Cookers of the world unite

Written By: - Date published: 3:35 pm, September 18th, 2023 - 26 comments
Categories: act, covid-19, election 2023, nz first - Tags:

I have been giving NZ First and Act a bit of stick because of the extremist candidate problems they have been having.

It looks like National has its own particular problem to deal with.  And this one is in a winnable seat.

From Radio New Zealand:

National’s candidate for Hamilton East, under fire for previous anti-fluoride and anti-mandate comments, has told RNZ his comments in the past were “rash” but would not say when he had changed his mind.

RNZ revealed Ryan Hamilton had voiced support for groups that spread misinformation about fluoridation.

In social media posts, Hamilton claimed Covid-19 deaths data had been inflated and once said poverty was not a reason to fluoridate water because “most lower socio economics filled their tap water with Raro”.

RNZ has put multiple interview requests to Ryan Hamilton since the beginning of last week. In a brief interview on Monday, Hamilton he said he had apologised for the remarks and now stated a clear position.

“Look, I made this comment nearly a decade ago, and it was a rash comment, and I apologise for it.

“Our focus right now is on the economy, cost of living, law and order, and improving health and education outcomes. That’s really all my focus is on at the moment – and winning, winning the election and improving our party vote position.”

In another post, Hamilton praised ‘Fluoride Free Hamilton and NZ’, a group that has published extensive misinformation about fluoride. In 2016, he said he was “with the minority” in opposition to fluoride and had been for 22 years.

It is not only social media where he got himself into trouble.  And you have to wonder about National’s vetting given this report from June of this year where fringe elements took over a public meeting and caused Hamilton’s deputy mayor to leave following threats of an attempted citizen’s arrest.  And Hamilton sided with the extremists.

As the councillors departed a man from the audience of about 400 issued what he called a “writ” declaring a citizen’s arrest of the councillors.

Once the invited councillors had left, the floor was ceded to Counterspin’s Samantha Edwards​, who, speaking off the cuff as her slide show failed, only briefly mentioned 20-minute cities before seguing to “seismic generating ships” off the coast, “weaponry in street lights” and claims the government was attempting to legalise sex with children.

One would think that a National Party candidate would leave quickly but this did not happen.

[Ryan] Hamilton failed to admonish the crowd’s behaviour and instead reminded them that he was the sole councillor to vote against vaccine mandates during the last council term.

“Look, I sympathise with a lot of what you said tonight regarding traffic, I was the only councillor to stand up against council’s imposed mandates,” he said to rapturous applause.

After explaining that the council had been the recipient of $37 million dollars worth of Climate Emergency Relief Funding (CERF) to aid the installation of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, he implored the “passionate” crowd to show up to speak at council meetings on the topic. This came directly after witnessing members of the audience attempt to conduct a citizens arrest on his colleagues.

“You’ve got the manpower, I just encourage you to channel it.”

The venn diagram of someone who is passionately against cycleways as well as vaccination shows very little difference.

The meeting was reviewed in this youtube video.

To top things off Ryan Hamilton is against flouridation, and thinks that poor people drink mostly Raro.

The Labour candidate for Hamilton East is Georgie Dansey.  If you live in the electorate vote for her.  Hamilton East deserves better.

26 comments on “Cookers of the world unite ”

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  1. tsmithfield 1
    18 September 2023 at 3:48 pm

    So far as flouridation of water is concerned, this Harvard study argues that while dental health has improved generally in countries that have flouridated their water over recent decades, similar trends have also been noticed in countries without flouridated water. The study suggests that this is due to dental hygine practices improving worldwide, and the advent of flouridated toothpaste.

    Rather than mass-medicating the whole population, many of whom don't need it, I think it would be much better to add flouride to the products that are causing tooth-decay. For instance, fizzy drinks, fruit drinks, sweets etc. The the target groups will be targeted effectively rather than the whole population.

    I think one of the problems with adding flouride to the water is that a lot of those with tooth decay issues are getting that because they tend to consume the sugary stuff, but not much in the way of pure water. So, flouridating the water supply may not actually target the group where the problem is.

    • Ad 1.1
      18 September 2023 at 4:19 pm

      "This analysis concludes that from a medical and public health perspective, water fluoridation at the levels used in New Zealand poses no significant health risks and is effective at reducing the prevalence and severity of tooth decay in communities where it is used."

      https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/assets/documents/Health-effects-of-water-fluoridation-Aug-2014-corrected-Jan-2015.pdf

      We are following a 2021 legislated mandate in which it is now the Director General of Health that enforces this addition to drinking water suppliers.

