Written By:
Mike Smith - Date published:
11:38 am, March 3rd, 2017 - 9 comments
Categories: Annette King, labour -
Tags:
I remember going to see new Minister of Employment Annette King in 1989 to ask for support for group apprenticeship in the motor industry. “Seems like a good idea, we’ll put up $50,000.” she said. I nearly fell off my chair. It was not the usual response from Ministers in those days.
But through her political life that has been Annette King to a T – positive, decisive, and supportive. She has made a huge contribution to the Labour Party and to Labour in government and will be very much missed. She is not finished yet, as she will be important to Labour’s 2017 campaign. She stayed on after the last election and has played a most important leadership role, helping steady the ship in this term.
She was a magnificent Minister of Health, re-focussing the portfolio on primary health care and prevention. Bringing in change of that scale requires focus, determination and leadership, all of which Annette King has in spades. National’s focus on operations, squeezed budgets and neglect o f mental health have taken us backwards.
She received universal praise from her constituents of whatever political persuasion as shown by the votes she received. Helen Clark increasingly relied on her political advice and support. We wish her well for the future. She deserves it.
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. ...
The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
Annette King is all shades of awesome, she’s my Queen 😀 Long live the Queen and thank you for all you have done for NZ, much love to you and yours.
Health is the toughest port folio in any government but Annette earned bi-partisan praise for the way she managed the Health System. She is respected by everyone from Mana to ACT and everyone in between.
Thank you Annette
Thank you + 100 loyal woman.
Annette has awesome people skills that have enabled her to make an outstanding contribution as an MP .
I am hoping that she finds a new venture to focus that bounty of skills on.
And there’ll be plenty of places that are desperate for skills like hers – especially when we try to pick ourselves off the carpet after the next election when the Labour/Greens government find themselves having to breath life back into some pretty horrendous systems – especially education and health!
Here support of Roger Douglas can not also be undenied, lifting Nz from a bankrupt closed and back water economy to the vibrant open economy of today. I suggest part of her moving on reflects that the labor party of today or its direction is not the Labour Party she knows
agree – Annette has been a solid performer for a long time, and has done a lot of good.
She will be missed by all parties.
Annette has been a good politician for NZ and in particular for health care.
Just one thing before you go, Annette, can you let us in on the whereabouts of that fountain of youth you have clearly been visiting. All the best, and thanks for the years of service.
Go well in your new life, Annette…