It all boils down to this: The timeline of latest revelations suggests National Party MPs placed their want to GET their opponents – the Ardern Government – ahead of concerns that Covid-19 was potentially un-contained and again infecting New Zealanders. Is this a step too far for the Todd Muller-led party?
We are debating the issue where two women, who had recently arrived from the United Kingdom and were in isolation, were released on compassionate grounds to travel freely between Auckland and Wellington to visit a dying parent – this while infected with the Covid-19 virus.
In the latest revelations to Parliament on Thursday June 18, 2020 (the Government revealed) National Party MP Chris Bishop had lobbied for the two women asking officials to “expeditiously” consider releasing the women from quarantine so they could visit their dying parent.
While Bishop was just doing his job, it set in train a failure by New Zealand officials to follow Government instructions to keep those who have recently crossed our borders isolated and quarantined. That is, until international travellers have proved to be free of Covid-19.
Earlier this week, National MP Michael Woodhouse delivered a bombshell in Parliament. He revealed that two women – who had recently arrived in New Zealand, who had travelled from the United Kingdom to New Zealand via Doha (in Qatar) and Australia – had been released early from quarantine prior to their Covid-19 status being determined.
Woodhouse revealed, citing a “reliable but confidential source” that the two women had now presented as Covid-19 positive, that they had borrowed a car from a friend, had got lost on the Auckland Motorway, were in physical contact with that friend, and had driven from Auckland to Wellington.
As Radio New Zealand reported: Woodhouse said:
“They called on acquaintances who they were in close contact with and that was rewarded with even more close contact – a kiss and a cuddle.” The source also told him the women had borrowed the car, raising the question of whether there was further undisclosed contact.
Once in Wellington, they had visited their dying parent before tests showed they were carrying the deadly virus. It was not clear how many New Zealanders they had actually come into contact with – some reports suggested up to 320 people had potentially been infected with the Covid-19 virus.
Woodhouse’s claims rocked the government. Reeling and on the back-foot, Ministers, including the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, scrambled to gather information. Later that afternoon, it was confirmed that Woodhouse was correct. Health officials were summoned. Breaches of the Government’s strict controls were discovered.
The Prime Minister, clearly appalled and fed up with having earlier received official assurances that the controls were being followed, was later informed that that was not the case. Her response? She ordered the military to replace public servants, that Air Commodore Digby Webb would oversee and manage the quarantine and isolation control requirements.
Throughout Wednesday National MPs, supporters, some commentators, and a tribe of social media zealots called for the resignation of the Health Minister, David Clark. The Prime Minister refused and stood by her minister stating he was a part of efforts to fix this issue, and not a part of the problem.
BUT, what Woodhouse did not reveal, was that one of his fellow National Party MPs, Chris Bishop, had lobbied to have the two women released early so they could drive from Auckland to Wellington.
Here’s the crucial timeline as Bishop has now confirmed:
To RadioNZ’s Checkpoint he said:
On Friday (June 12) a “mutual friend” sent him a Twitter message describing to him the plight of the two women who had arrived in NZ to see their dying parent but who were in secure quarantine while their parent’s condition was deteriorating.
“I said [to the mutual friend] they should send me an email.”
“I was contacted on Friday night by the two women via email, when I saw the email on Saturday afternoon I forwarded it to the email address provided to MPs for that purpose, and asked the officials to look at it ‘expeditiously’, I think was the language used.”
Afterwards, Bishop said he emailed the women back to let them know he had passed on their request, and their correspondence ended after that with the pair thanking him.
Bishop added: “I did what MPs are … obliged to do and dozens of MPs from around the Parliament will have done over the last three months or so, I’ve dealt with probably hundreds of inquiries and forwarded them on to the appropriate address, everything from essential businesses to immigration matters through to this case.”
Now, that may have been the case. MPs are often compelled to act on the interests of constituents and citizens. And, it should be said, Chris Bishop is a hard working and well-respected member of Parliament.
But this is where the snakes and mirrors creeps in.
Every Tuesday morning, when Parliament sits, National MPs hold a caucus meeting where, in private, they discuss, among other things, party issues and organise what information they will raise in Parliament later that day.
