I can never forgive or forget her benefit 'reforms'. So many already vulnerable and disabled/ neurodiverse people were forced to undergo confusing, stigmatising and discriminatory processes to get the most basic of benefits in order just to survive.
I finished reading Gangsters Paradise the other day , and I was struck by the fact that Bennett in the face of the pro gun lobby and their threat that 218,000 odd gun owners would NOT vote for National if the proposed gun laws were enacted , backtracked and allowed the watered down gun laws to proceed , thus setting us up for the events that led to the Christchurch massacre......
Thank you for reading this garbage Nick. Saw the headline and that was enough. Americanisation of our political system is what she performed in her fund raising for the National Party and their consequent buying of votes. How very American. As for “pulling up the ladder” I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t still have the callouses to prove her efforts.
I find it interesting that those on the right who lament the "polarisation" of our politics never seem to consider the ways the Overton window may have been moved to the right. Many policies that would have been perfectly acceptable to, say, Norman Kirk, or even the Winston Peters of a decade ago, are now treated like outright communism. What about some genuine attempt to identify things that should have non-partisan responses (the Climate Crisis for example, or perhaps our health system)?
As for caring about the poor, recall National appealed to the "squeezed middle". Still not sure exactly what that means but it brings to mind those poor families who have to share a single jetski, or for whom every seat (even those comfortable ones in the middle of the back) of their Ranger is occupied. Still I'm not sure this, since the late 80s at least, is really that new for them.
One area we do seem to have polarisation is on the fringe. As long as I can remember there's been people in our society who've held views about UFOs or Bigfoot or whatever that seemed slightly amusing but basically harmless. It no longer seems possible to have a single odd viewpoint. These people now all seem to be enrolled in a package that means they now have a sudden interest in Ukrainian history or Woman's Sport or have come to believe that a wealth tax is just to drive away the rich so they can be "replaced" with refugees. These folks vote and there are political brands craven enough to dog whistle to them. That's what feels new.
I read today that some of the conspirators from the 6 January insurrection have been arrested at the Rapture Guns and Knives Store for Christians in the US. Now we have a party with a Gun nut as a minister, yes, we may become more Americanised. As for Paula, she traded on her "Westie" status (which she never was really) wearing leopard skin, parading around in her leopard skin branded car and pretending she gave a toss. Much was made of her when she came into Parliament as a solo mother, and suited John Key's narrative ; remember his visit to McGeehan Close and Aroha?
Well…scum always rises to the top. She was well remembered at the truck stop in Taupo and what happened to the whistleblower who knew her when he was a child attending drunken parties or her scamming the DPB😳? Self driven is not always known to be a good thing and she did rise to the top “under” Keys
Yes Nick, Americanised, We are already, and have been so for 50 years or more! Due to movies, advertising, marketing, and psychology, plus of recent years, trumpism! (deliberately NOT capitalised).
Left = what can politics do for my country. Right = what can politics do for me
Our current 3 PM’s – for there ARE three, want to foster divisiveness, it suits their purpose of promoting one side against the other – like a sporting contest. Create a racial divide as a diversion, nothing surer to polarise basics, White privilege – follow the flag! Winners and Losers. That way concepts of equality, policy, people and communities, can be ignored – ITS ALL ABOUT WINNING.
Politics should never be a contest, it might not be a good system, but it should be the best we make of it, NOT a contest! We ARE being manipulated! Deliberately and with Intent.
A life changing discussion I had with an older aunt one New Year’s Eve was about honesty. I said I’d like to be more honest about how I felt. She smiled and said that she thought being really honest with yourself was a much bigger challenge. I guess Paula didn’t have the same chat with anyone when it really counted.
Yes Nick, like you I read this comment piece and I felt incensed! I don’t have the writing skills to analyse why I felt so strongly about it, and I’m very grateful that you have clarified it so well in this piece. Thanks. Also Your conclusion that Paula was defending her own actions more than the new MP rings true and therefore it seems to me that she may have an underlying guilt about her actions in ‘pulling up the ladder behind her’, but maybe I’m being generous.
I felt strongly enough to comment on line to it - yes, I’m a paid subscriber, and checking some other comments, it seemed pretty 50/50, left and right.
Thanks for the article Nick. Not sure if my (already tender) tum needed anymore reason to loathe that excuse for a human being (esp this early in the morning here in Oz) but jeez she gives me the sh!ts.
I have never despised someone as much as I do her. Thanks(?) to her downright cruel & inhumane reforms back in the early 2000's my daughter & granddaughter suffered, trying to get to class AND daycare ....after having the TIA $25 removed from her basic benefit. The same f'ing training incentive allowance SHE used to (try &) educate herself whilst living in her state house (which she was able to buy!) & not having to find paid employment until her daughter near left school.
She has the audacity to call caring for those less fortunate PITY?
Paula Bennett, "of such modest intellect", (a more polite description than I use!) was the ideal Token Maori for the Key Government. Simply do what she was told to do.
It was also during the Key Government that I first noticed Americanization creeping into NZ Politics. Maybe a little related to an attitude of acceptance of USA of life by John Key developed while working on Wall Street, NY. I certainly was not aware of any during the Clark Government. There really is some nasty stuff coming from the USA via social media etc. and it is disappointing to see how it is influencing NZ social and political attitudes.
I can never forgive or forget her benefit 'reforms'. So many already vulnerable and disabled/ neurodiverse people were forced to undergo confusing, stigmatising and discriminatory processes to get the most basic of benefits in order just to survive.
I finished reading Gangsters Paradise the other day , and I was struck by the fact that Bennett in the face of the pro gun lobby and their threat that 218,000 odd gun owners would NOT vote for National if the proposed gun laws were enacted , backtracked and allowed the watered down gun laws to proceed , thus setting us up for the events that led to the Christchurch massacre......
