By John
That well-known phrase, ‘the lunatics are running the asylum’, becomes more applicable to this government by the day. It’s one howler after another. This must be the most gaffe-prone government in the history of New Zealand politics.
The problems emanate from the top where the leadership skills and acumen of the chief inmate, Jacinda Ardern, are totally lacking. They are desperately needed, as her ministers, with a couple of exceptions, are simply not up to the task. From the Labour youth camp debacle through to the Budget leak fiasco and failing to honour those who gave their lives in Normandy, it has been a shambolic eighteen months.
The so-called “well being” budget that the whole world was supposedly waiting for with bated breath was a let down of epic proportions. Apart from the support given to Mental Health, it was pretty much a joke. In fact, the joke was on Grant Robertson before he got to open his mouth, with the embarrassing leak exposed by the Opposition. Who to blame? The ridiculous pretence continues as everyone involved runs for cover, dumping on each other as they go.
It has become so lamentable that when things aren’t going well, we all now know to expect a feature article on the child. Neve is now wheeled out on such a regular basis one could be forgiven for suggesting it’s bordering on a form of child abuse. A couple of weeks ago she’d managed to poo all over her Mum and last week she was assisting in a boat launch at Devonport. Why the media think this is the type of gripping journalism that their readers are dying to read beggars belief. It can only be to divert attention from the poor performance of the mother.
Jacinda’s ship is fast running aground. It has been without a captain, rudderless and wallowing in turbulent waters for months. The rocks are getting ever closer, and if the senior citizen who put her there can’t see it then maybe it’s time he paid a visit to the nearest Specsavers. These people need to realise that ideology and spin, borrow and spend won’t cut it. Career politicians are not the answer. Nigel Farage is well aware of that and has attracted entrepreneurs and businesspeople to stand for his party.
This government has so far proved it has no answers to the so-called crises they were so vocal about when in opposition and failed to do any preparatory work to solve. As a result, they are like rabbits in headlights. Completely spooked. They can’t get houses built, they can’t get trees planted, but they are full of so-called well-being ideas, most of which centre on helping those who don’t want to work.
One can only hope that this is a one-term government, because the leaky boat Jacinda is captaining is giving me, for one, a decidedly sinking feeling.