It is reasonable to realise, on the morning of Tuesday June 16, while at caucus, National’s MPs will have discussed the bombshell. At caucus they would have decided who among them would deliver the blow, a strategy would have been decided upon on how the politics of it all would be handled.
And here, it is likely, where National decided to sit on information until it set this political dynamite alight in the debating chamber.
As vital hours passed, it appears National placed political interests ahead of the public interest.
National’s MPs knew, as the good New Zealand public knows, that Covid-19 is the most deadly virus to have swept the world in our lifetimes. The pandemic is raging offshore as you read this.
It appears, National MPs, and its leadership, willingly withheld information it had acquired from its “reliable but confidential source” from health officials and the Government.
As they stated later, hundreds could have caught Covid-19 in the days the two women were among our communities. And as Radio New Zealand’s political editor Jane Patterson wrote: “The next few days will be crucial. Testing and contact tracing that will be frantically happening should give us a better idea of whether this is limited to just the two women, or if the failures at the border are going to have more wide-reaching consequences.”
Time, when it comes to Covid-19, is crucial.
Morally, on being informed of the two women having tested as Covid-19 positive, National should have immediately informed the Prime Minister’s office of the issue, called a press conference where it cited their informant, exposing the Government’s officials for having placed New Zealanders at further risk, and claimed the political highground.
Instead, it sat quiet, while the hours ticked away, while New Zealanders who may have been in contact with the infected women went about their daily tasks, contacting others, placing more people at risk.
If Covid-19 gets away on us again, New Zealand could return to lockdown. That would cause huge strain on an already strained economy and could see more New Zealanders die.
National’s decision is, in my opinion, beyond dirty politics. It exposes a party to being prepared to put New Zealander’s lives at risk just so it can deliver a political hit job.
In defence of his own actions, on Thursday MP Chris Bishop said: “This was a desperate attempt by the government to distract away from their incompetent management at the border and I think it’s frankly pretty disgraceful that an MP doing their job is being dragged into this.”
Bishop, in my view, on the evidence available so far, has little to apologise for. He was doing his job. But as for National’s leadership team, rather than the Minister of Health resigning, decency would insist they should front-up to explain why they put Kiwis lives at risk by holding on to that crucial information. On the information at hand, it is they, rather than the Minister of Health David Clark, who should resign.
But we all know – despite this revelation – they will not.
Ref. Parliament TV, Oral Questions, Todd Muller to the Prime Minister, June 17, 2020.
Ref. Parliament TV, Oral Questions, Michael Woodhouse to the Minister of Health, June 17, 2020.
Ref. Parliament TV, Oral Questions, Michael Woodhouse to the Minister of Health, June 18, 2020.
Ref. Parliament.nz oral questions, June 17, 2020.
Selwyn Manning is the editor of Evening Report.
That was a gallant effort to exonerate Chris Bishop, A for effort. In any other time the heads up 1 on 1 war of attrition that parliament poses then sure the adversarial court style weighing up of evidence would win you the day but these are not normal times.
In the war of dirty politics which is just a fancy way of saying ruining other people’s careers usually people would weigh up the evidence in a kind of points system and on face value Chris Bishop committed the lesser evil so the Party can go on and pave the road to hell.
So a curious thing is happening which is instead of ruining Chris Bishops career or David Clarks or who ever it’s instead an attempt to ruin the party image which is less about points scoring and more about win ratios.
Having said all that it is my opinion that if Chris Bishop remains as a National MP it will improve the Labour Party’s win ratio, what ever that would mean to the win ratio of a party polling over 50% I’m not sure, it’s a bit uncharted.
Sam – “In the war of dirty politics which is just a fancy way of saying ruining other people’s careers.”
No, Sam. Dirty Politics extends well beyond ruining other people’s careers, but is utterly ruthless in wrecking other people’s lives – and that is without the coronavirus being part of the equation as it is now.
There are some thoroughly bad people in, and associated, with National Party politics, and any decision to place political point scoring above the well being of NZ’ers, and thereby place the whole of the country at risk, is not just disgraceful, it is criminally negligent.
