Let’s get rid of these clowns

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, July 25th, 2017 - 46 comments
Categories: accountability, bill english, crime, drugs, election 2017, housing, national, paula bennett, Politics, same old national, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

John Key has gone onto what conservatives and neoliberals believe are bigger and better things. Leading your country and trying to make New Zealand a better place does not compare to having a more complete CV or the chance to take up lucrative directorships.

But the rest of them and the National Government are still in power and if you need to be persuaded why Aotearoa needs to get rid of them then the past week will provide plenty of examples why.

I detest their right wing view of the world, their belief that they and their ilk are somehow better than the rest of us, their conviction that greed and ignorance are somehow the best drivers for human beings to make complicated decisions about important stuff.

I really do hate this. It gets me out of bed in the morning and drives me to be politically active.

But not only do they follow a destructive philosophy they are also totally incompetent. As well as being selfish and venal and intellectually dishonest they are really bad at leading.

Exhibit one, in the midst of a housing crisis they have sat on their hands and done nothing.

Remember back in 2007 when John Key talked about the housing crisis, when he said “[w]e are facing a severe home affordability and ownership crisis. The crisis has reached dangerous levels in recent years and looks set to get worse”. Well hold my freaking beer because I am certain that many New Zealanders dream of getting back the housing market that we had in 2007.

What do we have now? Every day I walk Auckland’s streets and see fellow human beings who are living it rough because there is nowhere for them to live. People with jobs living in cars with their kids because they cannot afford better. Teachers and Nurses and Police Officers who will never own their own home in Auckland unless some miracle happens.

The problem appeared on steroids in 2011 and has kicked on ever since. Now it is an absolute disaster. I never thought that I would see this land be so foreign to so many of us.

And what does this Government do?

Mostly very little. Sell off Housing Corporation homes as if that will work.  Plan to build houses on graveyards and power substations and poll and focus group and then work out the minimum that is needed to appear to be concerned but to let the ponzi scheme that is our real estate market continue.

And they just don’t get it. They have no idea of the damage or the misery that is being caused.

Need proof?

Remember this is the party that claimed there was a crisis in 2007. They never intended doing anything about it. They were just looking for a club to bash Labour with.

And how about drugs?

There have been seven deaths in Auckland due to synthetic cannabis which is a bit of a misnomer.  The base is a sort of representative of cannabis but added to it has been a variety of drugs that do such things as turn kids into zombies, make them froth at the mouth, cause them to have life threatening effects.  And seven of them have died.

You would think that a conservative Government would get all law and order on it and pass urgent laws.  A radical government would decriminalise cannabis.  If you have reached the age of 55 years in New Zealand and have not tried it, if not on many occasions, then you have led a very sheltered life.

But what does this Government do?  Urges personal responsibility.  This does not work with sexual promiscuity.  It has never worked with drugs.  But when we strike a situation which demands government action it claims it can do nothing.

Here is Bill English’s response.  Marvel at how far he has abdicated the responsibility of actually being in control of the Police, of our laws, of Customs , of Health which generally Governments realise they lead.

Time for a change. This level of incompetence is ruining our country.

If you want to help Labour to change the Government you can volunteer here. If you want to help the Greens change the Government you can volunteer here.

46 comments on “Let’s get rid of these clowns ”

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  1. Tamati Tautuhi 1
    25 July 2017 at 8:23 am

    Sad situation with homeless dying on the streets of Auckland because of laced synthetic cannabis, in other countries it could be described as murder ?

