41 Comments
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Nick Rockel's avatar

My apologies I won’t be replying until later. Had to rush out the door to get to the protest, got here just in time. Listening to Union songs in the rain waiting for it to start.

Patricia Bremner's avatar

great write up today. So many would march, but have marched onto a plane, 80 000

Natalie Donald's avatar

The fact that the likes of Uffindel and Bayley can remain when we have lost so much actual talent who were just honest and upfront and owned their missteps (I’ll never get over Metiria) is so depressing.

Nick Rockel's avatar

Metiria was the worst one; all she did was be honest about sometimes getting a few extra bucks when she was struggling. I thought it was brave to raise the plight of those doing it hard, and they shot her down for it. If it hadn't been for James Shaw working so hard, I think the Greens might have fallen out of parliament.

Christine van Beurden's avatar

I'd forgotten Metiria! That was another witch hunt. She is an amazing person, I worked with her years ago before she became a member of the Greens. She was a pleasure to work with, no ego like some of them.

Blanche Charles's avatar

And don’t forget Clare Curran! The despicable Michael Woodhouse was another entitled bullying slimeball who didn’t receive his just desserts, but at least he’s now “gone burger”!

Natalie Donald's avatar

Claire Curran was particularly sad, and in contrast to Baylys performance and lies this week, her diary entries seem such a minuscule issue and they pounced on her big time. Hope she is living a peaceful joyful life now.

Patricia Bremner's avatar

That was one time Luxon got it right... letting him go.

Patricia Bremner's avatar

As Union members gather today with supporters to put this Government on notice, your comments on the fate of brown women fairness and bullying remind us of all the things this COC has cut removed or distorted for their backers. Karma is coming. Community is coming. Cruelty is going to be COC's downfall. They lack emotional and social intelligence so they will lose. Out Out Out. Ake Ake Ake.

Heather Thompson's avatar

As an aside there appears to be little press coverage of todays Union protest.

Darien Fenton's avatar

There is a standard expected for Ministers. Bayly failed it. There is no excusing his mocking of a worker. He should just F off.

Neil's avatar

If Luxon set the bar higher it would seriously limit his choices for cabinet positions.

Jeremy Coleman's avatar

He probably would set it higher, or at least try, if someone could tell him where it's buried. Perhaps that's Shane's real mission. He knows where most of the bars are in AotearoaNZ, but none of them are right one. I guess he'll have to dig the whole country up to find it.

Mac Stevenson's avatar

Was there not also another MP present Stuart ?? who witnessed this bullying? If so that makes two National MPs who condoned this behaviour on the day. The list of nasty people and crooks in this Govt grows by the day. In fact it’s more like the mafia than a Govt. so expect Don Luxton to soon be disappeared.

Ellen's avatar

I can’t get over the fact that the man’s boss was also standing by thereby condoning the behaviour. I understand the owners are National donors but this happened on their turf. Why has there been no follow up with them?

Linda.Baker's avatar

True.... and from conversations I have had with people who worked at Air Nz during his tenure, he enjoyed a bit of bullying of bottom feeders himself.

Jill Proudfoot's avatar

I have also heard this from Air New Zealand staff.

Mike Friend's avatar

Totally agree with the sentiments contained in this Korero Nick. All three left wing MP's failed to demonstrate what is expected of people in high office and are rightfully no longer in the Parliament. That Uffindel and Bayley are still there is not a reflection that the three mentioned were undeserving of their fate, but rather those of the right have no core values of honesty, decency or accountability. Add to this a media that simply fails to hound the right they way they do the left and we have the recepie for imbalance so prevalent in NZ political narrative today.

Blanche Charles's avatar

Don’t forget that Luxon’s hypocritical voice was one of - if not *the* - loudest baying for the blood of the Labour / Greens Ministers / MPs in demanding their demotion! He has, yet again, compromised himself with his bare-faced display of double standards: a shallow creature with little empathy and dubious moral compass.

Jeremy Coleman's avatar

The depths Luxon will go to to get what he wants, (mostly for him and his cronies), are incomprehensible for someone in his office. He has lied, conned and bullied his way into the top job, letting whatever morals he may have once had fall by the wayside. Crawling to Peters and Seymour to be his friends, despite his assurance pre-election he wouldn't join forces with either, and form an untrustworthy disorganised posse to lead the country with him as the CEO, is a hint of the true calibre of the man. Dancing to the tunes of the other Coalition partners, at whatever cost to the country as a whole, and filling the Parliamentary benches with his touching on criminal henchmen who can apparently behave as they please without fear of dismissal is a joke. Sadly, it's not a funny one, but hopefully it will be the joke which rebounds and leads to the demise of, as many have said already, the worst government this country has ever known. There is so much more I could add to the list but, as the saying goes, "Life is too short to waste it on intolerable, irresponsible, reprehensible fuckwits." I'm going to make a cup of tea....

Keith Simes's avatar

If you could construct a bell curve of nasty entitlement for this government you might find Bayly is somewhere near the middle, so keeping him safe and secure is for the benefit of many others who will show their real selves sometime soon

Jenny Carryer's avatar

Thanks Nick. Right on the button as usual. I realise what a toll all of this ghastliness is taking on many of us. I find myself ( normally cheerful and optimistic) wanting to weep more and more often.

Patricia Bremner's avatar

Keep strong Jenny.

Cindy's avatar

🫂As do many of us. I didn't use to worry about taking care of my mental health, but I now have to deliberately plan to do something proactive to ensure things don't get on top of me ❤️ Remember there are more good people that care & stay strong, 💪

Renee Lang's avatar

Love your work, Nick. You are admirably fair-minded yet still present the bones of the many and varied political issues as they are, ie unadorned by name calling and tedious purple prose. Thank you.

Julie Mac's avatar

I got a text earlier on from my brother who was at the Hamilton protest. He described the numbers as

disappointing but I hope more turned up closer to the start

Nick Rockel's avatar

They arrived pretty late by buses in Auckland, people coming from work places on a tight schedule. It was a good crowd in Auckland, although nothing on the anti fast-track one a while back.

Judith Paulin's avatar

Equal treatment for both left and right would be. Good start!!

Alannah Batger's avatar

Toxic masculinity

Bullying condoned as "just a joke/lighthearted banter" and

ramped up by the Alcohol culture, "be a man, have a drink, don't be a loser".

Toxic masculinity

There was only one real man in that exchange.

The one who chose to be sober and do his job.

That's the man I want my sons to emulate, my granddaughters to marry

dave millar's avatar

Hardly surprising that Luxon doesn't see any sort of bullying as serious. He's basically nothing more than the worst sort of corporate bully and has positioned himself so that he has no portfolio and can blame everyone else for things going wrong.