The true difference between Auckland & Wellington in one terrible example

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The UN had a seat for the first family, Wellington however did not

Nothing highlights the gulf between Aucklanders and Wellingtonians quite like this wee gem of a story…

PM Jacinda Ardern turned away from full cafe before being called back

Social distancing rules under Level 2 has limited the number of people that can get into cafes and restaurants.

For many people, that means having to wait outside for another patron to leave before they can get in for their favourite snack or caffeine fix – even if you’re the Prime Minister.

Jacinda Ardern was spotted waiting outside Olive Cafe on Cuba St on Saturday morning.

Speaking to Stuff, a manager from the cafe said the Prime Minister had showed up without a booking, and waited outside with some other customers.

“It was just a couple minutes, she was all good,” he said.

..it’s not like she’s Peter Jackson or someone important, the jaded Wellingtonian waiter would have muttered.

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It highlights the difference between the two Cities because if Saint Jacinda had waltzed into an Auckland Cafe, and it was full due to the new social distancing rules, a thousand brave Auckland souls would leap to their feet and battle it out as to which son or daughter of the City of Sails would have the privilege of offering up their wobbly cafe table for the first Family!

Crumbs would be wiped aside, seats pulled out as First baby Neve, First Gentleman Clarke (with an e) Gayford,  Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Holy Ghost settled down for a quick Eggs Bene with free ranged bacon and a lukewarm flat white.

In Wellington, this was the negative-egalitarian grey genderless response from one Wellington ‘punter’…

A diner at the cafe said they and some friends had just been seated when they saw Ardern, fiance Clarke Gayford, some friends and a bodyguard arrived.

“But one of the workers had to awkwardly say it was full and there were no tables, and they left, and we were wondering if we should give them our table.

…’we were wondering if we should give them our table’. Charming.

The Prime Minister who has led us through the turmoil of terrorism, volcanism and almost bubonic plague would not have been left wondering in Auckland!!!

As one, every brave Aucklander would rise on their cafe tables and cry out, “O Captain my Captain”, and take endless selfies as they offered up their seat.

Now some may say that my pathological hatred for Wellington bureaucrats and all those who reside in or near those bureaucrats has twisted me into a sociopath full of naked malice towards Wellington, to which I say, sure.

PS – Fuck Wellington.

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19 COMMENTS

  1. If she did break social distancing rules then police reserve the right to bust down her door and arrest her

      • Yep should have been first stopped at an illegal checkpoint on Cuba street by a patched gang member demanding to know their business, then arrested for attempting to enter a full cafe, then “a little ride” with police to “their place” for interrogation.

      • Steady on;

        We are all ‘citizens’ of NZ right?
        The term ‘citizens’ goes with the need to be “civil”to each other so our ‘civilization’ survives and shows we have a “high level of cultural development”; – right????

        https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civilization
        Definition of civilization
        “a relatively high level of cultural and technological development”
        specifically : the stage of cultural development at which writing and the keeping of written records is attained
        b: the culture characteristic of a particular time or place
        the impact of European civilization on the lands they colonized

    • Brilliant, now who again is Leo Molloy, some insignificant bar owner, doesn’t he realise bar owners are a dime a dozen. Hard rightwing blowhard.

      • Well said Bert. Great reply.

        This Leo Molloy is a nobody but the thing that annoys me is that he decided to set up this gathering (which seems to have been one big flop) and engaged with the cops who, incredulously, start negotiating with him to make it a success. Then we hear about some gang somewhere being investigated by the Police for having a gathering. Don’t get me wrong I am not endorsing unlawful gatherings but it simply made me wonder – if this gang had approached the cops in the same way that hoi polloy Molly did and sought their assistance you could safely bet that the cops would have said no from the outset and perhaps rightly so, so why did they work in with Molloy?

        • Very good question.
          Another question, how can the son of god worshiper and his wife go to a bar, then rock up to church after having either been drinking the devils water or mingle with the high priests?

  2. Haahaaa, Aucklanders would have stood up in the middle of their brunch/lunch and walked out so the first family could have their table…
    Haahaa, thanks for the laugh!

