Written By:
Natwatch - Date published:
8:25 am, August 6th, 2017 - 83 comments
Categories: jacinda ardern, paula bennett, the praiseworthy and the pitiful -
Tags: jacinda ardern, nasty nats, paula bennett, spot the difference
Back in May the Nats chose Nikki Kaye as their vehicle to attack Jacinda Ardern. It didn’t work so well – Patrick Gower: National’s attacks on Jacinda Ardern look desperate, and – National’s attack on Labour’s deputy suggests concerns more than skin deep.
Having learned nothing from the slapdown, the Nats chose Paula Bennett to lead the attack this time – Jacinda Ardern lacks substance compared to Bill English – Paula Bennett. The original title of the piece was – “Jacinda Ardern lacks the kind of brain to unite kiwis”.
Deputy Prime Minister Ms Bennett, speaking to The Nation on Saturday morning, said “relentless positivity” is core to her own outlook.
“I feel that’s what I am. There we go. I’m putting that on the table. I feel like she’s stolen my relentless positivity, so I’m going to go for eternal optimism.”
But she believes Ms Ardern lacks two key things Prime Minister Bill English has – substance and “the kind of brain to pull this country together”.
Keep talking Paula. Please, keep talking…
These kinds of attacks make it hard not to vote for Labour https://t.co/dMs7Ye2PeF
— Morgan Godfery (@MorganGodfery) August 5, 2017
Paula Bennett: "I'm relentlessly positive and always have been"
Two seconds later.
Jacinda hasn't go the brains for the job.
— Richard Hills (@RichardHills_) August 5, 2017
The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
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So the focus groups results are now in, and the line of attack on Ardern’s Labour has been decided?
another gnat fail coming up lol
This from the women who dug into the WINZ files to pull out confidential information about two civilian critics, and then published it carefully selected information spun into an effective lie.
Ummm I am SURE that most kiwis could do without that kind of ‘positivity’. Just reads like a gutless cowardly bully trying to make up her own rules as she goes. The female version of Cameron Slater.
Now that you mention it there certain cetacean similarities.
Stolen my relentless positivity?
Arden up!
“The kind of brain to pull this country together” = division. Not exactly new as a National attack line, it’s been used last election against Labour and Cunliffe. This is just a different version.
I’m pretty sure that people want Jacinda over Bill’s the unimaginative, double dipping muddler.
BTW, another 2500 signatures signed over night wanting an enquiry into Paula Bennett.
https://www.change.org/p/justice-minister-paula-bennett-winz-fraud-inquiry
I also think Jacinda would be well received on the world stage as being someone more representative of younger view points and being a younger women.
With temperatures in Europe hitting terminal levels of 42 degrees and predicted to possibly start getting into the 50 degrees in the future, it might be time old, oil loving, neoliberal men are retired from politics, they had their day.
The world needs a new approach by politicians that care about the next 50 years and the next generations future, not take or pollute (for example) NZ aquifers for a 5 year personal financial gain, and fuck the rest of the population and future generations in this country.
Paula the bully trougher whose approach to welfare and climate change and truth in general, with oil, pollutant loving double dipping English, giving away this country’s water to private companies and individuals – not exactly a tick for the future of this country.
Paula Paula ….. Pause before you tweet sweetie.
Paula has the kind of brain that rips the country apart ,so no wonder she is worried.
That’s pretty much true of National.
..zip it sweetie.
Attack the individual eh? Good old tried and trusted tory tactic.
+111
It’s certainly nothing that the Labour Party would do is it?
Or perhaps their new deputy leader Kelvin Douglas hasn’t got the message.
Well we now know why he was put into the job. He is required to do the things for Jacinda that Trevor did for Helen.
Throw the mud and leave the leader’s hands clean
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11899387
The problem for Labour is that this story with its “positivity” is more popular with readers than the policy release story about transport.
What do you think most of the readers are going to remember tomorrow?