  2. esoteric pineapples 2
    25 July 2017 at 8:59 am

    The seven deaths seem to mean very little because the victims are from the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid

    • roadrage 2.1
      25 July 2017 at 9:57 am

      Housing, drugs, water, rivers, teacher numbers, mines inspectors, chch school closures, tourism,infrastructure… …the list of failure is indicative of a government that talks strong, but does little work. Housing them in motels! That would cost a conservative govt any mantle of competence. But the opposition is just as bad, Labour pays a tug of war over the center ground and so wont step off the line, locked into the same dried out sod of political discourse. Peters, dotage is showing, pushing for the regional vote he declares for immigration cuts! He is too cranky to be PM, and to notoriously uncommitted. As for Metria finish this sentence welfare nearly made me go on the game. Can someone please standup and say we do need small good govt, not no govt ACT or wrong lazy Nat govt, or flaky patchy NZF govt, but a governing philosophy. The only party that might have one, that does not engage in the center nick picking small steps, that isn’t allowed to articulate its obvious vision for nz as conservatives overpaid themselves hold the press to the central moronic game of tug of war. We all know party vote Green, then split vote on the constituency party. Why is only Epson allowed to split vote, why does Labour stick to double down and limiting its voters representation?

      And be warned a infirmed old view of the world, controlling just look at his party of MPs, says he is a bad choice for PM. English? What brighter future!

      • Bearded Git 2.1.1
        25 July 2017 at 1:41 pm

        gutting the RMA…tiny amounts of $$ for public transport compared with roads….power company and airline sell-offs…disturbingly high youth suicide stats (and farmers too)…

        • popexplosion 2.1.1.1
          26 July 2017 at 11:10 am

          Chasing dollars of benefit fraud while international corps pay no taxes. Catching benefit fraud and locking them up at considerably more cost in prison. Forcing entitled citizens from welfare and costing national more in poorer health, lower wage, colder damper… ..all to satisfy a need to distract how double dipton himself paid it back when caught but Mitiria gets called a criminal for having a friend sleep on the sofa allegedly helped pay the bills. When did getting assistance mean you could never engage your capitalist instincts and maximize your assets. Paid employees can have mate sleep over, hell there isnow a app for renting your sofa. How many more enterprising capitalist instincts have been snuffed out by whiny authoritarian National and ACT killers of economic ventures by beneficiaries as if they don’t have an equal right to engage in maimiuzing their wealth. Why does English hate the economic blood of poorest kiwis.

  3. Ad 3
    25 July 2017 at 9:10 am

    +100 Mickey.
    Good to feel it.

  4. marty mars 4
    25 July 2017 at 9:23 am

    Good post. This shows why Bill English is responsible for the inactivuty. His lack of personal qualities continues to dim the gnat bulb.

    Meanwhile people suffer. Bill hasn’t got any ideas apart from shear them – he is still a sheep farmer and we are the sheep.

  5. Tamati Tautuhi 5
    25 July 2017 at 9:26 am

    Doubt whether he was actually a sheep farmer, he grew up on a farm in Dipton and probably did some work on the farm during school and university holidays ?

  6. Philj 6
    25 July 2017 at 9:32 am

    These are not ‘Clowns’. They are not funny or entertaining. They are blinkered, callous, selfish and democracy destroyers.

  7. ianmac 7
    25 July 2017 at 9:41 am

    Time for a change but the change must be big and inspiring.

    • Jono 7.1
      25 July 2017 at 4:43 pm

      I agree Ianmac. We need big change in this country. Fairness needs to prevail with progressive ideas.

  8. adam 8
    25 July 2017 at 10:07 am

    I would argue it’s not radical at all to legalize cannabis.

    I’d argue that the radical, and even the right thing to do – would be to follow Portugal and stop treating drug users like criminals.

    It’s 14 years now http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/portugal-decriminalised-drugs-14-years-ago-and-now-hardly-anyone-dies-from-overdosing-10301780.html

    They have way less drug related deaths than us. They have a healthy population, and my friends who live there, call it the safest place to walk the streets at night, now that drugs are such a non-issue.

    • Bearded Git 8.1
      25 July 2017 at 1:44 pm

      agree but ganja is a side issue and distraction Adam…get the Lab/Gr bloc elected and I think you will see some action.

      BTW a vote for TOP is a vote wasted…as Millsy says below “TOP and NZF are not to be trusted”. Morgan is a neo-liberal in cat’s fur and hemp clothing

      • adam 8.1.1
        25 July 2017 at 6:14 pm

        I’ve been pretty consistent calling top, just another liberal party.

