English condemned

Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, February 1st, 2017 - 25 comments
Categories: bill english, useless - Tags: , , ,

Interim PM Bill English is well deserving of the widespread criticism he is receiving.

NZ Islamic Women’s Council:

PM ‘weak and indecisive’ on immigration ban

The Prime Minister is under mounting criticism for being too weak in his condemnation of US President Donald Trump’s immigration ban.

Islamic Women’s Council spokesperson Anjum Rahman said the council wanted to hear a stronger response from the government.

“This is a real miscarriage of justice, it’s against all international conventions and treaties and it’s really important that our government acts strongly now. …

Oxfam:

Oxfam urges PM to condemn Trump order

Oxfam New Zealand is urging Prime Minister Bill English to publicly condemn the United States Administration’s recent Executive Order which will slash refugee resettlement and ban immigrants and refugees based on nationality and religion. …

Patrick Gower, of all people (criticising process not principle of course):

NZ Govt ‘hopeless’ in response to Trump ban

In the five days since Donald Trump issued his travel ban, the Government has looked hopeless.

It has failed to clarify what Mr Trump’s orders mean for New Zealand citizens originally from the banned countries.
…
New Zealand’s ambassador in Washington is Tim Groser, who is clearly failing to break through. The US embassy in Wellington is also silent.

So in the Beehive a new Prime Minister waits, for a phone call from The Donald.

International perspective:

‘Hottest places in hell’ for those neutral on Donald Trump’s Muslim ban: Ex-diplomat

The former US Ambassador to Australia, Jeffrey Bleich, has issued an extraordinary statement attacking President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration and a passionate defence of refugees, warning that the “hottest places in hell” are reserved for those who “maintain neutrality” in times of “great moral crisis.”

Bleich’s criticism followed a reluctance by political leaders, including New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and British Prime Minister Theresa May, to condemn Trump’s “Muslim ban”. …

From a history of leadership on international issues all we worry about now is putting ourselves first:

… New Zealand urged to take a stand

Opposition parties and advocacy groups in New Zealand have been urging the Government to take a strong stance against Mr Trump’s immigration ban.

Red Cross programme development manager Rachel O’Connor says now is the time to consider an emergency intake of refugees.

“We know we have a world-class resettlement programme, and that’s exactly why we are in the space we are as a country to actually provide a greater number of places.”

Massey University associate-professor Grant Duncan says New Zealand needs to voice concern.

“I’m disgusted. I think it’s absolutely wrong. It’s poor public policy. It appears to be unconstitutional and unlawful,” he said.

“We have to stop saying, ‘Oh no, he won’t do those terrible things.’ We now have to take him at his word and believe him. He’s doing it. He’s acting like an authoritarian leader. We have to live with that fact and deal with it as best we can.”

This comes after Labour leader Andrew Little accused Prime Minister Bill English of taking a “weak” stance against Trump’s ban.

But Mr English says he is “quite happy with the stance” the National Party are taking.

The National Party are not going to become “full commentators on everything Trump does, but in this case, we disagree with the policy,” Mr English said.

Media Nats sound the alarm! Tracy Watkins:

Could Donald Trump cost Bill English the election?

Just days into his leadership, and US President Donald Trump is already casting a long shadow over the next New Zealand election.

When Prime Minister Bill English announces the election date on Wednesday, there will be a sneaking worry that National’s fourth term will become collateral damage. …

Bill English is going to cost Bill English the election.

Audrey Young:

Bill English needs to get out of cruise control
…
When English finally spoke to the news media about an issue that has horrified New Zealanders, the best he could do was to say he “disagreed” with the Trump move and that is was “discrimination.”

More astonishing than the flaccid response was English’s insistence that it amounted to criticism of the US policy.

English was slow to respond to an issue causing anguish around the world and his response was inadequate.

For the first time in a while, Labour and the Greens look sharper and more focused than National.

Andrew Little in his state of the nation said New Zealand had a new Prime Minister but not a leader.

English came close to proving him right yesterday.

Indeed.

See also:
‘What are we scared of?’ – Jack Tame puts PM Bill English on the spot over his stance on Trump’s travel ban
Bill English: Donald Trump’s Muslim ban is not a racist policy | Stuff.co.nz

https://twitter.com/guywilliamsguy/status/826154085766148096

https://twitter.com/KupuHou/status/826357331487133700

25 comments on “English condemned ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Enough is Enough 1
    1 February 2017 at 9:08 am

    It has been confirmed that dual citizens will be entitled to travel to the US.

    A Kiwi/banned muslim will be allowed to enter

  2. mikesh 2
    1 February 2017 at 9:24 am

    What a bunch of Chicken Littles; and I say that as one who is not even a National supporter.