You just may have the wrong Kelvin which sort of dents your credibility for a start Alwyn. I think that tomorrow readers will be as excited as I am at the prospect of a world class public transport system for Auckland (at last) and I suspect that they will be just as keen (as I am) to hear the policy on housing affordability in general and housing the homeless in particular. I would imagine that they will want to hear in detail how our health system is going to be reinvigorated (this will be of special interest to the voters in Dunedin and places south). Child poverty will be a topic where solutions are eagerly awaited and, perhaps most of all, those who care about such things as social justice will want to know how the ever widening gap within wealth distribution will be tackled. I think it is going to be a great seven weeks although I not sure that Alwyn is going to enjoy the ride. I am certain he will cheer when Joyce and his buddies resume hurling mud at their opposites – come to think of it, there is not much else they can do. After nine years of cynical inaction the Nats suddenly realise they have arrived at a crisis point on all the fronts mentioned above and have decided to “throw” some money at them. Oh, and did I hear that, at long last, they recognise that perhaps tourist should also pay a little extra to enjoy our beautiful country. The latest is that from now on it is going to be Dr Sir John Key. What a reward for selling off the family silver.
Ardern lacks “the” kind of brain. Bennett it seems lacks “any” kind of brain. Stupid, laughable stuff from her again.
Bennett’s days are numbered she will have to make way for Peter’s at the very least.
So what division is it that needs pulling together?
Obviously it is because of the current regime we are divided.
Haves and have nots perhaps?
Paula’s on fire. Must’ve stood too close to Jacinda.
Yep she leapt hard into that spot.
Don’t bother the fire service. Let the Bennett fire serve as a beacon of hope for the other 99%
send a few homeless around to keep warm, certainly enough fuel there.
“Relentless positivity” ? You’ve been reading too much pop psychology, Paula ..
Paula’s pathetic; that’s not an attack, not even an excuse for an attack.
What on Earth does she mean by “substance”?
Paula does what she and other National MPs do best: being patronising; the message is that Bill English has got the experience and right skills to lead the country and Jacinda Ardern has not.
Substance abuser incognito
The diver was the substance abuser, so I’m told.
Cough, splutter, choke !! Excuse me ? Did I read that comment correctly ?
Bill English ? Skills ? Lead ?
Paula, just zip it sweetie and go away.
Now shall we concentrate on events 30 years ago …. ? The Tattoo Club days … remember?
Just watched the articulate Adern on Q & A this morning. She can out think and out speak Bennett in any forum at any time.
Great to see rubbish like this from National. Firstly WTF does “Aw shucks” Bennett know about anyone else’s mind-type or its worth ? That’s a complex area her entirety obviously doesn’t embrace. Secondly her form as a nasty, unrepentant bully type is still out there. Very dumb to set up a contest which inevitably is a call to relative assessments.
Yep, +1
did anyone expect anything else?
seriously, did anyone expect anything else from Paula Bennett.
this is how Paula Bennett earns her money.
And isn’t it great that we don’t have to race to Jacinda’s aid following Bennett’s sniping; Jacinda seems perfectly able to slay that leopard/dragon all by herself.
i would not race to her aid, or any politicos aid anyways.
if they can’t handle that sort of bovine scat thrown at them they should quit.
Bennett is dumb. Literally no brains at all. She can take orders and faithfully execute them, but she has never had an original thought.
We have nine years of Bennett doing fuck all other then spending several weeks worth of minimum wage on a pair of heels. If Ms. Ardern can’t handle that then she is even less a threat to National then i think she is. I stand by what i said yesterday.
Ms. Ardern is there to syphon of underwhelmed National voters and that is why the National Party let loose P.B to go on attack.
It has got nothing to do with what Labour will or will not do. We have effectively changed the discourse of what needs to be done to get our country ready for the future to the breeding abilities and the brain capacities of a woman.
aren’t we awesome?
“if they can’t handle that sort of bovine scat thrown at them they should quit.”
My point is, Jacinda can. She may even revel in it 🙂
great.
so the discussion is about her now and not the country and its needs.
shiney object. look no further then the shiney thing we are dangling in front of your eyes.
i.rest.my.case.