        As for side issue, well that may be for you, and that is your opinion. But you know 7 people died?

        As someone who suffers because it is illegal, I don’t think it is a side issue at all.

        What I’d give to have a hemp poultice, or even a nice cup of tea, then I might be able to sleep again.

        I don’t think disability and health issues are a side issue, but there seems to be many, who think they are.

        • Bearded Git 8.1.1.1
          26 July 2017 at 9:57 am

          Ah sorry when you say “legalize cannabis” it appears you are talking about medicinal cannabis. I agree with you entirely that this should be legalized. Hope everyone else has seen through TOP like you.

  9. roadrage 9
    25 July 2017 at 10:12 am

    Dipton. Wasn’t there a crisis? English paid back money he over claimed? Did be have a headache over where to live? Did not have to take in strangers to pay the rent English, but did have to pay back monies. Was English consider going on the game to make ends meet? And just have to over claim instead?

    Were the tired of the they are so soft for not considering sleeping with National, that the took out the dagger and launched a strike against English. I mean seriously do you actually believe a politician actual did do something wrong they claimed to. Really a Green party leader reàlly didn’t know she could have friends over who helped with the costs, no, middle class uni educated person could not figure out the limits of what was correct. Sorry but I don’t believe for one moment that she did anything wrong. This was all contrasting Englishs’ record double dipton payback.

  10. millsy 10
    25 July 2017 at 10:15 am

    Come election time, I will probably be holding my nose and voting Green, thanks to their policy to give benefits a boost. If you think that Labour is too centrist, then I suggest you do the same, TOP and NZF are not to be trusted. Lifting the living standards of the bottom of the heap will pay dividends in the long run, the wealth ‘Trickling up”. It will also lead to higher wages, secure work, and improved well being among people, as people are less financially stressed.

    • popexplosion 10.1
      25 July 2017 at 10:52 am

      Grens are leftwing in the sense that they believe govt has a role. But if you mean they are left wing coz of some alignment with the former USSR, that’ll be a hoot. Being for good government ain’t leftwing many libertarians like myself have no problem with doses of socialism. I mean if you want pure uSSR then vote ACT they strongly believe in socialism, for the richest, for boardrooms, capitalism is for the poorest. ACT is thgemost leftwing party,founded by the hangover of socialism Douglas who successfully sold socialism to the fiscal elite.

      • McFlock 10.1.1
        25 July 2017 at 12:44 pm

        dude, stop doing the synthicannabis.

        • popexplosion 10.1.1.1
          26 July 2017 at 11:40 am

          Everyone knows that neolibs were funded by the former USSR to undermine capitalism. Discuss.

          • McFlock 10.1.1.1.1
            26 July 2017 at 3:06 pm

            Evereyone know that libertarians are to Rand what emos are to goths: more pretentious versions that ignore the more disturbing aspects of their parent. Discuss.

  11. popexplosion 11
    25 July 2017 at 10:47 am

    OH yeah Nat’s so dumb they can’t even ask their social dept a simple question. How any people have paid back benefit as they had friends staying over helping toward the cost. Geez they could have poured so much water on her claim to be righteous sticking it to the man. NO! Unless it was double dipton English paying back over claimed tax payer money!

  12. Anne 12
    25 July 2017 at 11:05 am

    And they just don’t get it. They have no idea of the damage or the misery that is being caused.

    They do get it mickysavage.

    I’ve never mentioned this before because I didn’t want it to be to be wrongly interpreted, but I actually “joined” the other side for a short period of time. For specific reasons, I wanted to find out how they tick. That’s another story.

    The first thing I discovered is there is virtually no discussions/debates on policy issues or problems facing the country as a whole. All such discussions take place behind closed doors and are presented to the rank and file as ‘a fait accompli’. If an individual rank and file member dares to offer up an alternative opinion (as I did) you are quickly shut down.

    The second thing I discovered is that social issues are rarely raised except in the context of an announced policy decision. Once again nobody questions the veracity of the decision or whether they are correct.

