Why NZers are so desperate to vote for Jacinda

1. Gee Martyn that’s presumptuous!

   • Australia has multiple ongoing clusters. Anecdotally, there are a lot of Aussies who are extremely jealous of New Zealand because New Zealand has Jacinda.

   • Gee Herman that’s a poet speaking and they have an ear which hears what the politicians and historians don’t want to hear – except when they are lamenting their own sad lives – but Ardern – not the love of my life- does provide that hope and confidence needed in tumultuous times, and right now we are lucky to have her – very lucky.

     • Yes Martyn Director general of WHO and “Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist, told the Financial Times’ Global Boardroom webinar on Wednesday: “I would say in a four to five-year time frame”, so we could be looking at fighting this.”confirmed it yesterday that we will see the Covid 19 still with us at least until 2022.

       https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/14/coronavirus-who-warns-it-could-take-up-to-5-years-to-control-pandemic.html

       https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-social-distancing-how-long/

       “WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced criteria that should be met before countries consider easing lockdown restrictions. These include ensuring transmission of the disease is controlled, and that health systems have the capacity to detect, test, isolate and treat every COVID-19 case and trace every point of contact.”

       Well that’s exactly what NZ Government are doing now.!!!!!!

       Maryn said it right here too;
       “And that won’t be readily available until 2022 if we are lucky; -This is the new reality, we best start adapting to it now, whinging isn’t going to achieve that.”

   • gee herman. fuck off.

2. How utterly narrow and small minded of you. You need to get out more.

   A survery released yesterday – 1 in 5 businesses wont survive another lockdown. If we keep going in and out of level 3 tens of thousands of people will lose their jobs. Now you are unlikely to care given your distaste for business, but thats less tax revenue to fund the things that you believe the state shound fund.

   This lockdown has turned many in the Pasifika community against the government. Forced into managed isolation when the previous cases werent, this is bringing back Muldoon memories and wont be soon forgotton. No they will not vote National, but Jacinda has lost their vote.

   Jacinda will win this election no doubt, but there is no seachange. This is typical NZ politics. Perhaps venturing beyond the CBD or talking to more people than the woke left might help you to see that

   • Correct. Bomber seems to believe that Labour will govern forever, they wont. And they were arguably going to be a one term government for the first time in decades if Covid-19 hadn’t of reared its ugly head. This isnt a government of transformation or indeed kindness, try convincing our thousands of homeless of that. Ardern and co have drunk the neoliberal koolaid, many here just havent realised that yet. We all deserve better.

   • If our “economic model” can’t survive a pandemic or a global financial crisis as has been widely predicted to happen soon, then its about time we changed the model we slavishly let control us.

     Businesses going bust is an indicator of systemic fragility or poor business relying on a quick buck.

     • @ John W
       You’ve hit the nail on the head.

       That humming noise we hear when all goes quiet during lockdown?
       It’s all the money printers around the world hard at work, desperately propping up the unsustainable.

3. How utterly narrow and small minded of you. You need to get out more.

   A survery released yesterday – 1 in 5 businesses wont survive another lockdown. If we keep going in and out of level 3 tens of thousands of people will lose their jobs. Now you are unlikely to care given your distaste for business, but thats less tax revenue to fund the things that you believe the state shound fund.

   This lockdown has turned many in the Pasifika community against the government. Forced into managed isolation when the previous cases werent, this is bringing back Muldoon memories and wont be soon forgotton. No they will not vote National, but Jacinda has lost their vote.

   Jacinda will win this election no doubt, but there is no seachange. This is typical NZ politics. Perhaps venturing beyond the CBD or talking to more people than the woke left might help you to see that

   • How many small businesses go under every year in normal times?
     How many in the USA, Sweden?
     Statistics such as you quote are deceptive and meaningless without a comparison/control.