One discussion is about her, ’cause, topical and interesting. It’s not the only discussion, however, so don’t despair; “the country and its needs” will be under intense scrutiny from here on in I do think you’re a bit harsh, describing Jacinda as “a shiney object” – what’s with that?
it is a distraction.
It should be of no interest really who ‘leads the party’ as it should be the ‘party leading the leader’.
leaders are interchangeable. Andrew Little was to ‘matt, rough, uninspired, not shiney enough’. She however is young, attractive, polished, knows how to speak to the medias content, etc and this has now become what is discussed instead of the policies. I know i know, she will come up with policies and stuff, we will see how that will go down.
so it is not so much about her, but about the distraction that was created by her elevation.
And humans are funny, dangle something pretty and shiny in front of them and they often want it. If lucky its better then the thing that is not shiney. that is all that is about. Creating a distraction.
It feels as if the media and its paymasters have elected J.A and with it the Labour Party (and i am not sure they will pull it of to be honest with you), rather the people.
yes. i am a cynic. 🙂
…its called personality politics, we had it for almost 9 years under Shonkey.
“After the attention grabber”, will come the policies, this Monday you will see them.
Let’s get the true oil on Bennett and get it out there.
The true oil on Bennett is she’s a nasty and contradictory MP and minister, and, in my view, not fit for office in a democracy where all are equal before the law and are treated fairly and positively.
One can’t make a silk purse, out of a Sows ear…
More on this comment?
mary_a 13
6 August 2017 at 10:24 am
Paula, just zip it sweetie and go away.
Now shall we concentrate on events 30 years ago …. ? The Tattoo Club days … remember?
It all sub judice at present so nothing can be posted here.
Google is a great tool to find out information.
It isn’t sub judice: it’s just that if anyone talks about it Paula is threatening to assume her ultimate form.
Kali?
The snake woman from The Lair of the White Worm.
Baba Yaga
I was going to offer you The Beast from What We Do in the Shadows – but of course that was based on Judith Collins.
Baba Yaga and Kali are both fine, age-old goddesses who would eat Bennett for breakfast and not even burp.
Bennett is merely a bully.
I was just gonna say, Bennett is no Kali.
Kali, the most beautiful.
Kali, the most destructive.
Kali, the most bountiful.
Kali, the most fearsome. ]
Kali, slayer of demons.
Kali, bringer of new worlds.
I have a thing for Kali, she be my goddess 🙂
My bad, my spelling mistake; I meant “Snarly”.
She’s a Vogon in leopard print.
..anyone can leak anything in New Zealand , or to an overseas media source.
No. I think we should take the high ground and ignore anything people do while young and stupid.
There is plenty of ammunition against Bennett, now she is older, stupider and a hypocritical hatchet woman for National.
Well if Stuff can post this:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/94627131/one-lied-one-says-she-never-did-the-untold-backstories-of-political-leaders-paula-bennett-and-metiria-turei
I’d put better than 85% odds that Ashley Farrell is legit. If so the staggering difference between how Turei has come clean about her past, and Pullya aggressively lawyering up, will fast become impossible to ignore.
Like you I don’t care too much about anyone’s youthful and stupid past … but the monumental hypocrisy and double standard is going to be very hard to bury under any moral high ground.
Whether Paula is right or not, I’m more inclined to say Jacinda doesn’t yet have the mental capacity to pull the country together. That’s not to say she’ll never have it. It will come with time, experience/s and wisdom. I can’t see her sitting on her hands. In the event that Labour doesn’t win the benches this time round, I hope they do the sensible thing and leave her in the leader’s role so she can build more political capital.
” It will come with time, experience/s and wisdom.” How long do you reckon Ardern has been involved in politics Eralc? A quick check, a lot longer than Shonkey before he became pm.
Not comparing Jacinda with anyone. However, since you mention John Key – he did have more years in life, international, and business experience before joining politics. Jacinda has only ever been a student, then virtually straight into policy and politics. No real world experience to speak of. She’s never had to apply for a job, been made redundant, struggled to make ends meet in her adult life, no worldly experience. How will she foot it on the world stage? I will say that she is intelligent and a fast learner, and I wish her all the best.
