MP calls urgent meeting as tensions rise on Waiheke ferries
An urgent meeting is being called by the MP for Auckland Central following reports of violence and tension on Waiheke ferries.
National MP Nikki Kaye said she was “deeply concerned” and has called for a meeting with Fullers chief executive Mike Horne to address staffing, resourcing, scheduling and security issues on its ferry services.
The Herald on Sunday reported of frustrated commuters lashing out at crew and escalating tensions caused by reduced winter sailings to the island.
It does my jaded black cynical heart joy to see middle class rage at substandard infrastructure. ‘How dare we middle class folk be inconvenienced’ is the only way anything ever gets changed in NZ.
Poor people can bitch and complain, like they do in Wellington about the public bus abortion there, but no one gives two shits about poor people complaining, but when the white middle classes complain, SOMETHING MUST BE DONE.
The Republic of Waiheke is split between hippie artist types who are clinging to the commune vision of the Island and the Auckland uber rich who have priced locals out of the housing market, it is this latter group who are furious that the crap ferry service is barely able to cope with the Gold Card scam and over tourism that makes it almost impossible to move in peak hour traffic.
If there is going to be a push back against the over tourism that plagues NZ, it will be the angry white middle classes who will lead it because they are the only ones Politicians listen to. I am gleeful to see such tension.
Yes Martyn. The upwardly mobile have got their local Gweenpeace and Amnesty International rep & an the cohorted UN reps on to it! Again Maori, Ngati Hura (Paoa) local hapu, have been ignored.
Matiatia, is an urupa ay.
I get tired or everything in NZ now being about ‘race’ – look in the mirror because you represent the white middle class rage as much as the next guy just like many people on this site, aka Chris Trotter, Frank Macskasy etc.
I don’t know whether there is some identity issue of being ashamed of being white, (hence counter T shirts being printed) but personally find it weird and a bit of a group think. Do you have to deride your own race to get into the inner wokie corners which is probably just as represented (if not more) by the white male who are only tolerated by claiming how fucked all other white males/females/middle class people are apart from themselves?
Most people who are genuinely poor or struggling, want to be middle class or rich and gain social mobility, and that is why the constant trashing of the middle class by the woke middle class pretending to represent the poor, just doesn’t resonate with the poor and blue collar workers and they think, Whoa, keep clear and don’t vote Greens/Labour/join a union, as they seem to be trashing themselves for the most part!
Neoliberalism thrives in the west by the woke claiming that everything is racist and race based. I don’t think power interest care what colour anybody is anymore as long as they can get labour at the lowest dollar, (in fact make people or government pay or subsidies jobs), more consumers needing goods and services etc. The Ponzi needs new members and is colour blind for the most part. Soon there will be just as many billionaires from the East as the West and all equally cut throat.
The reality is that not just on the Ferrys of Waiheke (where I’m pretty sure the super rich use their own boats and helicopters to get around not the Ferries) so it’s probably more a backlash from residents who use the Ferries who need to get to work who are the most affected by massive tourism (maybe they lose their job for being late all the time, etc and there are real consequences for them) and the rise of gold cards on Ferries and tourism using Ferries for recreational use not being accounted for.
Perhaps the cruise ships could berth at Waiheke instead of stealing the Queens wharf harbour. NZ is surrounded by water and it is a shame that the transport committees are not investigating using Ferries more (and more ecological ones using solar etc) for travel especially with climate change around the corner.
Most people born in NZ are now mixed race including ‘white’ whanau , (whatever ‘white’ means) including Hone Harawira, John Tamihere, Pita Sharples, Marama Fox….
the term ‘white’ is a minefield, if you are mixed race but look like one or the other, is that some sort of stigma in wokie eyes, or you denounce part of your ‘white’ whanau to join the wokies?
What about inter- racial marriages and partnerships which are pretty common in NZ, is that not ok now, in the woke rage against “white”, which I’m not even sure who is represented in that?
How do Asian’s come in, are they number one for discrimination, in the ‘race’ hierarchy via the wokie, handbook. How does it work with first and second generation Asians born in NZ vs those who are now NZ residents but identify more as Nationalist Chinese vs for example people who identify as Hong Kong nationals?
Starting to be like the cultural revolution where you are supposed to denounce your heritage to fit into some sort of new social standing that the wokies and semi-wokies are driving in Aotearoa, that benefits power interests and neoliberalism by the division aspect which flies totally over the head of the wokies who are so hung up on colour and race. For fucks sake, who the hell has ‘pure’ blood anymore, it’s crazy, most people in NZ are made up of mixed races. Do we judge people on their phenotypes, racial heritage or what the fuck the woke standard is???
People born in Aoteroa are being ripped off by government policies and banana republic tactics, have been for years! Instead of stopping that, it gets derailed into some sort of wokie hierarchy of need, (similar to cultural revolution that also sought to curtail the educated middle class and demonise them for political and power reasons).
It’s actually pathetic how the wokies, and the political power interest in NZ used the CH ch terror massacre to try to claim it was all domestic Pakeha related (to an overseas born, Aussie who had lived in NZ for a couple of years) and are so busy going down that rabbit hole and race division tactics that any chance of stopping the neoliberal business as usual, selling off or giving away NZ assets cheap to overseas mates and signing agreements to keep that old chestnut going, never sees the light of day, let alone a joining together of people born in NZ who have some sort of affinity for the country whether, Pakeha, Maori, Pacific Island, Asian, affected by the stripping of NZ natural assets and wealth in their local community.
Or like the Waiheke situation, being some 2nd class citizen and having resources getting worse and worse by increased demand while the political class pile more people onto the service, and say tighten up your belts and stop whining, to the ratepayers, subsidising the Gold card and tourist demand.
It is interesting that you mention “the Gold Card scam” – the big question is why photo ID isn’t put on the cards, as they are being used by everyone and their uncle and must be costing the government millions every year
Just picture the aggro- man buns and immaculate manes tossing, hands slapping, Versace handbags swung, the creak of leather wrist bands and swish of pearls and heavy jewelry, an odorous blend of unwashed sweat and perfume, the shrieking.
New Zealand would happily grant greater Auckland independence.
We can throw in Wellington.
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