Here’s a scary thought: Paula Benefit would not be the dumbest if she was in the current coal-ition cabinet!
I've found national/act/winston's party people to be very defensive
Yelling. Shrilling. Demanding facts & times ?
Talk over the top of conversations and off topic. All blah blah.
And the newest statement said to me,
"Oh, Ah, Give them a chance"
What . What ???
Yeah, nah
They're already running amok & making a mockery of everything that was progressive and good for our livelihoods & our health, mental & physical.
Worst of all.
They have been doing that for Years.
Despicable
Thank you for reading this garbage Nick. Saw the headline and that was enough. Americanisation of our political system is what she performed in her fund raising for the National Party and their consequent buying of votes. How very American. As for “pulling up the ladder” I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t still have the callouses to prove her efforts.
I find it interesting that those on the right who lament the "polarisation" of our politics never seem to consider the ways the Overton window may have been moved to the right. Many policies that would have been perfectly acceptable to, say, Norman Kirk, or even the Winston Peters of a decade ago, are now treated like outright communism. What about some genuine attempt to identify things that should have non-partisan responses (the Climate Crisis for example, or perhaps our health system)?
As for caring about the poor, recall National appealed to the "squeezed middle". Still not sure exactly what that means but it brings to mind those poor families who have to share a single jetski, or for whom every seat (even those comfortable ones in the middle of the back) of their Ranger is occupied. Still I'm not sure this, since the late 80s at least, is really that new for them.
One area we do seem to have polarisation is on the fringe. As long as I can remember there's been people in our society who've held views about UFOs or Bigfoot or whatever that seemed slightly amusing but basically harmless. It no longer seems possible to have a single odd viewpoint. These people now all seem to be enrolled in a package that means they now have a sudden interest in Ukrainian history or Woman's Sport or have come to believe that a wealth tax is just to drive away the rich so they can be "replaced" with refugees. These folks vote and there are political brands craven enough to dog whistle to them. That's what feels new.
I read today that some of the conspirators from the 6 January insurrection have been arrested at the Rapture Guns and Knives Store for Christians in the US. Now we have a party with a Gun nut as a minister, yes, we may become more Americanised. As for Paula, she traded on her "Westie" status (which she never was really) wearing leopard skin, parading around in her leopard skin branded car and pretending she gave a toss. Much was made of her when she came into Parliament as a solo mother, and suited John Key's narrative ; remember his visit to McGeehan Close and Aroha?
Well…scum always rises to the top. She was well remembered at the truck stop in Taupo and what happened to the whistleblower who knew her when he was a child attending drunken parties or her scamming the DPB😳? Self driven is not always known to be a good thing and she did rise to the top “under” Keys
Yes Nick, Americanised, We are already, and have been so for 50 years or more! Due to movies, advertising, marketing, and psychology, plus of recent years, trumpism! (deliberately NOT capitalised).
Left = what can politics do for my country. Right = what can politics do for me
Our current 3 PM’s – for there ARE three, want to foster divisiveness, it suits their purpose of promoting one side against the other – like a sporting contest. Create a racial divide as a diversion, nothing surer to polarise basics, White privilege – follow the flag! Winners and Losers. That way concepts of equality, policy, people and communities, can be ignored – ITS ALL ABOUT WINNING.
Politics should never be a contest, it might not be a good system, but it should be the best we make of it, NOT a contest! We ARE being manipulated! Deliberately and with Intent.
A life changing discussion I had with an older aunt one New Year’s Eve was about honesty. I said I’d like to be more honest about how I felt. She smiled and said that she thought being really honest with yourself was a much bigger challenge. I guess Paula didn’t have the same chat with anyone when it really counted.
Yes Nick, like you I read this comment piece and I felt incensed! I don’t have the writing skills to analyse why I felt so strongly about it, and I’m very grateful that you have clarified it so well in this piece. Thanks. Also Your conclusion that Paula was defending her own actions more than the new MP rings true and therefore it seems to me that she may have an underlying guilt about her actions in ‘pulling up the ladder behind her’, but maybe I’m being generous.
I felt strongly enough to comment on line to it - yes, I’m a paid subscriber, and checking some other comments, it seemed pretty 50/50, left and right.
Thanks for the article Nick. Not sure if my (already tender) tum needed anymore reason to loathe that excuse for a human being (esp this early in the morning here in Oz) but jeez she gives me the sh!ts.
I have never despised someone as much as I do her. Thanks(?) to her downright cruel & inhumane reforms back in the early 2000's my daughter & granddaughter suffered, trying to get to class AND daycare ....after having the TIA $25 removed from her basic benefit. The same f'ing training incentive allowance SHE used to (try &) educate herself whilst living in her state house (which she was able to buy!) & not having to find paid employment until her daughter near left school.
She has the audacity to call caring for those less fortunate PITY?
*calm breathing Fi * *breathe Fi breathe*
Thank you Nick. Interesting to read the Topham Guerin article.
Good piece Nick,
Paula Bennett, "of such modest intellect", (a more polite description than I use!) was the ideal Token Maori for the Key Government. Simply do what she was told to do.
It was also during the Key Government that I first noticed Americanization creeping into NZ Politics. Maybe a little related to an attitude of acceptance of USA of life by John Key developed while working on Wall Street, NY. I certainly was not aware of any during the Clark Government. There really is some nasty stuff coming from the USA via social media etc. and it is disappointing to see how it is influencing NZ social and political attitudes.
Every time I see a picture of Paula Bennett on Facebook I wish for a "vomit" button.
She is just plain scary.
Thanks!