Concealing vital information while the innocent went unknowingly about their business, instead of acting with the utmost urgency to protect them, is indefensible, and they know it, and there has to be a legal mechanism to call them to account.
The issue is not Bishop behaving like a blustering low life, it is Nat politicians failing to act responsibly, and then attempting to deflect the blame elsewhere, as children do; so much for good Catholic boys leading political parties – they get worse and worser.
Yeah I don’t have negative to say. I perfectly happy being in the middle of team 5 million.
Hmm. This all started with Bishop. After discussions with their leaders, Woodhouse carried it on the next day by. Something very very fishy going on here.Was Hootoni at the I think.
If the nat caucus discussed it on Tuesday morning and kept quiet until Wednesday then they are all culpable.
Hope the virus didn’t spread too much while they sat quietly on the secret overnight.
A few years ago I asked Chis Bishop, in person at a sector meeting he spoke to, (it was in a meeting just prior to a General Election) a question about rebates on gifts to charity. He did not know the answer but said he would make enquiries. He took my contact details and said he would get back to me with an answer.
I’m still waiting to hear back – years later!
Yeah well Iv got my favourite kids even though I’ll never admit it openly. Least he didn’t make sly comments about you being a commie! 😀 😀 😀
Your reply make no sense, Sam. Your point is?
Mateee, I’d hate to be the bearer of bad news but Chris Bishop lied to you, sorry.
No surprises there! Thanks for the interpretation.
Very good item. But I don’t agree about Bishop.
That Michael Woodhouse, a virtual nobody, had such perfect information reeked from day one. Why would a couple of strangers from overseas go somehow think of going to or being directed to some dude called Chris Bishop? What the fuck was going on here? It’s way too cute for the Dirty Politics Party to be all sweet and innocent.
But in this blame game what the hell happened to the very individuals at the front line charged with being that person protecting NZ? It is abundantly obvious theirs was just a job, turn up to work and get paid, fuck what happens in between. No emotion, no investment, who cares, yawnnnn. None thought that testing (mandatory) was important. After all only the rest of the world is melting down because of this virus. Why were they so useless that they could not perform a simple task as testing quarantined foreigners?
I have seen it my whole working life, employees who turn up and go home. They need to be on the front page of every publication being shamed, along with their equally useless managers also tasked to ensure this happened.
And it also raises another couple of questions. Why are we allowing people here from places like the UK, that have such rampant problems anyway? And why aren’t all arrivals tested at the airport and quarantined there rather than busing them all over the place?
Personally, I do not hold any faith that our thus far abysmally border controls will improve. No one seems either have a clue how to oversee this or to give a shit.
Totally with you.
All our major political parties are so corrupt there is an exemption for anyone with cash or friends in the right places.
Look at Mycoplasma bovis. Still uncontained after 3 years even though we have a “tracking” system implemented by National in place, and cattle are locked in fields.
What hope do we ever have of eliminating Covid-19 from our shores when our leaders are reckless about border control and willing to make exemptions for what.
Some sisters potentially infected granted compassionate leave from quarantine.
Absolute BS and I am actually in favour of allowing herd immunity with protections for the vulnerable, as a scientist. But to protect the borders and succeed is also admirable. Just don’t go down the middle road.
Bizarre that so many here are protecting the shambolic middle road approach which is just political jostling.
If we want a elimination strategy it needs to be strictly enforced. No political interference, isolate in a wooden shelter and follow the rules and do what you are told.
Level 4 must apply to any new immigrants, no matter who they are. No exceptions.
Her immunity has yet to be established as actually existing for a period of time that prevents reinfection.
As the genome changes new research suggests “strains” may well have different potential to infect, and some much more rapidly spreading than others.
Herd immunity for the common cold and many strains of flue vary widely . Lifetime immunity for any conavirus seems very unlikely.