I know what you mean. I too, wonder how she will fare in a 3 way handshake, how she might handle a spot on whatever is the current equivalent of Letterman. Who will mistake her for a Czech politician, or call her a galloping colonial clot.
…or describe a respected footballer such David Beckham, “as thick as batshit”.
This from a women who said that she had no idea how bad the housing crisis was in Auckland.
“Jacinda Ardern lacks the kind of brain to unite kiwis”.
How droll.
This from the motel lady we call ‘ sweetie’….
The gigantic intellect that put homeless family’s up in motels and hurled them into un-payable debt using tax payer dollars while Bill English acting as Finance Minister didn’t know , -and was busy writing up the National Budget.
And while sweetie was taking full advantage of training on offer while being a solo mother, – once in power took away the same capacity for other solo parents to do the same.
I’m sure that really ‘ unites’ and endears Kiwi’s under National.
Mugwa says…. ouch.
– and so does ‘ sweetie’.
Last of the Mohicans – Ending Fight Scene – YouTube
final battle scene▶ 1:36
It’s a tragic fact that brains and intelligence are more or less equally distributed. But some folk don’t bother to use them very much.
Paula can be hefty. She can be rude. She can be obtuse. And I don’t really care.
But, she has consistently failed to do her job. The scrap heap beckons.
1000+ stuart
Richly succinct there SM !
Like many who’ve been successful in National recently, Bennett seems to have little going for her beyond boundless self-confidence. However, people tend to find self-confidence attractive, so it works. A major problem for Labour leaders in debating senior Nats for the last nine years has been that old saw, “the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” Hopefully, Jacinda Ardern can manage to be both intelligent and cocksure – it’s a big ask, but she’s doing pretty well at it so far.
She’s radiating self-confidence currently. Refreshing and I’m sure that’s a big part of why people are flocking to Labour.
I wonder when Bennett thinks NZ fell apart so badly that it now needs pulling together. If it was before 2008, how come Bill hasn’t succeeded in “pulling it together” yet given his brain type? If it’s after 2008, what did National do to make it fall apart, or fail to do to prevent it doing so?
Relentless positivity:
https://thestandard.org.nz/key-not-sure-which-bennett-he-appointed/
The only thing that Jacinda Ardern could possibly be accused of stealing are the hearts and dreams of the New Zealand voting population who have been swept under the carpet by National over the past 9 years and are seeking a credible Left voting block to bring about equity and change for the whole population and not just the most wealthy.
“Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have seen how Labour’s leadership change has electrified the New Zealand election campaign.
I’ve been monitoring the impact of Jacinda Ardern’s rise on social media, and it’s been nothing short of spectacular.”
Read more:
https://theprogressreport.co.nz/2017/08/06/extraordinary-early-numbers-for-jacinda/
isnt there an occupation at benetts office tomorrow to demand an investigation in to her dpb days and living arrangements
I found this segment of the Nation difficult to watch, so bad it made me cringe!
Pullya Benefit is a typical example of a Nat MP; thick as two planks with a nasty streak. There is simply no comparison between her and Ms Ardern.
Slightly off topic but worth a mention, Kelvin Davis’ counter attack was gold!
From:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11899387
The best thing about that is that Jones just left the bit about Bennett out when quoting Davis. She’s so underwhelming he seems just to have forgotten she even exists.
Thank you Robert. Facebook /Media report. So pleased to see Tamati Coffey also doing well in Waiariki. Flavell may get a shock. More of the Jacinda effect.
Keep tweeting Paula – oh please keep tweeting.
Paula is Labour gold.
Alwyn 7.2
People will remember the crowd comparisons. Jacinda mobbed by enthusiasts.
Bill, not so much.
Ardern has the brains to lead.
Bennett lacks the integrity to govern.
” Lets Do This ” ….. from another of the many voting Labour for the first time.
Dear Paula,
At least she has one
Hugs and kisses
Rae
kelvin Davis i almost fell off the chair laughing
Judith Collins is the cause of the break up of Antarctica lololololololoolololo
and doctor death Colman
One can’t make a silk purse, out of a Sows ear…