4. Haha Shovel ready Herman you are jooking;

   Marttn you are right – So right when you read this comment- https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/424191/josiah-banbury-why-is-national-struggling-to-convince-voters

   You should feature this article in full cover as it is brilliant.

5. It’s a sad thing that we are now truly locked into voting for leaders now rather than policies of parties, because in the end it is the party that forms the government and the cabinet that puts in place the actual policy, direction and implementation that really effects people lives. PM Ardern seems quite comfortable to let non elected experts run policy. What I’m seeing is that she is truly a leader for the moment, but with little interest in longer term future implications. She is certainly the best political leader for us in this crisis, but we may need another for the resulting consequences. The pages of history will have the final say even if she now appears as popular as ever. It seems that yes, when it comes to politics- we do judge a book by its cover.

6. Covid19 affects working class people, including women, disproportionately-the link has been established around the world, including in “first world” nations.

   So, it is the National Party types sitting in leafy suburbs, air conditioned foyers, and bourgeois rural spreads who tell the rest of us to “get back to work and die for our profits”, and scream for open borders.

   Jacinda without openly stating it, has put the health of the many before the profits of the few. That is why so many people support her. Labour need to be re-elected, strangely, so that we can all move on and have the arguments and action that will bury neo liberalism once and for all. That is likely not what the Labour Caucus intends at all, but that is what will be set in motion if the polling and Jacinda Love is expressed in Party votes and the Nats thrashed.

   • Covid19 affects women disproportionately? Evidence please.

   • I thought Labour were doing a wonderful job until we all found out that it was more words than action. I really thought they had eliminated COVID and protected the border well, so wasn’t too worried when they didn’t seem to concerned about the lack of contact tracing. I feel seriously let down. Labour still don’t have a plan, but National does and it seems to make sense. I think we need good strategies that are well implemented right now. That is the kindest thing our politicians can do for us.

7. Good piece but you lost me at Zoonosis. The emerging research-based explanation for the Covid pandemic is that the virus probably did escape from a lab, and not for the first time. The failings of capitalism are greatly overshadowed by the literal ills of authoritarianism. https://bioscienceresource.org/a-proposed-origin-for-sars-cov-2-and-the-covid-19-pandemic/

8. Judith also inspires vindictiveness. A quality one really shouldn’t posses as it shows the true person that wants to get even with anyone and everyone that she doesn’t like.
   I wouldn’t vote for Judith for all the tea in China or Swamp Kauri.
   I would vote for a Prime Minister and a representative of ALL NZers whether they here in NZ or overseas who cares, shows empathy, caring and compassion than a wannabe prime minister like Judith Collins who seems obsessed with getting even.
   And so that is why Jacinda will be getting my vote at the election. She is young and NZ needs a young Prime Minister even at this time of our lifetimes.
   We don’t some old has-been like Judith Collins who treats those she doesn’t like with utter disdain and that probably includes 99% of the population that don’t like National or are rich enough to donate copious amounts of money to the NZ National Party.
   Whilst she now mixes with the ‘great unwashed'(as Jim Bolger’s cousin would often say) for election purposes she hates us because we are what we are.
   New Zealand and New Zealanders are a great nation and population. We have a can do attitude and approach. We have been hit from all angles albeit nature and human failings but we show ourselves as being powerful and determined. Whilst we may sit at what many countries call the toilet of the world we have learnt to adjust to situations as they come along.
   I think if we had a National government and Judith as its leader then we can be well assured the right to voice an opinion even in the Daily Blog would be eliminated.

   • the right to voice an opinion even in the Daily Blog would be eliminated.

     They tried to sabotage TDB the last time Ms Collins held power.

9. Listening to Herbs this Sunday morning. Memories x

   • Amen to that Z. Classic band with a few lineups in their time. Saw them play from the winter of ’81 supporting Springbok Tour protests, through the 80s right onto to a small line up doing an acapella performance for Nelson Mandela at St Mathews in the City in ’95.