Simon Bridges and Paula Bennett were diabolical snakes in the grass …..but Muller and his new “team” are a completely different size and shape of festering turd. Despicable doesn’t even come close to describing them. We all knew how much they hated the 93% approval rating Ardern had with her handling of the crisis and were desperate to undermine and destroy that as their only pathway back into Government. It’s their one and only game plan. Last week we had the book from a Nat MP attempting to destroy the public perception of the pandemic handling and now this vile and reprehensible conduct. The blue trolls will dismiss it of course and attempt to portray the focus being put on Latrine Rodent party actions as deflecting attention away from what they are blaming Ardern for….but we expect no less from them. Any opportunity to attack and misrepresent Ardern must be seized upon and in doing so, justify their contempt at a non National Party female leader that has the audacity to lead NZ
Well said Jacindafan, you smacked the Muller and Nat Party turd, out of the park with your comment. “Muller and his new “team” are a completely different size and shape of festering turd” and are by common definition and perception, Dirty Politics – The Muppet Version.
On June 14th, Todd Muller, in the NZ Herald, claimed he had “taken advice in the last few weeks from my friends, colleagues and mentors John Key, Bill English and Steven Joyce.” (https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12339707).
Up to that point, most Kiwis would have been prepared to weigh up Muller and his team’s performance on their merits and give them the benefit-of-the-doubt. Muller and the Mullerettes were newbies, albeit mainly white newbies….plus 1 definite Maori and 1 questionable one…..
Has-been ex-Nat leaders and coalition wannabees are hardly glowing examples of mentors or role-models.
Next, Todd’ll be meeting with Don Brash, John Banks and Jenny Shipley and cajoling his Caucus to run a seance with Rob Muldoon. Expect “Carless Days” and “40% GST” to be hidden in the small print of National’s Manifesto. It was always going to 20% GST with David Seymour, but now he has cloned himself. David Seymour Banana in Yellow Pyjamas 1 and David Seymour Banana in Yellow Pyjamas 2, they will take their exalted coalition place and double down for a deal with Todd and the team (if Todd lasts the year out).
So, Muller abandoned the decency that Kiwis would have given him as a “Fair Go” after 3 months of lockdown.
The team of 5 million probably would have given them a bit of grace to bed himself in. But, sadly, it’s National Party Dirty Politics all over again, but this time putting thousands of Kiwi lives at risk with Chris Bishop and Michael Wodehouse’s dirty political stunt ….and not even a cunning stunt at that … more of a blunt, cunning stunt
It reminds me of a Mickey to Moko transition art work, but in Nats’ case, it is the “MAGA Arts” to “Dark Arts” aka Dirty Politics Part II.
Muller – Buller – Bullet – Mullet – Muppet – a la Dick Frizzell
You can roll these “festering turds” in glitter, roll them in a blue scarf, a blue and yellow glittery scarf, a festering turd, is a festering turd, is still a festering turd.
I’d had enough of Key, English, Joyce, Shipley, Banks and Don Brash. But now, to see their muppet-Muller trying to emulate their brand of dirty politics just makes me gag-reflex…same old festering turds, but this time their dirty politics is willing to infect thousands of Kiwis like we were rabbits, being seeded with deadly, human calicivirus.
There’s only one virus in this country, and it’s blue, yellow, festering and a turd.
…” As the vital hours passed, National placed political interests ahead of the public interest
It appears, National MPs, and its leadership, willingly withheld information it had acquired from its “reliable but confidential source” from health officials and the Government
Instead, it sat quiet, while the hours ticked away, while New Zealanders who may have been in contact with the infected women went about their daily tasks, contacting others, placing more people at risk
National’s decision is, in my opinion, beyond dirty politics. It exposes a party to being prepared to put New Zealander’s lives at risk just so it can deliver a political hit job ”…
——————————-
And this is where it all ends regarding the National party. This is where they show their true colours. And Muller? – where is he ? Strangely silent and in agreement? Is this the sort of people we want running the country after September? I certainly think not.
There is something very insidious, smacking in desperation and indeed quite evil in this whole train of events…
Explaining is losing.
Why did you need to explain that Andrew?
Because winning or losing is the main ethos with the likes of Andrew, and bugger anyone else.
Who on earth is doing all the losing around here anyway? What does explaining is losing even mean to us lefties? Andrew can’t be serious.
