Tell the truth.
Tell me who's been fooling you?
Tell the truth.
Who's been fooling who?
Sneering little bully boys who like to hand it out, that’s what they are.
Belittling, abusing, and threatening those who disagree with them. Then recoiling in feigned injury, flopping about as if mortally wounded, at the slightest hint of criticism in return.
Whether it’s a pre game haka saying mean things about them, forcing them to admit that it is possible to understand te reo, in order to take offense. Or responding in furious outrage when a well respected academic shows exasperation at a government who seems even more cruel and compassionless than advertised.
This government, especially it’s minor members, have shown they can give it, but they can’t take it. David Seymour, in particular, is so thin skinned that no matter how awful the things he has said or done himself he will not accept criticism and if he can take away the livelihood of the person doing so, he will.
From his mortal wounding when former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern let slip to the nation that he was an “arrogant prick” - hardly breaking news. To the horror of having someone in the state sector speak negatively about his government’s dismantling or diminishing what they can deliver to the public.
Either way the order of the day is an apology, but preferably a scalp. Someone whose life’s work and career can be shot down for daring to speak out. Someone to hang from the city gates as a warning to others.
Crikey! What a headline, I’m terrified already.
Professor Joanna Kidman, a director of the Centre of Research Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism tweeted that she could, “only assume that this government hates children, most of whom will be poor and brown”.
She added, “There is so much evidence that military-style youth boot camps don’t work and are expensive.”
Kidman also added that the Government “wants to snatch children’s lunches” in response to Associate Education Minister and Act leader David Seymour describing free school lunches as “wasteful” public spending and arguing that the Government should cut them.
“Is this a government or a death cult?” Kidman wrote.
I’m not sure about the term “death cult”, but everything else she said seems to be accurate. A hugely disproportionate number of poor and/or brown kids will end up in Boot Camps, which have been shown not to work.
Perhaps her assertion that the government’s actions suggest they hate children could have been worded better. Let’s have a go, just concentrating on the facts at hand…
I can “only assume that this government hates poor and/or brown children”, there you go fixed it. Perhaps David Seymour will be happy now? Accuracy is important.
Turns out that he is less happy, more threatening - and not in a vague way:
“The Government is facing an uphill battle to save money and balance the budget and I think it would be challenging to keep funding an organisation that doesn’t appear to be adding value and may actually be working against the very ideas of unity, respect and dignity that I thought it was supposed to promote.”
It’s worth noting that the centre is funded through a charitable trust, which operates independently. The centre is not a government agency.
So unlike public sector leaders who have lost their jobs as a result of speaking out against this government, Prof Kidman doesn’t work for a government department.
This is more akin to then Minister Alfred Ngaro threatening NGOs that they would have their funding cut if they criticised the Key government. At the time everyone agreed that was a massive overreach and some serious Banana Republic level behaviour for a Minister of the Crown. I’m not sure if standards have been adjusted since then.
Like a sniveling little would be beer hall lieutenant, ACT public service spokesman, Todd Stephenson wanted to bring out the long knives, saying:
“The irony of an anti-extremism campaigner using such extreme rhetoric should be obvious… While Act supports her right to spew deranged garbage as a private citizen, she shouldn’t be doing it on the taxpayer dollar... Christopher Luxon has just been delivered some potential savings on a silver platter. The board of the centre must move immediately to sack the extremist in their midst.”
Todd’s salary is paid directly by the taxpayer. Prof Kidman is also ultimately paid with taxpayers dollars. So how come the ACT MP can say that the Professor is spewing deranged garbage, when many of us think she’s telling the truth, but she can’t say what she said?
Seems like a double standard and quite frankly I think the public are probably better informed by the Professor’s tweets than anything Stephenson might have to say.
David Seymour wasn’t the only coalition leader picking a fight with those criticising the government. As was his new BFF, and former mortal enemy, Winston, who also prefers it when his opponent can’t fight back.
This is straight out of the Trump playbook. Belittling someone that doesn’t agree with you when they can’t respond. If you’re not familiar with what this is all about you can read it here.