  3. Yep. Fuck wellington.
    This time, I’m on Adern’s side.
    There’s a level of un-cool about this that’s just plain wrong.
    Perhaps though it was the fancy Wellington Cafe’s feeding the homeless night thus adern couldn’t get a table.
    Is that irony? I like irony.
    Perhaps I’m not on aderns side after all… Fuck adern perhaps? Fuck wellington and fuck auckland too then while I’m at it. In fact, fuck you fancy little flouncy politicians who can’t get a widdle cafe table.
    When next I’m in Auckland I’ll check in with that old Maori guy who waits by that ATM at Three Lamps. I’m sure he’ll be very concerned that adern and clark kent couldn’t get that table. Boo hoo I reckon he’ll say.
    He sits there, his big old feet are dirty and split. He sits there in his trackies looking past reality and I hope his imagination is strong enough to take him away to a better place.
    BTW? What was adern and Dirk Smirkfield going to eat anyway? Can’t be conventional foods because filthy famah’s grow foods, so it’s rumoured, and since farmers are ignored and demonised by labour I can’t imagine what they’d be eating, even if they got a table. Cash money perhaps? Like dust, there’s no calories in cash money…

    BTW. Check out the link.
    RNZ
    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018746811/professor-emrys-westacott-the-wisdom-of-frugality
    Here comes the bullshit. We’re about to be head fucked into thinking that dear old neoliberalism wasn’t the kats py jamas after all. Silly old roger and his cronies, aye?
    “I think the pandemic spells the end of the neoliberal era and I think the idea that government should be small and inactive and everything should be left to market forces has seen its day.”
    No shit Sherlock…
    They thought they knew what we needed best. The beautiful market in all its techno colour brilliance and awesomeness would give us Valhalla on earth but it didn’t. Whoops, sorry… ( Just a stipend. That’s all I wanted…) aye boys?
    Lest we forget. The end to neoliberalism can only come with douglas and his cronies doing jail time.

    • Brierley was in cahoots and may well enjoy being kept in her majesty’s care and protection.
      Another “Sir” who has a predilection that ruins others lives.

  4. How about using the tax paid assistant to make a booking at the tax paying establishment where tax payers eat.

  5. Part of me says good Jacinda should feel the discomfort that us ‘commoners’ always face as we line up outside the pack n save in the rain for 20 minutes before allowing us in the doors to buy our food as she caused this waiting time.

    But we do need to give her some dignity as she is the head of our country now.

    Jacinda while we are hear to feel your pain; please hear our call as we wait to be served by your government to get our rail back since National destroyed it in 2012.

    Read our East coast press release today Jacinda please, and “Lets do this”.

    CEAC wants Gisborne rail fixed as was promised.
    Press report Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre. 18th May 2020
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11744500
    Quote; Evidence here from; 8 Nov, 2016
    Three political parties come out in support of restoring mothballed Gisborne-Wairoa rail link. The Maori Party, New Zealand First and Labour have all backed restoration of the Gisborne-Wairoa rail link as being good for the economy, environment and population.

    Un-quote.
    In the East Coast region Kiwi Rail are now being publicly ridiculed for their hollow choice as to whether to operate rail in east coast regions, and we support the public anger building as a result of Kiwi Rails lack of support for these isolated regions.
    http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/opinion/column/20200505/kiwirail-the-need-for-change/ “KiwiRail: the need for change”
    • Kiwirail has a new executive Greg Miller,and he is sadly not using “common sense” policies here, so consider Winston Peters statement in Parliament last week Mr Miller.
    • Remember now the terrible situation we are all in as we are gripped by the Covid 19 pandemic, and grappling with how should we proceed?
    • This was discussed by the Deputy PM Winston Peters in his speech last week in parliament during debate of the “Covid 19 budget,
    • This provides us with plenty of common sense lessons for Kiwi Rail also.

    Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister):

    QUOTE; “The COVID-19 pandemic is a completely new situation in which the coalition has very few familiar guidelines to shape our response. We are in unchartered waters. In this novel situation, we look to history to help guide our thinking about the Government’s health and economic response and recovery strategies. US President Franklin Roosevelt’s response to the Great Depression is one lesson to draw from. He had no playbook for his response and nor do we. We’ve had to learn as we go, always with the health of our most vulnerable people foremost in our mind.
    The first Labour Government, you’ll recall, in 1935, responded to the ravages of the Great Depression with compassion and practical wisdom. The fourth Labour Government, in contrast, responded through ideology and blind devotion to neoliberal economic theory. The former tradition helped the many survive a massive disruption and its success settled public policy, even National Party policy, for the next 50 years; in stark contrast, the revolutionary tradition adopted by Roger Douglas and Ruth Richardson favoured the few and left abandoned a lost generation of New Zealanders, cynically cast adrift as no longer economically viable.” UNQUOTE.
    We had some very solid supportive responses for rail services from those two of your parliamentary piers Mr Miller so we now include their preferences and positions for rail services or you in our submission to you here now from; Stuff; https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/121506611/budget-2020-new-interislander-ferries-more-money-for-rail
    From press cover of the Budget – This rationale from MPs Winston Peters and Phil Twyford must apply to Gisborne rail?
    14th May 2020. Quote:
    • “Rail is a critical part of our integrated transport network,” said State Owned Enterprises Minister Winston Peters.
    • “New Zealand needed a resilient and reliable rail system to support freight and get cities moving, and help reduce the country’s emissions”, said Transport Minister Phil Twyford.
    Did you get that Mr Miller? It was exhaustedly spelt out in the BERL report, did you read it?
    There was another article in the Gisborne Herald last week also that we include for you to consider, for using “common sense policy” and it was from an experienced railwayman that understands rail very well.
    Subject: Gisborne-Wairoa Rail: ‘Opinion Piece’ – KiwiRail CEO in an invidious position … (“Gisborne Herald”):
    KiwiRail CEO in an invidious position … (“Gisborne Herald” – Tues 12th May 2020)
    ‘Opinion Piece’ Letter –
    Greg Miller of KiwiRail has an unenviable job – as chief executive of a State Owned Enterprise, the poor chap is required to run a profitable business,
    but a large part of his network is unusable and (almost) everybody wants him to invest in repairs and expansion.
    He needs contracts with users, but who’ll contract to use a resource that isn’t there? Catch 22!
    He is disappointed that the Wairoa to Napier section isn’t getting much use, which isn’t surprising, but fails to understand that almost of the traffic
    on that section would come from Tairawhiti.
    Money from the Provincial Growth Fund would have been available to him to reopen the Turanga ki Wairoa line (note: Wairoa to Napier has already
    been reopened) but, instead of heeding the advice of the staff within KiwiRail who contributed to the BERL report, he has chosen to adopt Merv Goodley’s
    method of estimating costs.
    It is perhaps fortunate that he has declined the offer of PGF money, believing that it would be inadequate for the purpose, insofar as that money
    could now be directed to the people who can achieve restoration for the reliably-estimated figure.
    If KiwiRail can’t afford to do the job (or its contractors want to charge too high a price) then it should be done by contractors that are willing to “buy in”
    to the scenario detailed in the BERL report. Then Gisborne gets its connection to the rest of the network and KiwiRail gets its East Coast branch restored
    “for free”. Whether it chooses to operate on the line is up to KiwiRail, but it should not deny opportunity for other operators to use it.
    If this is not possible under the present “rules” then the Minister for State Owned Enterprises has the solution in his hand. ~Peter Woodling
    Mr Miller; yet another lesson for you came last Saturday after the paper run another rail poll and the results are worth considering again too;
    gisborneherald.co.nz
    “Most want Covid-19 package to help rail line”
    by Matai O’Connor
    Published May 16, 2020 11:24AM
    A majority of voters in this week’s web poll think the restoration of the Gisborne rail link should be part of the Government’s Covid-19 response infrastructure funding package.
    Seventy percent (308 votes) voted yes to the question, with 28 percent (125
    votes) choosing no and 2 percent (11 votes) saying they “don’t know” making a total of 444 votes.
    “This project fits with the Government’s goals of reducing climate change impacts while boosting regional productivity.
    “Moving some freight by rail would reduce our use of fossil fuels.