Your article leaves one thing unclear. A distinction needs to be drawn between when National members knew about the road trip and the car borrowing, and at what point they became aware that the two women had tested positive. Did they know, at their caucus meeting in the morning, that the women had tested positive? Because the information didn’t become public until midday on Tuesday. Do you know for sure that they knew earlier, and sat on that information?
I agree, the chronology of the article seems a bit off unless there’s something I’m missing.
I also don’t recall seeing anything conclusive as to when Woodhouse learned of the “hug and kiss” (as it has been termed). I’ve seen somewhere where he said he took some time to “verify the facts” – exactly what steps did he take during that time which justified withholding the information until Question Time on Wednesday.
I agree. Martyn, please clarify this as it is unclear.
Martyn did not write this?
* Refer you to this interview: https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018751173 (7:26 am on 18 June 2020 )
Also, there’s the issue of holding on to the troubling information of contact between the two women and others, that was withheld by National until Parliament question time on June 18. (reference in the article)
Also, withholding information that their own MP Chris Bishop had lobbied for the two women to be granted a dispensation. (reference in the article)
Just listened to this Selwyn, at no point has Woodhouse put the health of New Zealanders ahead of his own agenda. I am now asking for Woodhouses resignation effective immediately!
Thanks. I agree, it is disgraceful behaviour.
So we know nearly half of returnees were never tested, how many slipped through now to create community infections?
Not sure Mike but given Woodhouse knew for some time, the blame lies squarely on his shoulders!
Twisted logic there. Jacinda’s brigade stuffed up.
National party ministers playing Russian roulette with kiwis lives. Remember this in September.Make no mistake, the timeline we now know, shows a deliberate act by Woodhouse and National.
Out of all this there is one thing we can all be assured about and that is to NOT trust ONE National MP.
They deliberately with-held the information and put their political agenda way ahead of human safety.
Perhaps the timing of their actions was just pure jealousy and an attempt at “Upmanship” because they had noticed how well respected and regarded the Coalition government and of course Jacinda is around the world.
The NZ National Party now makes me think of the Donald Trump Party who use any and every tactic to do the dirty on ANYONE and EVERYONE. In this instance National deliberately put NZers in harms way.
Not exactly credit-worthy of meriting a vote. But lets remember this at election time and if we had a National government would they have deliberately with-held the information altogether and NZers would be non the wiser? It’s highly likely they would because they would go by the John Key mantra of “NZers are dying off so less votes for Winston(and now Jacinda)”.
“As the vital hours passed, National placed political interests ahead of the public interest.” I cant say I am surprised. The longer Labour stays in power the more risk of something negative being directed at one of their sponsors. The natural party of power must be returned to office at all costs. I expect this will make it onto one of their election posters at some point.
Alan
“The natural party of power must be returned to office at all costs”
Who are you referring to – the first Labour Govt?
A case of weaponsing Covid for political means? Send in the military??
“MP advocates for constituents on compassionate grounds” has an entirely different flavour to “Member of the Opposition does a favour for a mate, then leaks confidential information to a colleague to embarrass the government”.
One is normal and decent parliamentary behaviour, the other is a dead cat being thrown into an $11 billion dollar hole.
This speaks volumes of the value that is place on people’s life’s that you would knowingly withhold vital information to prove a point or get one over the other.Well good on you.
Look I agree with everything said here especially the comment on people just turning up to work who don’t give a fuck have no intentions of doing their jobs as they should.
National have now shown kiwis what real scum they are but I just wish mainstream media would attack them like they are attacking others.
The border is the way this virus can enter our country lets shut it to everyone kiwis had a window to come back earlier
And Winstone should pull his head in
National leader has already made a ‘big error’ after saying “he had values”- and has ‘crossed the Rubicon’ when he attacked the sitting Government by dirty politics and holding information that may hurt the people, which he said he would not do; – remember he “would be grounded by values”
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/other/we-will-save-jobs-what-new-national-leader-todd-muller-is-promising-to-bring-to-the-table/ar-BB14rho1
Here in his first speech;
“Will I criticise the Government? Absolutely, but ultimately values and ideas are what ground me.”