Before their Super Rugby Aupiki season opener against the Chiefs Manawa, the Wellington-based team used an altered haka to include the words "karetao o te Kāwana kakiwhero", translating to "puppets of this redneck Government".
The haka referred to Toitu te Tiriti, a political movement that has taken a stand against coalition Government policies on te reo Māori and perceived breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and encouraged people to "never fold and never bend".
Even though this rugby team has nothing to do with government funding they’ve been told by management that the wording of the haka was unacceptable and they are not allowed to repeat it.
Which rather begs the question of whether management, or the government, understand the sort of things that might be said in a haka. Perhaps the Poua could direct this one at the government next time instead?
Let your valor rise! Let your valor rage!
Let us ward off these haunted hands
to protect our wives and children!
For thee, I defy
the storms of hell
while my enemies stand there unknowingly!
To think I would tremble
to a pack of wolves either seeing fear or running away,
because they would surely fall into the pit of shame
as food for the hounds to chow down on in delight!!
In case you’re unaware that’s the english translation of the opening chant of the haka Ka Mate, which is performed by the All Blacks, and every kid in this country. I’m not sure the pack of wolves would like that one either.
Go on David, why don’t you ban Ka Mate? We can’t have people saying aggressive things in a haka, can we? While you’re at it, perhaps you could get them to tone things down a bit for next Waitangi:
Further to the saga of Christopher Luxon claiming $52,000 a year, to live in his own mortgage free apartment, because he said Premier House was unliveable…
Well it turns out that despite the place not being fit for human habitation the Prime Minister, and his extended family, spent two nights there celebrating Christmas. There are words to describe that sort of behaviour, and carelessness with the truth, but perhaps it’s best if I don’t use them. Can you think of any?
Splashed across the Women’s Weekly last December was a feature that said: “Christmas has always been a special time for the Luxon family, but this year it will be a celebration like no other as the country’s new leader and his wife Amanda welcome their loved ones to Premier House, the Prime Minister’s official residence in Wellington.”
What a lovely scene. What an absolute crock of… um… Christmas cheer.
The Prime Minister’s office confirmed the PM and his wife hosted Christmas Day at premier house and that Luxon stayed overnight for two nights.
His spokesman wouldn’t say if that’s the only time the Prime Minister has stayed at the residence.
I’m guessing it probably wasn’t. If you haven’t read Arena Williams’ excellent column on Christopher Luxon’s use of public funds you might like to check it out here.
But back to David Seymour who is in the headlines again this morning.
This time David was criticising the media industry, saying it’s hypocritical to ask for government support while criticising politicians. It sounds like his idea of the news involves a lot less criticism of people like him, and his boss.
Seymour said, “I saw a report on 1News, Benedict Collins grinning down the camera about Chris Luxon’s apartment costs. These are the people that cry, ‘oh you’ve got to give us sympathy, and you’re inhumane and you should be kinder to us’.”
At the time of writing I don’t know what’s happening in the TVNZ announcement but assuming it’s not good news, those involved can probably forget about looking for sympathy from Seymour.
Or the ever unpleasant Melissa Lee who patently doesn’t give a toss, or even know what’s happening, despite being the Minister in charge.
Let’s also not forget these are the same people who demand free speech for opinions considered offensive to much of the population. Who then wail about their rights if people disagree with what’s said. Criticism apparently infringes their rights, as well as their sensibilities.
Funny isn’t it that people involved in our social services, and even a rugby team, seem so passionately critical of this government? Maybe those in power should listen to the people that are so concerned about their actions, rather than telling them to shut up or they’ll lose their jobs?
This new government attacks anyone who criticises them. Once again, straight from the Donald Trump playbook.
I am a Twitter tragic, usually up early when I can't sleep. What you discover there! Whole thread from Vanessa Veenink new National MP saying what kids really need for meals in schools is cheap bread, cheese slices and weetbix. Oh and an apple! It could all be donated, and I teachers will be in charge, as if they have nothing better to do. In other words, let them eat cake.