    In short, they make an across the board conscious effort to remain ignorant of the social consequences of their actions. That is why they operate in the manner they do. They pay public lip service to the concept of democracy, but do not practice it within their party’s ranks.

    These ‘observations’ took place 20 years ago now, but I doubt anything has changed.

    • mickysavage 12.1
      25 July 2017 at 11:51 am

      Thanks Anne

      You should think of a guest post on your experience!

    • Bearded Git 12.2
      25 July 2017 at 1:51 pm

      wow careful Anne the Nats tar and feather spies

      • Anne 12.2.1
        25 July 2017 at 4:39 pm

        I’ve been around this site for 8+ years and I chose to stay incognito in part for that reason. However I figure there’s enough water under the bridge to be more open about it. So there’s no ambiguity… it was the ACT Party not National.

        I will give a guest post consideration ms but at this stage it may not be until after the election. I actually met some good people in those early ACT years but then the red-necks and hard-right gained control. I’m sure the good ones would be long gone now.

    • ianmac 12.3
      25 July 2017 at 4:20 pm

      Anne maybe you have identified why there are so many people disconnected. “The “rules” leave me out of it so I will ignore it all,” so say many.
      It may also be why National is famous for not taking political risks and stick to the status quo.
      Even more important for the Left to be brave and innovative.

      • Anne 12.3.1
        25 July 2017 at 5:02 pm

        Yes, the disconnected have lost their ability to be heard so don’t bother to vote anymore. A good example was the swift decision by Paula Bennett to axe the extra tertiary education allowance for beneficiaries. In other words, a conscious decision was made to isolate the solo mums etc. from ever being able to better themselves. They became ‘disconnected’ and probably don’t vote. And of course what is so despicable about that action… it is how Bennett got her big start in life.

        It’s up to Labour and the Greens to step into the breach which both parties seem to be trying to do. However they are not getting the media leverage they should be getting. I wonder why???

  13. tc 13
    25 July 2017 at 11:29 am

    Top post mickey. Little should quote key’s 2007 bs about housing in the tv debate.

    Let the undecided watch blinglush lie his ass off, anything less would be bats to bash him with as they’ve wilfully created the housing situation.

    state houses being flogged is a cruel and vicious move they need to own.

    • Bearded Git 13.1
      25 July 2017 at 1:55 pm

      @tc “Little should quote key’s 2007 bs about housing in the tv debate.”

      You are so so right….this alone could sway the 2-3% needed to win the election

  14. McFlock 14
    25 July 2017 at 12:46 pm

    Agree entirely.
    These idiots are killing people with their incompetence. The sooner they’re gone, the better.

  15. Bill 15
    25 July 2017 at 2:35 pm

    An open letter apparently. And pretty much chimes with the sentiments of this post. Enjoy 🙂

  16. One Two 16
    25 July 2017 at 2:50 pm

    Good post. Passionate and heartfelt

    It is unfathomable to most, the level of damage being done by government, and parliament as a whole

    As unfathomable as the number of voters who continue providing oxygen for the fire

    None of the above!

  17. Incognito 17
    25 July 2017 at 8:27 pm

    I really enjoyed this post.

    It’s one of those rare moments when hate gets channelled into doing something positive because often it is a destructive force.

  18. Keepcalmcarryon 18
    25 July 2017 at 10:59 pm

    I would love to see a labour campaign ad made up of all the bullshit National and ACT quotes that have proven a mockery.
    Who could argue with it?

    • tc 18.1
      26 July 2017 at 6:59 am

      That requires an approach labour seem incapable of so nact continue with the bs knowing they’ve a clear run with it.

  19. LivinInTheBay 19
    26 July 2017 at 1:26 pm

    A big barrier to construction is the RMA. Every party in parliament other than Act and the Maori Party objected to getting it changed.

    So having a go at National for not being able to make meaningful changes means you should also have a go at Labour, the Greens and Winston First.

  20. Tanz 20
    27 July 2017 at 5:16 pm

    I’m putting my money on the clowns, they will win hands down, both this time and next. Records are going to be set.