He has only dirty politics values like his preceding National leaders only had.
So Muller is just more of the same shit.
Don’t insult shit. Shit is great stuff and many vege’s can be grown from it under good composting conditions.
Whereas the National is good for nothing.
Ha ha LOL
Bishop on the evidence available so far has little to apologise for?
MP Chris Bishop said: “This was a desperate attempt by the government to distract away from their incompetent management at the border and I think it’s frankly pretty disgraceful that an MP doing their job is being dragged into this.”
The evidence is in the story.
This was a desperate attempt by Chris Bishop’s party or his colleagues to impugn anyone to do with handling the Covid-19 situation by putting their political agenda ahead of the public good. It’s frankly, pretty disgraceful that any MP or party should do that.
I read the article above in utter disbelief.
“, ℎ -19, .
, ℎ ℎ -19 , ℎ ℎ ℎ ’ ℎ , ℎ ℎ , ℎ ’ ℎ ℎ , ℎ ℎℎ.
, , ℎ ℎ ℎ , ℎ ℎ ℎ ℎ ℎ ℎ , ℎ, .
-19 , . ℎ ℎ .
’ , , . ’ ℎ .”
I huddled in my house for 3 months through all the Levels to defeat this virus, frightened to go out and now, reading what Muller, Bishop, Woodhouse and the National Party did, disgusts me. These inconsiderate @rseholes have used Covid-19 to score political points against the Labour Party and the Coalition and that is absolutely, shameful and repugnant.
They have endangered my life, my elderly parents’s lives and every vulnerable Kiwi in the team of 5 million and that is despicable. I am shaking my head as I type this, in utter disbelief at the short-sighted vindictiveness of unleashing a political viral weapon against innocent New Zealanders.
You are shameful National – rot in hell – or political oblivion – whichever comes first. Shame on you National, you heartless, malicious, weaselly b@st@rds! IMHO.
Agree Selwyn, political point scoring came before public health. Not alerting the proper authorities as soon as you have such information, is reprehensible. Chris Bishop joined the exposure circus, I’m unimpressed with him.
Listening to RNZ this arvo (19/6) some of the conversation was around the way some are refusing to take the tests that check on whether a person has covid-19. One confident person said it is legally binding in the current circumstances. I wondered why this issue was discussed at length when the topic was these two women freedom seekers. My point is – did they refuse the obligatory test?
“Snakes and Mirrors – National Sat On Covid-19 Infection Information For Hours Before Dropping Political Bombshell In Parliament”
Surely, nothing about this should surprise anyone but for the most tender, trusting and naeive isolationist living on fern fronds and fresh water fish deep within South Westland’s Moose paddocks.
national, who could cynically play farmers like fiddles once must now play it rough with the general population of street savvy, well traveled and often well educated urban elites. Oi Natzo’s? That, is why you’re getting your arses kicked and get used to it.
I think the reason why [they’re] taking such desperate risks ( Like the one above) is because they’re indeed desperate. They don’t need $6 feeble figures and a shit job for three years. They need to keep dirty deeds done for ‘good coin’ well buried for their masters.
Aye boys?
Excellent
Bugger!
‘Naive’. I mean to write that.
As in” Sure ! I’ll vote for you then give you my life’s work for a new tractor and a quad bike. “
Very skilled deflection there Martyn. Straight out of Jacinda’s playbook. Your beloved govt fucked up big time and you simply can’t believe that is even possible. Saints just don’t make mistakes do they?
Seems as usual you have fucked up Herman fuck shovel. Martyn didn’t scribe this, you idiot!
But as usual the right don’t do facts, just jumped to another conclusion.
Herman Shovel Ready – your name is the title of a satirical novel from a WW2 concentration camp. Your brief summary of plot ideas indicates it’s going to sell poorly. Perhaps it’s already rejected.
You are confused re basics, attacking Martyn and not Selwyn who wrote the blog. Too busy gloating over a mix-up, that your points back fire.
Nobody is denying that quarantine procedures were not followed.
But the timeline of this knowledge being made public indicates National were prepared to play politics with peoples lives literally at stake.