10. Covid, Covid, Covid .. News Hub = Covid .. Q+A = Covid ..
    Covid, Covid, Covid .. 1pm with Covid. You’re phone on Covid. Headline = Covid .. Election = Covid. Covid, Covid, Covid.

    Sooooo .. how are people feeling about the housing crisis these days ??
    Anyone seen any debates between politicians with-out Covid, Covid, Covid ??

    • The Labour people push the virus as they have done well controlling it . There is little else to crow about after 3 years of having the tresury benches . 285000 children in poverty more people on the housing list just 2 of the broken promises

      • Correct our worst off under this government are even worse off. But we are a team of 5million and we say we are kind and all that so who cares about them eh…

    • Got to get this one out of the wa first, Zack. Best way is to not party like we did last summer and for the people in isolation to be smart likewise. The rules are very simple, don’t share Coronavirus around.

11. Ardern is simply at the right place at the right time. Morrison and Boris have also seen huge surges in support and these two men hardly ooze kindness and empathy. Your delusions around Jacinda are blinding you to the fact that the same levels of support wouldve occured around Bill English if Winston had of chosen him instead. Ardern transformational? Not a chance.

    • Am in total agreement Mickey

12. “This zoonosis pandemic is but a symptom of a rapidly warming planet…”

    Wait, are you implying CoVID-19 is due to climate change??? I haven’t read any articles whatsoever in the literature linking climate change to the current pandemic.

    • Climate Change Affects Everything, Even Coronavirus, WAPO

      • Ok, so the answer is “not really”, because while disease generally can potentially be affected by climate change, Corona Viruses are not among them. Spreading disinformation isn’t helpful and will make people more distrustful in the future.

        • There are plenty of links, and an amazing thing called the internet 🙂
          Anyone who is genuinely interested can just do a search.

13. This election will change for the first time from MMP and return to FPP.

14. The kind of government a country has, can affect its Covid-19 Success or Failure:
    Covid Deaths Surge Under Far Right Authoritarians

15. How many small businesses go under every year in normal times?
    How many in the USA, Sweden?
    Statistics such as you quote are deceptive and meaningless without a comparison/control.

16. WAKE UP COVID 19 DENIERS AND NATIONAL PUNDITS LIKE HERMAN SHOVEL READY. READ WHY YOU WILL FAIL.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/424191/josiah-banbury-why-is-national-struggling-to-convince-voters

    By Josiah Banbury* for the Democracy Project.
    Opinion – National and its leader Judith Collins don’t fit very well with the times. Josiah Banbury takes a look at the wider context of this year’s general election – especially the way the ideological winds are blowing – and explains why politicians of the right don’t have much of chance of electoral success.

