English snubs kids haka

19 comments on “English snubs kids haka ”

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1. Carolyn_nth 1

   1 June 2017 at 7:02 am

   Can’t get the NZ Herald vid to play.

   Can play this one: on TVNZ site.

   English appears to be gesticulating and haranguing some poor woman with his words of wisdom.
   • ianmac 1.1

     1 June 2017 at 9:14 am

     Thanks Carolyn but the item just below the Haka is a mean splurge from John Armstrong. He is misreading the signs I think.
     • Carolyn_nth 1.1.1

       1 June 2017 at 9:50 am

       Was that written by Armstrong? Mostly it is quotes from the woman who posted and took the video. She is upset the children and the haka were ignored. I imagine if she is connected with the children, she might see it as a snub.
       • ianmac 1.1.1.1

         1 June 2017 at 2:44 pm

         Didn’t mean to distract Caolyn but the Armstong item was not the Haka one but a mean column about how awful Labour was and how clever was Joyce.
         https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/john-armstrong-labour-fast-becoming-political-cot-case
   • weka 1.2

     1 June 2017 at 9:32 am

     thanks, I couldn’t get the Herald beta site to work either (and all their URLs seems to redirect to it).
2. esoteric pineapples 2

   1 June 2017 at 8:41 am

   For once in my life I feel like leaping to Bill English’s defence. Sometimes we expect too much from our leaders. No one should be expected to do the perfect thing every time. I doubt he was consciously snubbing them, which would be a completely different matter. If I was in the middle of an interesting conversation, I would be focusing on that as well, rather than what was going on around me.
   • Robert Guyton 2.1

     1 June 2017 at 9:07 am

     I agree with esoteric. Sniping at Bill English at every opportunity comes across as lame, especially over trivialities; how he holds the bat, where his attention was during a haka. Sure, criticise him for his actual failings as a Prime Minister, rather than trying to undermine his public image just ’cause he’s on the other team. Seems more a National Party strategy, than one we should employ. Unless, of course, it’s funny, in which case, enjoy!
     • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1

       1 June 2017 at 11:53 am

       +111
     • Enough is Enough 2.1.2

       1 June 2017 at 12:36 pm

       Well said Robert

       This is a sideshow. Its the decisions he makes, and his destructive plans for the future which should be our sole focus.

       It across as a bit petty and obsessive if we focus on these personality or soft media pieces.
   • weka 2.2

     1 June 2017 at 9:33 am

     I kind of agree re the sniping at every little thing, but those kids were performing a haha *for him, and he ignored them. That’s not good.
     • Andrew 2.2.1

       1 June 2017 at 2:36 pm

       “but those kids were performing a haha *for him”

       No they weren’t.

       “A Netball NZ spokesman said the haka was not performed for English.
       It was organised some time ago and was the regular half-time entertainment for the game.”
   • Planet Earth 2.3

     1 June 2017 at 9:34 am

     Bill English probably doesn’t need you to defend him, esoteric p, but you are correct – this election will be won or lost on trust and policies, not on weak complaints that the PM didn’t pay sufficient attention to the half-time entertainment at the netball. if he’d focused on the “kids haka” (sic), we’d be reading about him snubbing the voter sitting next to him who wanted a word!
   • Carolyn_nth 2.4

     1 June 2017 at 9:48 am

     Possibly you are correct.

     But it does mark a difference between Key and English. Key was aware of being on stage and performing most of the time. English is sluggish in front of the media and in public.

     The Nats electoral success has had a lot to do with key’s media savvy performance, plus Crosby Textor manipulations. The wheels seem to be coming off.
3. mauī 3

   1 June 2017 at 10:21 am

   I think the setting is important. At a half-time break of an event people are mostly doing their own thing, i.e. taking a break from proceedings. Although from the video it does look like most of the crowd is watching and paying attention. So that puts Bill out of step.

   If he had snubbed a haka when he’s in the same room and at a formal occasion then it’s a totally different story.
4. marty mars 4

   1 June 2017 at 10:34 am

   Those kids probably considered doing their haka in front of the pm as being quite a big thing. We know English is culturally impaired but imo this WAS disrespectful and par for the course for this most useless of PMs.
   • WILD KATIPO 4.1

     1 June 2017 at 11:41 am

     Well , whether he did or did not ignore them – this is the same man that has been ignoring large numbers of New Zealanders for a very long time both children and adults.

     And we already know the destructive results of his neo liberal fundamentalism, and that he was the driving force behind that embarrassment John Key for the last 9 years,… so…

     If the cap fits ,… wear it.
5. Robert Guyton 5

   1 June 2017 at 10:40 am

   Hmmmm…it might be good to check out Bill’s involvement with learning te reo Māori and compare his efforts with the other Pākehā Nat MPs before we get too carried away. Kia tūpato e hoa ma.
   • Johan 5.1

     1 June 2017 at 2:34 pm

     RG, I have never heard Bill English speak in Māori, have you?
     • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1

       1 June 2017 at 3:24 pm

       He can say it in sign language if you ask me: it’ll still be a load of right wing crap 😀

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