      It was hard enough trying to get the baking industry to put folic acid into bread, let alone trying what you are proposing trying to force Coke to add flouride into Fanta.

      • tsmithfield 1.1.1
        18 September 2023 at 5:12 pm

        The example of folic acid you gave sort of supports my point. Because it is exactly what I am suggesting. The government legislating to require private industry to add flouride to their products in the same way they did for folic acid. So, it is doable.

        And, my idea should have a lot less push-back from the public. That is because people can choose whether to buy Fanta or whatever. And, if there is a strong overlap between those with high tooth decay and conspiracy nutters, then a lot of those probably will stop buying Fanta or whatever due to perceived conspiracies.

    • Barfly 1.2
      18 September 2023 at 5:59 pm

      Fluoride was introduced in to the Tauranga water supply when I was in high school. I went from several fillings every six months to having 1 filling in the 2 years after it's introduction . I absolutely believe that not putting fluoride in the water for dental health is just bonkers.

      • tsmithfield 1.2.1
        18 September 2023 at 6:56 pm

        Thanks Barfly. Did you have access to fluoridated toothpaste when the water was unfluoridated? I am just trying to understand if fluoridated water adds any benefit above what is provided by fluoridated toothpaste.

      • gsays 1.2.2
        18 September 2023 at 7:26 pm

        In a similar vein my son grew up on tank water and didn't get a filling till late in High School.

      • Mike the Lefty 1.2.3
        18 September 2023 at 10:07 pm

        I would ask the anti fluoride lobby this question:

        How many people in NZ have been proven to have died from the addition of fluoride to the water supply?

        You pose them that question, they get upset and start throwing red herrings around because the answer embarrasses them.

        And that answer is NONE.

        • tsmithfield 1.2.3.1
          18 September 2023 at 10:17 pm

          I am not anti-fluoride. I think fluoride definitely improves dental health. But, I am anti-mass medication if there are other alternatives that achieve the same goal.

          For instance, encouraging the use of fluoridated tooth paste, adding fluoride to products that those who tend to develop dental issues tend to consume.

          I think that those who consume lots of fruit drinks which are acidic and tend to eat away at enamel, and those who eat lots of sugary foods, and have poor dental hygiene will likely not benefit much from fluoridated water anyway.

          Firstly, they may not be drinking a lot of water if they prefer sugary alternatives. Secondly, their poor dental lifestyle may well outshine any benefit from fluoridated water.

          • Mike the Lefty 1.2.3.1.1
            19 September 2023 at 7:57 am

            I would suppose that anyone who is fastidious enough to buy their own non-fluoridated water probably wouldn't be filling themselves up with sugary soft drinks in any case, so it is a bit of a mute argument to claim that fluoridation does nothing for their teeth, as many do.

    • John 1.3
      18 September 2023 at 10:30 pm

      Interesting note

      The link tsmithfield provides leads to a magazine article. The magazine article has a note on letters in response to the article.

      All but one of the many experts who wrote in response to the magazine article are critical of what the magazine author wrote in the article.

      https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/letters-in-response-to-is-fluoridated-drinking-water-safe/

      • tsmithfield 1.3.1
        19 September 2023 at 7:35 am

        I think that first response does raise some legitimate concerns about mass medication through a fluoridated water supply. Especially in the case of infants who could get a high daily dose of fluoride if drinking formula using fluoridated water:

        From that letter:

        The weight of the subject is crucial. Thus, newborns weighing 5 kg that drink formula made with fluoridated water are exposed to a daily dose of 0.14 to 0.20 mg/km. This level of exposure causes dental fluorosis….

        So, again, I am not against the benefits of fluoride. Just on how it is delivered to those who need it.

        • SPC 1.3.1.1
          19 September 2023 at 7:57 am

          The beneficial effect was noted because fluoride occurs naturally in the water. Those where this occurred had better dental health. Thus it was added to toothpaste (in Europe they add it to table salt, they way we do with iodine).

          Calling the addition of fluoride "medication" is a bit over the top, when it can occur naturally.

          People can use bottled water for infant formula – and should be advised to do so if there is fluoride in the tap water.

          A compromise is to note the availability of other fluoride sources and to lower the level in public water supplies to a basic level – such as 0.5 (the trend in the USA is to lower levels).

          Fluoride makes teeth more resistant to decay by strengthening the tooth surface. Fluoride interferes with the growth of the bacteria which cause cavities. Fluoride helps to repair the early stages of tooth decay.

