by Jim Cable
Barry Soper has put the boot into the Jacinda government a few times recently. But today, he’s done it with steel-capped boots! In a piece on the NZ Herald under the headline Police Parliament protest, mental health – Labour Government abusing its power he writes:
“What’s happening to democracy in this country, let alone the promised transparency of this Government?”
“Labour is abusing its absolute power and it seems those opposing it are powerless to do anything about it because majority rules.”
He goes on the chronicle a number of occasions where Labour-dominated select committees have blocked National from getting information from officials. Then, according to Soper, he details how Police Minister Poto Williams lied in alleging that National blocked Labour’s former Police spokesman Stuart Nash from meeting with the Police Commissioner.
Then he turns to something really serious:
And if featherbedding Andrew Coster isn’t bad enough, get a load of what they are doing when it comes to questions being asked about its $1.9 billion spend on mental health which has come under fire from the Government’s own Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission.
The majority of Labour MPs on the Health Select Committee have blocked National’s attempt to ask questions about the commission’s first damning report.
National’s mental health spokesman Matt Doocey says it’s bizarre. Not long ago they legislated to set up the commission, and now they’re blocking MPs to ask questions of it.
Labour MPs apparently didn’t think there were any questions to be asked given the commission’s report had been made public.
That’s not for them to decide, Doocey argues, given that National, Act and the Greens all wanted to quiz the experts.
And of course, he’s right.
This goes beyond simply controlling the message. Like they say, power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Blocking National, ACT — and the Greens — from questioning the authors of a report on failures in the Mental Health system is an absolute disgrace. People are dying because they can’t access Mental Health services, but Labour MP’s on the select committee are more concerned with playing petty politics. As one who has battled mental health issues, I find Labour’s actions to be outrageous.
Kudos to Barry Soper for expressing his dissatisfaction so eloquently, even if he runs the risk of being frozen out of the PM’s media gatherings. It’s time someone senior called the Government out on its conduct.
Anyone dealing with a Cabinet Minister, whether seeking help or reporting problems in dealing with that Minister’s portfolio (government department) are met with a wall of silence. This began back in 2017 when Jacinda came to power, and was a new strategy to block all us suckers access to Ministers, even our own constituent MP’s. It got worse after 2020 when Cindy, using the massive majority win she gained on the back of her manipulating and using the pain and suffering of the Muslim people to gain that huge win, went even further in her blockade of the people’s rights to communicate with Cabinet Ministers and their Constituent MPs. She doesn’t trust her Cabinet and MPs and the flow on effect of that is a mental breakdown for the citizen who is desperately seeking help that can be advanced with the help of an MP. Divide and conquer is the rule of thumb for this evil PM.
In my estimation only by introducing a good all-round New Zealander into the National Party to take control of the vacuum of spiritless emptiness can save us. I am leaving New Zealand. The Ardern damage will last two generations
The big issue for 2023 election is the erosion of democracy and this typifies it. What is wrong with the cringing, fawning, wimpish members of Labour’s caucus. Is there not one or two willing to stand up? Are they too scared – or too well paid – to ‘blow the whistle?”
What of people like David Parker, a lawyer dedicated (?) to standing up for justice? Gee have I lost respect for him! Now zero.
Benjamin> I give you an awesome and difficult task. Find us a leader, an ordinary experienced New Zealander who the people will respect.
If this socialist regime proceeds to the third term; Arderns psychopathology will unleash full-on totalitarianism. And were have already seen how the Police relish that. We are in great danger. You must succeed with this mission.
Barry Soper should be the new minister of police or better still Prime Minister. Now there’s a thought!
In my estimation only by introducing a good all-round New Zealander into the National Party to take control of the vacuum of spiritless emptiness can save us. I am leaving New Zealand. The Ardern damage will last two generations
Looking at those in jabcinda’s cabinet, one realises that there are ministers who have been appointed to the job, not for their acumen, knowledge, and skills; but, for their (un-divided) support for the “woman” in her marxist policies; policies which are intent on “ruining” NEW ZEALAND – as a democratic country, with freedom of movement, freedom of speech, and freedom to live life as Kiwis have always done (the past two years have most certainly given us all the ‘game’ jabcinda is playing – and it is not in favour of the NEW ZEALAND populace).