A new low point for the Masters of Dirty Politics. But in their greedy malevolent haste, they have shredded whatever reputation they had remaining. National want power. They don’t give a f@ck about people.
Dirty politics is the National Party’s stock in trade. The minute I heard Woodhouse’s name mentioned I knew here we go again. What is so egregious is the deliberate delay in informing the proper authorities immediately they new the women had thew virus. Who was it that eventually tested them? Possibly a National party hack.
This whole thing is a criminal matter and is a hundred times worse than the scumbag who coughed and sneezed over people in a Christchurch supermarket. Jacinda and Dr Bloomfield are not saints they are decent upfront honorable human beings something not one single National party goon has any conception of.
It is up to decent people everywhere to never let this actual criminal set up to just simply disappear under the radar.
National don’t make mistakes?????
UMMMMMMMM?
National have always thought they were infallible, and kept the false faith that National MP’s could walk on water!!!
So you can’t stretch that false inference ‘Herman Shovel Ready!!!
Don’t use your shovel to shovel that shit.
When have you heard any National MP apologise to the public for making any mistake??????
Jamie Lee Ross perhaps?
Then he was fired.
A somewhat less over-heated view this morning from Mike Houlahan, the O.D.T. political reporter:
” . . . Mr Woodhouse was fresh from a major coup, revealing to the House during Question Time that NZ’s two latest Covid-19 cases had wandered off State Highway 1 on their supposedly one-way, direct, contactless journey between Auckland and Wellington.
Dr Clark was blindsided — never a good thing to happen to a Minister in the House — and tried to deflect the looming opprobrium on to Mr Woodhouse for not advising health officials of his information.
That is a valid argument, but it is a weak one.
The difference of time between Mr Woodhouse getting his information and revealing it to everyone — including health officials — was a matter of hours.
The manner in which he made the information public in no way compromised anyone’s privacy, alerted everyone who may have come into contact with the people concerned that there was an issue, and highlighted shonky border-control measures in such a way the unacceptable acts and omissions were swiftly cracked down upon.”
Sorry Selwyn, you are trying to defend the indefensible.
Now they start testing all, the positive cased pop up. How many went through without checks?
But is it not so that we now get cases appear, when testing is done, suddenly?
Mr Bishop gave a strange, even creepy response on twitter, after being told of the great number of close contacts resulting from the women whom he had advocated for early release in NZ.
Think about this: On advice of ‘a friend’ you advocated that two women, who just happened to be Covid positive, be given early release from quarantine. A few days later you are told of the large number of close contacts made by those women, here in NZ. The consequences of this start to hit you, …the disease spreading rapidly among New Zealanders.
A normal human response would include some level of shock, remorse, empathy, even grief.
It would not be a word that is widely used to signify an unexpected win, a surprising success.
Here is the twitter link (if it’s not been deleted)
The theme of Mr Bishop’s “success” is underscored the next day, 18th June, when David Farrar tweets, “Based on the awesome influence @cjsbishop has what do you want him to next advocate for?”
Bishop replies to this as to a serious question. Tweet linked
” Snakes and mirrors ”
Nah just evil , conceited , arrogant , entitled , privileged , irresponsible shallow human entities.
I can’t understand why we tolerate this reprehensible behaviour from these elected representatives who are members of our parliament and communitie
Its this type insidious behaviour and it not being exposed that proves again and again that at some point we will have to drain the swamp.
Herr Zensor deflects and protects Jacinda Queen.
The bumbling fool on the Hui, https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/06/todd-muller-faces-pointed-questions-over-lack-of-engagement-with-m-ori-media-in-first-month-as-opposition-leader.html
worth a listen as he discusses what he knows about nationals’ current policy which is not much and is voting against decriminalisation of marijuana. Really they rolled Simon for this tall streak of piss.
Suspect Woodhouse and caucus assessed the information as politically damaging but unlikely to have any real repercussions in terms of coronavirus spread. All they needed was innuendo, if it had been serious they would have notified MoH or whomever the relevant authorities were and made a song and dance about it outside of the House where allegations need more rigour.
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