61 Comments
User's avatar
Nick Rockel's avatar

I've opened this one up to everyone now.

Nick Rockel's avatar

I've corrected NZ First's "anti-work" crusade to be "anti-woke" and updated the day of the week - dohh! It was a late night write.

Christine van Beurden's avatar

Absolutely no conflict of interest so far as a cancer hospital is concerned when you realise Henry's wife Diane Foreman is heavily invested in the private hospital industry

Darien Fenton's avatar

She was Don Brash's mistress when he was in Parliament. Remember Trevor saying across the aisle "how's Dianne Don?" which caused outrage! So funny

Alan Knight's avatar

The taxi drivers here on Waiheke Island all knew about that, since they came to the top end Delamore Lodge for their trysts.

That's a horrible thought for anyone else planning a visit there. You'd keep thinking 'Did Don Brash have sex in this room?'

Katie O'Donnell's avatar

Eeeuw!

Mike's avatar

There is always an angle with Mr Henry

Mac Stevenson's avatar

Just when you think these right leaning parties have already scraped the bottom of the barrel in candidate selection we get this person. What have we become

Keith Simes's avatar

A perfect summary Nick, the only thing I can add is another ‘na’. How have we gone from Jacinda to Appalling Henry in such a short time?

Nick Rockel's avatar

It does cause you to reflect on your fellow citizens.

Alison Kroon's avatar

What a smart move on his part to theatrically announce the building of a multi-billion dollar cancer hospital. Discussed prior to his announcement with his own ego and that was it! Nobody else. Such a plan would almost certainly not be a goer, but I can hear some people now... 'Ooh, well, he must be a kind person if he wants to cure cancer!' No, he's not at all kind, but he sure is cunning.

Have a good day, Nick. I'm off to Hamilton on the Te Huia!

Nick Rockel's avatar

That sounds good, been a long time since I took an intercity train in NZ, hope you have a good trip. Watching the football and it’s pretty physical.

Alison Kroon's avatar

I didn't buy the package!

Brian's avatar

I felt, with regard to Paul Henry and without belittling your choice Nick that Frank Zappa's I'm The Slime might have been a more appropriate song.

Nick Rockel's avatar

Good choice.

Maggie Hillock's avatar

Have we reached the bottom of the barrel yet? Or is there more nastiness to come? In the immortal words of Dorothy Parker: "what fresh hell is this?"

John Farrell's avatar

ACT is competing with Winnie for the superannuated git vote...

Alan Knight's avatar

Speaking as a superannuated git myself, I'd have to say none of it's working for me

David Rees's avatar

I love being a superannuated git myself lol but I hope never to be a hateful toxic self entitled bigot like that guy 🧐

Mike Friend's avatar

Me neither! 😅🤣😂

Liz Francis's avatar

Well, the electoral Commission has announced (very quietly) that in future they will send out email notifications regarding voting, rather than mail them - so that will set back a number of the git vote, as well as some disabled and other non-tech folk!

Diana Coleman's avatar

This is where we are now, stealthily disenfranchising sectors of society that aren’t rich and sorted.

Quentin McDonald's avatar

"He was on TV" is how we got Trump.

I suspect eventually we'll see really truely uncharming characters such as Slater and Plunkett in appointed positions. Human Rights Commissioner or Secretary of Education etc. The US is our Roadmap right now.

Darien Fenton's avatar

I didnt know we have a Gun Advisory Group. Costello pretended to recuse herself and handed the decision to Goldsmith who appointed her mates anyway.

Alan Knight's avatar

It occurred to me yesterday that Paul Henry is Ric from The Young Ones, only elderly and right wing.

He has the same desperate need to be seen as 'edgy' and radical, even though he might as well be wearing a t shirt with WANKER written on it in neon letters.

' I told a weally WACIST joke on the wadio yesterday! It was terwifically funny. Everweone thought so!'

The main difference of course is that the joke about Ric was that we knew he'd be voting conservative by the time he turned 30, whereas Paul Henry has never had the ability to shift positions.

Janine McVeagh's avatar

Racist "jokes" have never been funny. Ever.

Russ Sewell's avatar

My question is, why did none of the gathered reporters ask how the state of the art hospital was going to be funded, staffed, and the people working there educated, with ongoing development.?

ACT don't want tax, big government or a large public sector.

Is it the case that it is going to be a private hospital, in which case you can get care only if you're wealthy and sorted?

Diana Coleman's avatar

I’m picking that’s what it will be, there’s certainly no social conscience or a desire to help others involved.

Juliet Neill's avatar

Beware of the bottom of the barrel: it often exudes toxic gas.

Darien Fenton's avatar

It really is digging in the dirt for ACT and NZ First to keep coming out with these has-beens. Imagine a Parliament with shock jocks Paul Henry and Michael Laws in it who think they are so important. Not to mention the other retreads of NZ First. They will quickly be brought down to size by Parliamentary rules. It makes me sick to see these people who think they are so wonderful being proposed by their parties when there is so much that needs to be fixed after the damage of the last three years.

Helen Murfitt's avatar

These old attention seeking geezers still seem to think they are relevant. Why don't they go fishing, get a dog, grow runner beans. Anything but inflict their inflated egos on the voters.

Summerhaze's avatar

Well, I suppose David S was getting a bit desperate for someone, anyone, who might be able to add a bit of popular appeal to his dismal bunch of MPs. Ew.

Jeremy Coleman's avatar

Nobody should ever become that desperate Summerhaze. There’s a ray of hope for all of us who would love to see Aotearoa’s Comedic Travesty sink without trace. Pretty much anything Henry has had a hand in has failed spectacularly. Let’s hope he can bring his one streak of true talent aboard and continue this trend.🤞