The “covid (hoax) virus”, and the much written about after-math (peaceful protests, as the only opposition to jabcinda), has most certainly confirmed that the ministers in the “woman’s” cabinet, the labour parliamentarians, and the party members, (and, the so called opposition), are falling into line, and obeying the dictate as ‘demanded’ by the “woman”.
Having experienced the ‘corporate world’ (in ‘senior positions’), I have always believed in the “right person, for the right job”.
Seems to me, that those in parliament are mis-fits for their “job”; as are those in the “woman’s” cabinet. The minister of police, the minister of foreign affairs, the minister of health, the minister of finance (deputy leader ……….. well !!!), et al.
One could suggest a “cabal of clowns in the wrong job”; including the “woman”, herself !!
The list of those in the “woman’s” cabinet, is like the list of the ‘Ministry for Culture and Heritage’s’ $60 million covid “Innovation Fund”.
All a bunch of loses – the cabinet, the parliamentarians, the opposition, and the innovation fund.
We need change in NEW ZEALAND, and that change comes from the people of NEW ZEALAND.
The “woman” is hell bent on ruining NEW ZEALAND …………….. she must be stopped. There is no place for her dictate and policies; which takes democracy away from NEW ZEALANDERS, to be replaced by a (fake) “partnership”.
That is to appease the Brown Bros Caucus (BBC). They bring no skills to the Cabinet table, can be easily manipulated to do as they are told so long as we the plebs can see their white teeth as they smile in any photo shoots with PM.
Exactly and that is the very basis of democracy…by the people for the people.
We are counting down now to the Act with National government.
Have to say Labour has surpassed the last National government that pretty much wrecked the country.
Forget the 5 year terms – its far to risky with a bad government.
But we know that when Labour is thrown out – it wont be back for 50 years or so. And thank god for that.
Just as John Key did National a disservice from which they may or may not recover, so Jacinda Ardern has dealt Labour a second body blow, the first being by the 4th Labour government i.e. Rogernomics by Roger Douglas. Labour may never make it back.
Omnipotent moral busybodies are the most dangerous of all people because their perceived entitlement to force everyone else to agree with and obey them has no limits.
This is the basic culture of the Labour Party.
The party has very few paid up members and very few are active or influential.
Many of the senior people are aging actvists from the 1970’s and 80’s whose ambition is to destroy the “capitalist” system of free enterprise and liberal democracy that grew out of it.
They perceive the social and economic systems that were so successful in improving people’s lives and prosperity as white privilege and supremacy.
These people are extremely prejudiced against males and the characteristics of personal privacy, freedom and independence that they regard as “masculine” and therefore bad.
Thsee people’s belief that the only acceptable for of government is one in which they have complete authority and power over the masses to make them think and behave as they are told to.
Most of these politically powerful people have never had to earn a living by providing goods and services that individual customers would willingly pay for so they cannot understand the basics of willing buyers and sellers or value for money.
Virtue signalling , dressing up and pretending to be kind and caring is expertly practiced to divert our attention from their failure to understand or be able to effectively deal with important social or econmic issues that ordinary people struggle with.
Perhaps some people do want to live in a society where they are totally dominated and controlled by the people in their government,
Perhaps regulation, supervision and obedient confirmity to the orders of the politically elite is not really so bad once you get over having privacy, freedom and independence.
Seems to me we might be moving back in time to the age of tribal and feudal systems in which an elite minority made the decisions and forced everyone else to agree and obey.
The people that have the power over us in this current government have defitinely forgotten that they were elected to serve the ordinary people whose work and efforts pay their wages, salaries and generous perks.
The voting public will have to decide in the next election whether they want to employ competent representatives to serve them or enable omnipotent despots to rule them.
We ought to be very critical of the propaganda and marketing strategies that are used to get politicians elected. These people cannot really do the wonderful things they pretend to be able to do.
All they can really do is
1. Impose more and more restrictive rules and regulations on us.
2. Take and spend more and more of the money that is earned by productive working people.
If voters can learn to think like competent employers they will definitely sack and replace their current government employees.