorrow at the loss of the helicopter pilot who died, and sympathy for his family and friends,
   2) Express empathy for those whose homes were destroyed or under threat and who were displaced,
   3) Thank the hundreds of people (including volunteers) who are fighting the fire with such commitment and bravery,
   4) Reinforce the message about rubberneckers needing to stay away.

   There’ll always be a review after a major event like this and there’ll be an inquest for the pilot. If he wants to finally act on his comments from the time of the ChCh quakes and kick-start the national review of civil defence, fine, but this isn’t the time for dumping on people in the front line or the decision-makers who are working with the system we have and doing their best.

   Dalziel has handled this as well as any mayor would have. Brownlee is a pillock.
   • Pete 8.1

     18 February 2017 at 2:14 pm

     Yes.
   • Anthony Rimell 8.2

     18 February 2017 at 6:35 pm

     Fully agree. A simple, respectful, positive message. Any challenges can have been done privately and respectfully but this is not his way. That’s why he has to go.
9. Tamati Tautuhi 9

   18 February 2017 at 12:53 pm

   Gerry angling for the Mayor’s job next time around?
10. Michael 10

    18 February 2017 at 2:32 pm

    Just as well then that Labour has no one any better than Brownlee in its line-up.
    • red-blooded 10.1

      18 February 2017 at 3:00 pm

      Wow – witty! And so insightful! (sarc)

      You can’t defend the lumbering big-mouth, so you just have to do your best to divert attention and spray around meaningless and empty assertions. It can’t be easy being an apologist for the likes of Brownlee – you have my deepest sympathies. 🙁
    • Skeptic 10.2

      18 February 2017 at 5:18 pm

      It wouldn’t matter if Labour stood M J Savage for Ilam, the world view of the nitwits who live there is such that they’d vote for a postbox painted blue. They have as much political nous as a gerbil.
      • tc 10.2.1

        19 February 2017 at 8:34 am

        Simon bridges being a good example of a complete twat moved to a safe blue seat where a blue ribboned donkey would get the nod.
11. Robert Glennie 11

    18 February 2017 at 2:35 pm

    God help me and the other non-National voters who can’t stand Gerry in the Ilam Electorate, which has been rock solid National since 1996.

    We look forward to the day we can bring his monstrous majority down to size, but am at loss about how since the socio-economic demographics of Ilam are very much tilted in his favour.
12. TeWhareWhero 12

    18 February 2017 at 2:42 pm

    There are some very big issues here – mostly jurisdictional ones – e.g. which bit of the fire service leads on a fire which is determined by where the fire starts in relation to political boundaries etc.
    There are issues between professional (urban) and volunteer (rural) fire services which may have played a role in the way this fire was handled at the outset.
    There is a host of slow moving emergency services bound hand and foot by red tape and some of which are led by people who may combine those duties with other ones.
    There are way too many people at the top and middle of NZ central and local government and too few at the front line.
    And there is the ignoble history of our abuse and neglect of the Peninsula that has played its part in the current situation.
    The peninsula has seen an on-going battle between commercial interests – pine plantation owners, farmers and land developers (sometimes they are one and the same) – and conservationists.
    I have no doubt which side Brownlee is on. I also have no doubt that he is scoring political points and covering his own backside. If he had been keeping tabs on the fire and had concerns about the way it was being managed, he had the powers to intercede. And let’s not forget that this is a government which is not shy about interfering in local politics – it sacked a democratically elected body and replaced it with its own highly paid commissioners who still pretty much run ECAN.
    So, for GB to lumber in and suggest it could and should have been handled differently is a bit rich to say the least.
    • Jenny Kirk 12.1

      18 February 2017 at 4:39 pm

      Absolutely agree 100% Te Whare Whero
    • Sabine 12.2

      18 February 2017 at 10:39 pm

      not much to ad but

      not all professional firefighters are urban and not all voluntary firefighters are rural.

      In fact, both services are currently in the process of being merged into a new organisation which is called FENZ Fire and Emergency NZ.

      If a fire breaks out the nearest fire brigade is called which may be an urban or a rural department depending the location. They call on extra resources as required and theoretically and practically will work together.

      Both departments share the same resources, the same communications, and use the same equipment.
13. Neil 13

    18 February 2017 at 6:43 pm

    When Gerry retires, he will go back to his after school job of delivering pizzas
    • peterlepaysan 13.1

      18 February 2017 at 9:53 pm

      What school would want him?
14. Infused 14

    18 February 2017 at 9:57 pm

    Considering the unions saying the response was a shambles as well..
    • Cinny 14.1

      19 February 2017 at 4:05 pm

      But isn’t Brownlee in charge of civil defence?

      Shouldn’t he already have well thought out action plans in place for any emergency?

      Maybe his plans were pooo, so he thought he’d get in there first and start laying the blame with others when the emergency has happening.

      Maybe people simply don’t like working with him, so prefer not to liase or interact with him (re him saying he was receiving more info via the media re the fire)

      The voters will provide the necessary response, one would hope they are switched on and informed enough to do so.
15. Dean Reynolods 15

    19 February 2017 at 8:59 am

    Don’t forget that Brownlee was convicted of assault when he threw a pensioner down the stairs – a top drawer chap!
16. Observer (Tokoroa) 16

    19 February 2017 at 3:13 pm

    . Who has put Brownlee in positions requiring some intelligence ?

    Sounds like another National stuff up to me. Brownlee under his breath: ‘ there is no fire. bugger the Volunteers.” matches Paula : ‘ there is no housing crisis” Farrar RNZ Fri 17/2/12 : ‘ there is nothing we can do for Auckland ha ha. “The mayor cannot put on Tolls nor put up rates. Nationals won’t help Auckland”.

    What a fetid lot the Nats are.
17. Cinny 17

    19 February 2017 at 3:58 pm

    Turns out the Bishop is not very happy with him either. Sounds like there was a bit of action at the Cathedral today

    Still hear the words of one of his ex pupils, a close friend of mine ringing in my ears. Brownlee the bully, who appeared to spend more time in his office chasing a potential political career than in the class room teaching his students.

    And another friend whose father lives in Kaikoura, said that her dad was disgusted in Brownlees behaviour when he came to visit re the quakes. Turns out he isn’t voting national again because of Gerry.

    This may sound shallow, however.. maybe if he lost some weight he would lose the attitude. Cause by crikey he seems to have a forest on his shoulder, so angry and defensive, it’s crazy, maybe even desperate.

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