Clueless hicks?

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 pm, April 14th, 2013 - 31 comments
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I live in Wellington and like it. I’ve just visited Auckland for a party, and it was fun for a day and a half. We dealt with the traffic via buses and some kind friends. But I did meet some Aucklanders unusually riled up about the Government, and then read this from Matt McCarten in today’s Herald.

Gerry Brownlee and Nick Smith on Auckland’s gridlock! One does feel sorry for them.

Here’s the billboard Matt mentions in the article.

NickSmith6x3

billboard Smith

 

 

 

 

 

31 comments on “Clueless hicks? ”

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  1. vto 1
    14 April 2013 at 9:00 pm

    They are drunk on their own self-importance

    • Draco T Bastard 1.1
      15 April 2013 at 12:34 am

      +1

      And their desire to force people to conform with their vision of how things should be.

  2. AmaKiwi 2
    14 April 2013 at 9:12 pm

    Auckland has 32 times more people than Nelson but Aucklanders have got a country bumpkin dictating that their city must sprawl.

    Imagine the uproar from Federated Farmers if Labour appointed a union leader with no farming experience as minister of agriculture (with a hidden agenda to unionize farm workers).

    It should be plain that Nick Smith’s instructions are to flick the finger to 1.6 million Aucklanders so their palls in construction and roading can make a killing.

    • Colonial Viper 2.1
      14 April 2013 at 9:16 pm

      Imagine the uproar from Federated Farmers if Labour appointed a union leader with no farming experience as minister of agriculture (with a hidden agenda to unionize farm workers).

      Unfortunately, 1000 Fed members can take more effective action than 1M Aucklanders. Sorry.

  3. Zaphod Beeblebrox 3
    14 April 2013 at 9:15 pm

    Local government elections in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington will be interesting.

  4. AmaKiwi 4
    14 April 2013 at 9:23 pm

    The link to Matt McCarten’s article:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10877379

    If you don’t mind breaking the law, here’s how Labour-Greens could pick up a lot of votes in the three days prior to the election: On the Friday afternoon before election day “arrange” for two multi-lane crashes on the North-South motorway. One on the bridge north out of the city and the other in the southbound lanes, also heading out of the city. The gridlock would last well into the night. The rage would cost National dearly.

    • prism 4.1
      15 April 2013 at 1:41 pm

      Trouble is – someone might hop out of his car with a car jack to go with his rage. And if there was a hint that it wasn’t an accident the next day, the greenies blah blah, oddballs blah irresponsible etc. would get the flak and National could make sweet and nauseous noises that would get swallowed – again.

  5. Shaz 5
    14 April 2013 at 9:26 pm

    Why is Nick Smith the defacto Minister for Local Government and how does Chris Tremain (the actual local government mininster) feel about having Dr Smith and Mr Brownlee trample all over his patch? I say this because the substantive issue is Auckland’s plan of which housing and transport are a part.

  6. felix 6
    14 April 2013 at 9:27 pm

    Terrible billboard, unless the plan was to waste money preaching to the choir.

    I wonder how many people think that’s a picture of Len Brown?

    • mickysavage 6.1
      14 April 2013 at 9:33 pm

      Um I agree. That political maxim that you never mention your opponent by name (or show their photograph) comes to mind. And I am not sure about how many Aucklanders would recognise Smith (apart from the activists).

      Maybe Wellington should talk to Auckland activists about what sort of campaign would work?

    • Colonial Viper 6.2
      14 April 2013 at 9:36 pm

      You can’t expect better results using MS Paint.

    • Boadicea 6.3
      15 April 2013 at 5:19 pm

      Mike Smith is associated with this campaign.
      He is a paid consultant to The Opposition Leader’s Office and has to deliver something from time to time.
      That last thing on earth they would would be to consult with the Auckland Labour Party.
      They might come up with good suggestions and even fund a campaign. Mike Smithmight have to talk to them. Tooo much.

  7. Bill 7
    14 April 2013 at 10:12 pm

    Does the clueless hicks refer to whoever thought up and/or sanctioned a fucking billboard campaign? Is Labour and its policies no more than toothpaste promising brighter smiling futures on an introductory 2 for 1 special offer at all major toothpaste outlets nationwide?

    Never mind that the imagery is anonymous to most. Never mind that the response to the bye line will likely be ‘Dunno’. Forget that the response to the minor bye line will be ‘Is it?’ And ignore the fact that the overwhelming response to the appeal to go search out a website will be ‘Don’t get it – don’t care – nah’

    Somebody somewhere needs to tell the LP that selling politics is not the same as selling toothpaste. Honest…I’m not kidding – it’s different. And they seriously don’t seem to get it.

    • Colonial Viper 7.1
      14 April 2013 at 10:17 pm

      Leave it to the well paid communications professionals in the Leaders office mate, they have a plan. Give them another 6 months or so.

    • ghostrider888 7.2
      14 April 2013 at 10:43 pm

      that is very sparkly writing Bill; I heard a chappie on the news re Norman’s examination of the rail-circuit proposal (there sure are some politicians who are A LOT better thinkers and communicators than those in NAct) say, “Auckland will be NZ’s only world-class city” or something almost I-dentical 😉 yet what does that say about the rest of the Ponderosa. hmmm, sigh. (still finding it very hard to believe what we hear when the “washed” instruct the “great unwashed”; do public figures even put their brain in gear before they dis-engage their clutch?

  8. Murray Olsen 8
    14 April 2013 at 11:55 pm

    It would have been better to use a picture of Mickey Mouse – at least he’d be recognised.

  9. Akldnut 9
    15 April 2013 at 12:45 am

    Went past the sign to last night, It doesn’t really stand out that well and is hard to read almost hidden behind the trees.

    • Colonial Viper 9.1
      15 April 2013 at 12:59 am

      “You didn’t vote for the MP for Nelson as Mayor.

      So why has National put him in charge of your city?”

      A freebie for you, Labour. My normal hourly fee for stuff like this is $290 + GST + disbursements.

  10. Populuxe1 10
    15 April 2013 at 12:56 pm

    Fascinating example of JAFA solipsism