    “It would also provide a more economical transport option for fresh produce destined for export, processed timber and other freight,” a yes voter said.
    “It is well known that investment in infrastructure drives business growth and by extension employment,” said another.
    “Rail is an important part of our transport modes.
    “Most necessary for the long term future of the East Coast region in a world requiring less use of fossil fuels.”
    One suggested the line could be used for tourism, “not only for upgrading freight movements from the East Coast to the rest of New Zealand but also for a very scenic East Coast passenger service,” they said.
    “The BERL report clearly states that it is a viable proposition to reinstate the line,” another yes voter said.
    “Emphatically yes, but not only part of the Covid response but also looking to support the future economic growth of the Tairawhiti region.
    “The Gisborne District Council and Mayor need to fully get behind this project and start some lobbying from here. We need a collaborative approach to restoring this iconic piece of rail infrastructure.”
    “This is the sort of infrastructure project that is a long-term investment.”
    Un-quote – Abridged;
    Now as Winston has said we need to look back to our history of this rail line; – to see what we have been offered by successive Governments.
    This is election year!!!!
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11237203
    • 2013 Gerry Brownlee offer to allow another operator to use the line;
    • Quote; “If it is so good and it is going to work so well, why do they not just come along and say: ‘Let us have the track, so that we can make it all work.’?” Unquote.
    Since then we have met with several refusals from Kiwi Rail to have other companies operate rail services on the rail line.
    • even though Gerry Brownlee offered the choice in 2013,
    • a consortium of rail operators offered to run services on the line when fixed but all were refused access to use the line.
    2013 ‘Green Party joined Labour ‘ to promise re-opening the rail too;
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10860706
    NEW ZEALAND
    Labour, Greens pledge to reinstate Gisborne rail line
    22 Jan, 2013 5:31pm
    The Napier-Gisborne rail line.
    By: Phillipa Webb of the Gisborne Herald
    Labour and the Greens vowed at a public meeting in Gisborne last night that they would reinstate the Gisborne to Napier railway line if they won the 2014 election.
    East Coast National MP Anne Tolley’s absence from the meeting about the mothballed line was noted, with most of about 100 meeting-goers giving her a vote of no confidence.
    KiwiRail chief executive Jim Quinn offered no hope for the line and said the ongoing costs of repair and maintenance meant it would not be reopened.
    The meeting was held to discuss the release of the recent Berl report – an independent economic analysis of the KiwiRail report that led to a decision to close the line in November.
    Berl said there were “serious inconsistencies” in the KiwiRail report and there was a need for a comprehensive cost:benefit analysis of the line – a process that could cost around $500,000 and take up to 12 months.
    Gisborne District Mayor Meng Foon said the meeting was an opportunity to gain feedback from the region to take to Minister of Transport Gerry Brownlee when they met to discuss the future of the line.
    No date for a meeting has been set.
    John McLean, from Roger Dickie Forests and the Rail Action Group, questioned the need to close the line from Wairoa to Napier when there were opportunities for forestry in that area to use the line.
    Forestry investor Roger Dickie said of the 18 million tonnes of logs they hoped to produce in the next 10-15 years, he saw potential to send 7.5 million tonnes of that south by rail.
    Richard Burke from crop grower LeaderBrand said they were not given enough time to see how they could grow the use of the line before it was mothballed.
    So now it looks like only the National Party don’t want to offer a rail service to Gisborne, so we have little support other than the Government today to rely upon to fix our rail. We have been waiting since 25th March 2012 to have our rail services restored and returned to our community.
    Founding of the Gisborne railway.
    In 1935 Labour in their first Government in NZ embarked on building the railway from Wairoa to Gisborne.
    From it was opened finally in 1942 and the first train was greeted by 10 000 people in Gisborne then on that day.
    Now we need action Government.
    End

    • Cleangreen: “I can’t see how this comment of yours relates to the topic of the post.

      It isn’t particularly useful to post long press releases, as I’ve noticed that you’re given to doing.

  6. Sounds as if Jacinda followed the rules that she and her team devised. She didn’t complain so why are you enraged Bomber? As others point out, a privilege to go out for breakfast that not all of us share. Next time her minder can book, which would be good for Neve who shouldn’t be waiting in the cold.

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