31 Comments
User's avatar
Josephine's avatar

Great newsletter Nick.

It amazes me these idiot politicians can't see the hypocrisy of their statements.

While this fire is absolutely awful, it's appalling by both Simeon Brown and Brooke van Velden to come out on social media and express their anger considering this government and FENZ won't pay our firefighters or provide adequate equitment and resources.

Our firefighters and all our public service workers deserve better.

David Rees's avatar

I suspect Brown & van Velden both get their hypocrisy but as usual use every opportunity to go on the attack and use social media to suck in the suckers that voted for them 😠

Ange Boland's avatar

Simeon is getting slammed on his facebook post. But he probably doesn’t read the comments. Shame.

Sander's avatar

He is getting slammed, Brooke also getting burned. They may need to call the Fire dept soon.

Darien Fenton's avatar

Yeah must have a go at her too.

VS's avatar

Yeah the pricks are us crew dont tend to.

Sander's avatar
4dEdited

Oh, Simeon did reply to one comment and it was very toxic. He is getting slammed for that also.

Brian Rathbone's avatar

On the one hand Simeon will be desperate for people to look the other way but on the other he also magically wants us to keep faith with him!

Brian Rathbone's avatar

I find it very sad Ange that Simeon Brown - a self-professed ‘Christian’ - seems to have no shame.

Ange Boland's avatar

It seems a lot of Christians these days don’t follow the teachings of Jesus.

In particular, the Evangelists…

Robin Capper's avatar

I got an email from 'Hon' Simeon Brown (then Transport Minister) in reply to one where I questioned raised crossings being removed (replaced by paint) from a Massey, West Auckland, motorway on-ramp upgrade near a school (& also between school & community sport centre) in response to his directions and the reply was: 'Good to see'.

John Walker's avatar

Several points spring to mind

1. If your negotiating with an implacable force, then what other type of pressure could the fireys apply.

2. Since the restructure, FENZ has been an organisational disaster.

3. Sure there is a wage claim, but equally important is equipment and organisational change, hell, they don't even have a predictive/planned maintenance, replacement, programme. Nothing will annoy an operator more than shabby, unreliable gear. A sure fire way to create a hostile workforce.

4. Didn't they have the vollies on standby and strategically placed?

5. If I as a contractor go and assess a job and the conditions/money isn't right then I walk away. Shouldn't a wage earner also have that right?

MsP's avatar

Outrageous but expected from this bunch of hypocrites in charge atm. Call me hideously cynical but false flag operations are everywhere atm and I certainly would not put it past our current govt mafia bros

Darien Fenton's avatar

Simeon is so stupid. He keeps saying the Fire fighters should do the job they are paid to do. This was a strike you moron! They don't get paid for striking. It would be interesting to see the figures of how much the insurance levies produce (which all goes to the government and FENZ) and how much is actually used for fire fighting. In other words, how much is the government carving off along the way?

Keith Simes's avatar

Remember when essential workers were being lauded, because they were ‘essential’, but that was during the pandemic that politicians never talk about. David Byrne for PM - he would get it that firefighters want to stop making cents, but dollars okay…

Heather Thompson's avatar

I don't understand the whole history of how we got to here. Why is the fire service so under-equipped or old equipped? The model of funding the fire service is obviously broken. The bit i do get is that blaming the paid fire-fighters for damage during a 1 hour strike seems wrong.

Leonie's avatar
5dEdited

Simeon Brown is fortunate that something similar, with a worse outcome didn’t happen with the Drs/ nurses strikes. One can only push one’s luck so far.

Shell's avatar

Accusing firefighting pf politicising a tragedy when a fire occurs in a SINGLE HOUR of striking...lol. How stupid does a person need to be to believe that? :D

Ange Boland's avatar

And they’ve been striking for months.

Gloria Sharp's avatar

I really want to use profanity these days (vulgar, obscene, or irreverent) when I talk of these COG characters.

willy de wit's avatar

Hi Nick.

Better late than never sir.

Agree 100 % .

One thing that piqued my interest was the response from Professional Firefighters Union Secretary, Wattie Watson. I'm sorry, WATTIE Watson ? what's his son's name, Heinz ?

Great news...I've tracked down our PM .

He's taken the family away for a tour of his own rectum but promised he'd still be working hard out ruining, sorry, running the country 6/2.

Ange Boland's avatar

Wattie is a female, and she’s extremely passionate about the cause.

willy de wit's avatar

I'm really sorry Angela. I didn't mean to cause any offense, I am such a disabled buffoon. I should've checked things better. It wasn't my intention to undermine Wattie in any way, I was just going for a Watties joke.

I hope you have a good weekend. Willy.

Ange Boland's avatar

It’s all good mate. I thought Wattie was a bloke too, until I met her. No offense done 😊

Lyn Mayn's avatar

Her real name is Joanne. She has a extensive background in industrial/employment law. I came across her a few years back when I was a PSA union delegate and we needed a legal opinion.

willy de wit's avatar

thank you for clarifying Lyn.

Katie O'Donnell's avatar

Hiya Nick, thanks for covering this today. Simeon's furious? He should come to my house and see what incandescently angry looks like! I've had it with these arseholes. And they are performing directly from the Trump/Libertarian playbook...destroying services, including 'back room' support like IT, and then blaming the people for not being able to perform their jobs, or for systemic failures like Manage My Health! The state of the Firefighters' equipment, they probably pray each time they go out that there is not a deadly catastrophe if they experience a breakdown, or failure! This on top of what's going on in the US, has me reaching for the Aloka the Peace Dog memes!! There are good people in the world! And dogs! (I am slightly tongue in cheek here, although Tania Waikato is cheering me up no end too!). I hope it's not too hot where you are!

Cheryl Johnstone's avatar

Great column Nick and agree 100%. My daughter in law was HR for Fenz years ago and resigned because she said they were impossible to work for even then. She and her husband moved to Oz.....consequently I have 2 adult Oz grandsons.

Christine Hayvice's avatar

It’s abominable that Luxon & Co are not maintaining this important service and giving firefighters decent wages.

Maureen O'Reilly's avatar

You have it right Nick. Utter Hypocrisy and Fenz throwing their own under the bus .