Ashley Bloomfield has once again refused to appear on Q &A but was happy to be seen in Ardern’s latest campaign ad. (His image has since been removed from the Facebook ad, thanks to advocacy from the Act Party and the Taxpayer Union.
He increasingly appears to be the boy who can’t say no to the PM’s charm and persuasion, whilst criticising National’s border policy and compulsory COVID test, which would see fewer returning Kiwis bringing the disease home. Is this wise? Ashley, the public servant is fast becoming a political animal (and subject of adoration by many). Dinner with Ashley? Who could resist!
He treads very carefully with his current boss, avoiding criticism of her government, (when there is ample reason for criticism all around), but he feels free to rip into National.
Not only did Ardern, (wearing a mask for the first time publicly), refuse reporters’ entrance to her visit to the ESR laboratories on Thursday she also misled the public by using the campaign footage (filmed there by her PR team) on the MSM to look at though she was visiting out of interest, duty (or guilt), as part of her role as PM.
That is incorrect. Her visit was for political reasons to film a campaign ad as Labour leader.
Political expediency is the name of the game, and as Mathew Hooten predicted in a recent column, The Ministry of Health will be losing Jacinda’s attention as she looks ahead to the election. And what about no campaigning during lockdown? It seems that her adage is that the rules are that there are no rules.
A major change in the level 3 lock down’s south Auckland border policy (a cock up of major proportions, due to no preparation) would normally see Ardern bugles and all appear at a Sunday briefing, to explain it slowly to the class of 5 million.
However, all it got was a press release, (not one public servant or politician in sight), for this quite complicated issue, advising of changes and exemptions. Arrogance had taken over, as she forgets her government is responsible for our current predicament, and ploughs ahead dealing with bigger and better things. GETTING RE-ELECTED.
‘Ashley fever’ ignores his record until now. How quickly we forget! Dr Bloomfield was appointed as Director-General of Health in 2017 under a National government. He presided over the mismanaged meningococcal and measles outbreaks. The latter seeing an infected person going to Samoa, where immunisation rates were low partly due to the anti-vaxxers, and spreading the disease there resulting in the deaths of 80 young children.
Newshub’s hard-hitting investigative journalist Michael Morrah, when asked in a Radio NZ interview if he is too tough on the man says he is “still a public servant with a salary of more than $500,000, and his successes or failures have enormous impact on millions of New Zealanders”.
So, in my opinion, with the border mismanagement and re-emergence of COVID in the community, he does not deserve his nomination for Person of the Year. He is a good communicator and obfuscator, much more eloquent than Ardern’s mangled English. He is a fast learner and is turning into her clone.
National’s Health spokesperson, Dr Shane Reti is emerging as the “Man of the Moment” to quote The Nation. His well-informed commentary gives me confidence he could be a perfect future health minister and just the remedy we need to guide us through tough COVID times.
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