          The caries-preventive effect of fluoride is mainly attributed to the effects on demineralization/remineralization at the tooth oral fluids interface. Sub ppm levels of fluoride in saliva are effective in shifting the balance from demineralization, leading to caries, to remineralization.

          The requirement of an advice notice on sugary drinks (and or sugary foods) to wash sugar in the mouth away with water, preferably fluoridated water, might be the way to go.

          • tsmithfield 1.3.1.1.1
            19 September 2023 at 10:29 am

            in Europe they add it to table salt, they way we do with iodine

            I would be more in favour of it being added to salt. That is because consumers would have a much easier and less expensive choice to buy non-fluoridated salt if they want to. Especially if they think they are adopting good oral hygiene and using fluoridated toothpaste already.

  2. Tiger Mountain 2
    18 September 2023 at 3:52 pm

    The horror…

    Look it makes no odds I guess at this stage of the election process, but…the Natzo selectors do seem to like ex coppers, animal exploiters and real estate blue suit wearers like “bed leg basher” Sam in in the provinces.

    Another loathsome example a few years back being in Northland where an allegedly new age farmer, Mark Tan, lost to one Detective Mike Sabin whose history has been well recorded here previously.

    But Mr Tan, later principle of Abundant Life Christian School in Kaitaia, showed he was not out of the public eye just yet, when photographed throwing bricks at Police at the Parliamentary grounds occupation. Mr Tan was on sabbatical leave at the time for his anti COVID vaccination stance.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northland-age/news/abundant-life-school-staff-spotted-at-parliament-protest/UULLUZDA75Q2UGU4IJ32VL2JWY/

    We deserve better from people seeking public office. Jeez–I might be a better MP than half of these dickheads. I have helped organise communities, workers strikes and direct action, have started small businesses, support local iwi actions and capacity building ; but hey…do you know who Ryan Hamilton is? Thanks to Micky you might now.

  3. observer 3
    18 September 2023 at 4:10 pm

    The more general – and quite serious – issue is both ACT's and National's candidate selection process. This "robust" process appears to be …

    "Done anything we should know about?"

    "Nah"

    "OK, you're in!"

    And even worse, when these issues arise, the candidates disappear from view, suddenly unavailable and unaccountable to the public … in an election campaign!

  4. Mike the Lefty 4
    18 September 2023 at 4:14 pm

    I fear it has got to the stage where even if a candidate who has previously been convicted of rape or child molestation will still be enthusiastically voted in as long as they belong to one of the political right parties.

    Of course if they are from the left, they won't be allowed to get a parking ticket without being ostracised and pilloried.

  5. Obtrectator 5
    18 September 2023 at 5:58 pm

    It's "flUOridation".

  6. tc 6
    18 September 2023 at 6:30 pm

    I hear ex mayor Andrew king fancied a go, less than he likely fancies himself naturally.

    Quality people NACT styles.

  7. Tricledrown 7
    18 September 2023 at 6:32 pm

    Throwing bricks at police Christian fundamentalism means it's OK to break the law .Cults are full of easily lead followers.

  8. PsyclingLeft.Always 8
    18 September 2023 at 6:46 pm

    In the cooke….ah, conspiracists, mind ( quite possibly a bewildering place !) …Fluoridation is actually a… Commie Plot. This fits in perfectly with…. all the other Plots.

    There was a very cool Movie made, that exposed the evil Commies plan..

    You gotta laugh.

  9. Anne 9
    18 September 2023 at 7:06 pm

    These effing cookers are everywhere – even in the Labour Party. At no 72 on the list her political future is now assuredly below zero. 🙄

    https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/09/18/labour-candidate-railed-against-hpv-vaccine-on-social-media/

  10. Roy Cartland 10
    19 September 2023 at 9:51 am

    This guy was on an RNZ story this morning again. It's a pretty big deal, no sane person could ever vote for this Nat govt. They are glaringly inept, no matter how much you want to 'punish' the govt.

    • Roy Cartland 10.1
      19 September 2023 at 9:54 am

      Gordon Campbell elaborates:

      http://werewolf.co.nz/2023/09/gordon-campbell-on-the-centre-rights-credibility-problems/

      “The centre-right’s credibility problems have spread from National to its erstwhile coalition partner. ACT’s problems of late have been largely self-inflicted – e.g. their dodgy list of candidates, and the increasingly odd comments emanating from its leader. All of this came to a head earlier this week with David Seymour threatening to mimic Winston Peters, and sit on the cross benches and bring down the government if need be, should ACT not get the policy gains from National that it feels it deserves.”