    It seems like an eternity ago, but earlier this year it looked as though the upcoming election would be close. National were riding high in the polls and there was a real possibility Labour would be the first one-term government since the third Labour government lost the 1975 election.
    On 13 February 2020 National were five points clear of Labour in a Colmar Brunton poll. Less than a week before that a Newshub-Reid Research poll showed National holding a slim lead over Labour. Unable to deliver on the rhetoric that propelled them to an unlikely win in 2017, Labour looked vulnerable, despite the popularity of their leader. Then came Covid-19 and everything changed.
    After the initial Covid-19 lockdown Labour began to dominate the polls. In May 2020 a Newshub-Reid Research poll showed Labour leading by 26 points. Only a few days later that result was confirmed with Labour holding a 30 point lead in a Colmar Brunton poll. Consequently, Simon Bridges’ position was deemed untenable and he was replaced by Todd Muller on 22 May. Less than two months later, Muller stepped aside, and Judith Collins became leader of the opposition. It would be an understatement to say Muller failed to impress as leader.
    In contrast, many people assumed Collins would be a serious challenger to Ardern, but so far Labour has maintained a strong lead over National. Since then, polls have fluctuated, but a pattern has emerged showing Labour holding a comfortable lead. This article puts forward the wider context within which the election is taking place to explain why National has struggled to convince voters and why they are unlikely to win the 2020 election.
    Why has National been unable to bounce back in the polls?
    During a time of crisis politicians and governments experience the ‘rally around the flag effect’, which results in increased support from the public. It is a common phenomenon and therefore it was not a surprise to see Ardern and Labour gain widespread support soon after Covid-19 arrived in New Zealand.
    But how long will the rallying effect last for? It is not unusual for the spike in popularity to be brief. For example, YouGov found the approval rating for Boris Johnson in the UK increased from 46 percent in March to 66 percent in April, before falling to 43 percent in June.
    It is difficult to predict how long Ardern’s popularity will hold. However, Ardern has proven to be an effective communicator, she is now trusted throughout the electorate, and she connects with people emotionally. These traits are most likely to be the main reasons why so many voters were drawn towards Ardern. Covid-19 is a frightening prospect.
    Most people do not know a lot about pandemics, and they are rightfully concerned. Therefore, they are seeking comfort as much as anything. Since the prime minister communicates effectively, is considered trustworthy, and exudes calmness, it is very likely the rally around Ardern effect will last well beyond the election.
    Additionally, New Zealand is a very outward looking nation. And things don’t look great overseas. When New Zealanders vote, the US will still be struggling to get Covid-19 under control, as will the UK. How the US and UK managed Covid-19 was always going to shape the 2020 New Zealand election. When voters judge the performance of Ardern they are not only comparing her to the leader of the National Party.
    They are also looking overseas towards countries like the US, UK and Australia as points of comparison. Most New Zealanders have friends or family living in places where Covid-19 is still wreaking havoc, or they see reports in the news on a daily basis.
    As a result, their evaluation of Ardern is extremely positive. It is incredibly difficult for National to gain traction when people compare the New Zealand prime minister with Donald Trump and Boris Johnson. Ardern has not suggested injecting disinfectant as a cure, nor did she visit hospitals and shake the hands of Covid-19 patents. Yes, that is a low bar, but that is where the bar has been set.