  3. Cinny 3
    1 February 2017 at 9:42 am

    By crikey the media are not impressed.

    English is not a leader, he is a follower, our country needs a leader, bring on the election, will we have a date by the end of the day?

    Gower said on the wireless that an announcement will probably be made at 2pm today, he is picking 23 September as the date..

  4. Brutus Iscariot 4
    1 February 2017 at 9:46 am

    Well, I’m glad he’s not provoking our main security guarantor and key trading partner. Principled ideological stands are all well and good, but English needs to be mindful of his role as leader of the country and ensurer of its prosperity, not just a mouthpiece for progressives to vent their outrage.

    Post the Israel vote, it’s a sensitive time for relations and he probably wants to keep his head down for a bit.

    • Draco T Bastard 4.1
      1 February 2017 at 10:38 am

      Well, I’m glad he’s not provoking our main security guarantor and key trading partner.

      The problem is that we shouldn’t even be in that position of fear. As a sovereign nation we should be able to criticise any other nation for their bad behaviour including the US and China.

      • michelle 4.1.1
        1 February 2017 at 1:03 pm

        It is called having a spine or backbone and we don’t have one at the moment but we aren’t the only country that showed we have weak and indecisive leadership. Also when it comes to trade we just turn a blind eye to most issues but we hammer the moral foreground at home, at least Billy does . He is quick to put the boot into his own people remember recently he said many NZers are lazy and he mocked how we spend money we don’t have. Well Billy Boy look in your own backyard mate how much debt are we now carrying?

    • McFlock 4.2
      1 February 2017 at 11:07 am

      Spoken like a true moral vacuum.

    • Morrissey 4.3
      1 February 2017 at 11:34 am

      Post the Israel vote, it’s a sensitive time for relations and he probably wants to keep his head down for a bit.

      Israel has been repeatedly condemned in world forums for its violations of human rights and international law. New Zealand’s (tepid and vacillating) support for Palestinian rights is long overdue.

      • Steve Wrathall 4.3.1
        1 February 2017 at 2:40 pm

        Which Palestinian rights? The right of Hamas to fire rockets at Israeli civilians, and not have this treated the same way any other nation would treat such an act of war?

    • Skeptic 4.4
      1 February 2017 at 12:17 pm

      Sorry Brutus – wrong on all counts. Standing up for the underdog IS the NZ way – cowering in fear of retaliation is not! A leader of a country should be mind ful of previous NZ stance against Fascism/Nazism – Charley Upham got 2 VC for killing them – what does English do? kow tow. It’s not just progressives – seen the strong leadership shown by Sen McCain (Rep) – openly hostile to Trump. Outrage – nah – justified resistance to a big mouthed bully.

  5. shorts 5
    1 February 2017 at 9:48 am

    kind of hilarious the media are so up in arms over Bill’s handling of this… if Key had still been PM his response would have been relaxed and comfortable (i.e. he’d not attack the US nor Trump either) and media would have trumpeted his stable hand

    oh well can’t complain cause they are of course right – stand up Bill and say yeah nah USA

  6. Phil 6
    1 February 2017 at 10:26 am

    Clearly the US ban will prevent terrorists entering and commiting terrorist acts on US soil. This will force them to commit terrorist acts against US citizens in other countries, including New Zealand. Therefore the only possible course of action to prevent these terrorist acts is to ban US citizens from entering New Zealand.

  7. Morrissey 7
    1 February 2017 at 11:30 am

    Has anybody read Ralph Buchsbaum’s two-volume biography of Bill English?

    http://www.le-livre.fr/photos/R16/R160117854.jpg

    • The decrypter 7.1
      1 February 2017 at 12:54 pm

      I have -good winters read,
      Its also part of bills on the job media training and study agreement –part 1-for obvious, reasons simply put
      { learn about yourself}

  9. UncookedSelachimorpha 9
    1 February 2017 at 1:08 pm

    A fire hose of morally bankrupt weasel-words from English, reported on RNZ:

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/323549/pm-criticises-rollout-of-trump-immigration-ban

    Among other things – if it doesn’t effect NZers – no worries. It is just a matter of clarifying the specific details etc etc.

    Shameful.

  10. Ovid 10
    1 February 2017 at 4:58 pm

    Bill English (2005): “We don’t need leftovers from middle east terrorist regions“.

    http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/02/bill-english-we-don-t-need-middle-east-leftovers.html

  11. wellfedweta 11
    1 February 2017 at 9:45 pm

    The NZ Women’s Islamic Council
    Oxfam
    Opposition Parties and Advocacy Groups.

    Wow, you’ve really scraped the barrel to justify your headline on this one.