    This leaves National in a rather hopeless situation because it is largely beyond their control. National’s election chances would have been helped if Trump and Johnson had produced a swift and competent response to the virus. Recently, Trump claimed there was a “big surge” in New Zealand and “we don’t want that”. The timing of Trump’s comment could not have been worse for National; it became headline news the same day Collins attempted to grill Labour in the House for mistakes at the border.
    In addition to the problems in the US and UK, Australia is currently attempting to control a widespread community outbreak. It becomes very difficult for National to convince voters that Ardern is failing when she is clearly performing far better than the leaders from the countries New Zealanders compare themselves to.
    Is Judith Collins the kind of leader who can challenge Ardern in this moment?
    When Collins became leader of National some believed she was a threat to Ardern and Labour. However, during a moment of crisis a hard-nosed politician who is comfortable engaging in the dark arts of politics is more likely to be a liability than an asset. When a crisis, disaster or pandemic occurs people seek a measured response from those in power. They yearn for security and stability, rather than change. If Ardern continues to pacify peoples’ concerns by connecting with them emotionally her popularity should hold in the short term.
    Collins does not possess the traits required to instil a sense of security in voters. In the midst of a pandemic, few voters who recently shifted their support to Labour will be drawn back to National by a bomb-thrower with a history of dirty politics. National’s base might be excited by Collins’ confrontational approach, but in the current context middle New Zealand is more likely to view that as a risk.
    We have seen the desire for stability and security unfolding in the US in a unique way. Trump, who should have experienced a bounce in the polls thanks to the “rally around the flag effect” has suffered a dip in popularity because he failed to present himself as a leader with compassion and composure. Consequently, Joe Biden, who is remarkably inept and still capable of losing the election, holds a solid lead, mainly thanks to older voters shifting their preference away from the volatile and untrusted Trump.
    Obviously, Collins is not a Trump, Ardern is not a Biden, and the New Zealand electorate differs markedly from that in the US, but a similar process is likely to play out in New Zealand this election. Older voters especially, who tend to lean towards National, will be more than comfortable voting for Labour because they have come to trust Ardern in a moment of instability. Collins possesses a number of unique leadership qualities, which at a different time would serve her well, however, during a pandemic Collins is a liability.
    Why is National not considered to be the party with the economic solutions for this crisis?
    The argument put forward by National that they should oversee the economic recovery because they are the competent economic managers has not resonated with the public. While it is true National are usually considered by voters to be better at handling the economy, they are also renowned for being the party of personal responsibility, and they have actively promoted themselves as being tough on beneficiaries. Since New Zealand’s dominant cultural trait is individualism, promoting a punitive approach to unemployed people is effective when the economy is running relatively smoothly.
    However, when everyone is aware the global economy could fall off a cliff at any moment, and while there is a temporal shift towards collectivism, a party that pushes rugged individualism becomes unattractive to an increasing number of voters.
    New Zealanders generally want their government to be distanced but paternalistic. It is a fine balance. Most of the time people will prefer distance, but during a time of crisis it is not a surprise to see people lean towards paternalism. Right now, most people are aware they could lose their job at any moment, so voters want the government to intervene and protect them.
    Moreover, if we step back and look at which direction the ideological winds are blowing, this election becomes even more difficult for National. Economic liberalism is the weakest it has been in decades. The rise in popularity of Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn is evidence that neoliberalism is on the wane, even if they failed to win their respective elections in the US and UK. Their ideas, which are reminiscent of post-WWII social democracy, did not resonate with people during the heady days of economic liberalism throughout the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.
    We have also seen right-wing parties overseas, such as the Republicans in the US and the Conservatives in the UK, shift from neoliberal globalisation towards a kind of conservative nationalism that aligns with the Paleoconservative tradition.
    While this shift is yet to occur in New Zealand, we are starting to see signals it might emerge soon. ACT has experienced a rise in the polls, but this is mostly due to disgruntled National voters looking for an alternative, and the party focusing on culture war issues. ACT are struggling as much as ever to build a base of supporters who are drawn to their libertarian economic beliefs.
    Ideologically, we are living in different times to that which existed a few decades ago, despite neoliberalism remaining intact in the form of a third-way centrist consensus. New Zealand is not about to experience a crumbling of centrism in the foreseeable future, but the ideological winds are swirling in a way that makes it difficult for National to articulate an economic vision based on their neoliberal, global free-market values. Gradually, more and more people are looking for alternatives to the economic status quo, which means fewer people believe extending the neoliberal project is the path out of this economic crisis.
    Does the recent re-emergence of Covid-19 and extended campaign period provide National with a chance of victory?
    The answer to that question is probably no. Perhaps Labour’s lead will narrow, but it is unlikely to reduce to the point where the election becomes a close contest. It is just as likely the re-emergence of Covid-19 will result in increased support for Ardern and Labour. When New Zealand went into lockdown in March 2020 voters rallied around their leader and government in large numbers. There is little to suggest voters will now shift towards Collins and National.
    Kiwis will probably support Ardern’s swift response, especially in light of what has occurred in comparable countries. Once again, Ardern will be able to present herself to the nation as a leader in control, a leader people can trust, and a leader that provides the calm reassurance people need when chaos is unfolding. An upside for Labour is that once again Covid-19 is the only thing on peoples’ minds. This means that any concerns over Labour’s lack of policy, which is their weakness, fades into the background.
    Even if the worst case scenario happens and community transmission spirals out of control, it is unlikely Ardern will lose support in large numbers. Consider the popularity of Scott Morrison in Australia. Widespread community transmission emerged in July, but his popularity has so far held strong through into August. Interestingly, the results of his actions have been a secondary consideration to Australians. All they wanted to see was a leader who looked as though he was doing everything in his power to solve the crisis.
    This suggests Ardern and Labour will not drop significantly in the polls even when mistakes occur in the lead up to the election. Of course, this is politics – anything can happen, especially with another four weeks added to the campaign. But if the situation worsens most people will continue to have faith in Ardern, at least for the short term, which is all Labour needs to win this election.
    This article first appeared on the Democracy Project.
    * Josiah Banbury has taught social policy and human services at the University of Canterbury. His research interests include disasters, housing and economic inequality.

17. oh really, Bomber ..desperate? > we are desperate for open enquiry, more like.
    Disprove this, and as premise, Karl ROVE : “We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality — judiciously, as you will — we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”
    https://plandemicseries.com/
    Its’ time we studied ‘what they do’!!

18. Oh man when are you standing for Labour ?

19. Most of us are just desperately sick of the same pigs but with different lipstick.

20. I think the only way we’re going to ‘know’ re Labour is when we look back on the three years coming up.
    If Adern, while steering our government, hopefully, hasn’t dramatically shaken up the little righties taking advantage of AO/NZ’s very own version of neoliberalism, which is just another way of saying crooks swindling, then we’re fucked. I mean really fucked.
    We’ll soon go hungry, our social welfare systems paid for by the taxes of those who will soon need it most will be stripped away and you’ll see diseased dead people in the streets like I saw in Jakarta thirty years ago. The price of supermarket food will sky rocket, rents will blow out, our economy will become a bankster feeding frenzy and our traditional farmers will be replaced by feed lot managers factory farming animals who will certainly cook zoonotic diseases and our vegetables will become even more saturated with glyphosate than they already are.
    Martyn Bradbury is right on all levels of his Post above and for that, I have to say, I congratulate him.
    Don’t blame MB if you can’t comprehend the blindingly obvious.

21. Not a great deal has changed regarding Poverty, low Wages, high Rents etc.
    And, prior to Covid, hundreds of thousands of low skill Temporary Work Permits still being issued. The best way of Suppressing Wages and Conditions ever invented in Aotearoa… Labour been too afraid to be Transformative and create a real “Society for the Many not the Few”
    For instance we HAD to Have Lockdown cause our Public Health Facilities been too underfunded whilst our Population got artificially expanded from 4 to 5 million in 17 years without ever asking The People whether we agreed with all that low skill Immigration that killed our Wages and tripled our Housing Costs???
    If Labour comes back with a clear Working Majority in October it’s time they acted Boldly instead of the Baby Steps of the last 3 years.
    If the Elites don’t like that there’s always the Airport.. They won’t be missed!! And Aotearoa will do just fine as our Low Paid “Essential Workers” showed we can…
    Here’s a good read about what it takes to get Freedom back…
    All we do in NZ is Pass the Parcel backwards and forwards between the 2 “Establishment” Parties and The Ministries carry on regardless, ruling our Lives far more than is realized.. Need some real change to undo the Serfdom that’s been Imposed.

    https://www.commondreams.org/views/2012/01/26/how-swedes-and-norwegians-broke-power-1-percent?

22. Cleangreen
    Your comments lack detail. They’re just too brief. Perhaps make them a bit longer.

    • TIME.

      https://youtu.be/-EzURpTF5c8?t=2

23. Hey bro if Covid is such a hoax how about y’all go stay at a boarder quarantine facility for a couple of weeks no mask have a kiss with everybody see how you feel afterwards!!! bro only saying this because I love you

    • The virus is no hoax mate.
      French virologist Luc Antoine Montagnier, discoverer of HIV attests to it being real, while also Stating clearly, that it was ‘enhanced’ in the ‘gain-of-function’ bioweapon labs at ft Derrick, and then funded through FAUCI etal in their joint operation at Wuhan. You don’t hear that on RadNZ.

      It’s not the virus is the hoax. It is the DEPLOYMENT of it globally as a bioweapon, smashing the Social cohesion of nations and destroying economies pretending it to be a ‘natural occurrence’
      Is the hoax.

      • Fair enough it would be good if the people out there screaming hoax would add this detail you speak of, I guess for me there does seem to be a bit of ambiguity as to the source of the virus? However there needs to be more investigation and less propaganda.

        • That should read Ft Detrick Maryland. Not Derrick. Montagnier said “Its not natural.(covid) It is the job of a professional. A job of Molecular Biologists. It’s a very meticulous job.. we can say ‘of precision’, if you look at the sequences.”
          Mikovits says “The Manufacturing Facility of the CoronaVirus is..is a Cell-Line., an immortalised cell-line. Called VeroE6 Monkey Kidney cell. Which China got in 2012 -13, Published, in ‘Nature Medicine’ BY Fauci..that…that he paid for it and he shipped the manufacturing facility to Wuhan, and he shipped…they added the Bat Tissue to….and they shipped it around the world! that’s the truth ! And he wrote it himself in the paper.” https://truepundit.com/exclusive-hard-hitting-blistering-raw-interview-on-anthony-fauci-uncovers-far-more-disturbing-dirt-top-virologist-dr-judy-mikovits-cuts-loose-like-never-before/

          The propaganda adds to narrative control. The more propaganda, the more dissonance the better the disconnect. The more disconnect the greater the distance between probable and certain we are being played. And who does the investigation? The World Economic Forum? WHO ? CDC ? FBI ? CIA ? The Bill GATES Foundation ? GILEAD Pharma? Ch/Ch city Police ? The UN?
          After the OPCW Douma Gas fraud was exposed and then swept into the memory hole BY OPCW itself, would suggest crimes of this magnitude are too big to jail.

24. Businesses go under every week of every month of every year. Always have and always will. In many cases, Covid has just been the straw that broke the camels back. It’s absolutely absurd to suggest Government handling of the crisis has caused any business to fail. I personally know of three businesses that were dead in the water in December of last year. All three have been kept on a life support machine by the wage subsidy and the Government business loan. When the wage subsidy ends and there is little hope of another round, they will all go under. NO Government can stop that process. All three will go down as business casualties of Covid-19 but the reality is, Government support was the ONLY thing that kept those dying businesses alive. Covid and their end were 100% unrelated.

    Ms Ardern’s Government has done an enormous amount to create the right balance between keeping us safe,alive,confident, fed and warm and to put business on life support during extremely challenging times. They’ve been highly successful despite what the despicable National Party and their trolls keep incessantly spouting in election year.

    My biggest complaint against totally divisive National during their 9 long years at the wheel was the complete lack of balance. $$$$$ was all that mattered. People who were not National Party voters (the despised enemy) were treated with indifference and contempt. They would totally ignore those struggling in the low wage economy and all the issues that came with that. National dramatically underfunded infrastructure making life even more difficult while their ilk absolutely creamed it. To rub kilos of salt into an open wound they farcically called it a “rock star economy”. Zero transparency. The quintessential some and mirrors.

    So what’s changed with National? They’ve had three leaders with the exact same divisive smoke and mirrors ethos. All three have been roundly rejected. The worst and most untrustworthy of the three is clearly Chucky. National are on their way to the toxic landfill but they won’t go quietly. They are divisively attempting to undermine all important Government handling of a deadly pandemic. They couldn’t possibly care less if that dangerous undermining results in considerable problems and ends up costing kiwi lives. They believe it’s their one and only pathway to Government and that’s the only consideration that matters.

    Their demise can’t come fast enough. Life can be challenging enough without having to see the despicable Chucky and Brownstain every day.

    What I any many other kiwis will celebrate on election day is not only an emphatic YES to Ardern and an equally loud NO to Chucky. It will be the knowledge that this all unfolded despite the vile divisive campaign run by National with the full cooperation and assistance of our alleged media.

25. I am the 1 in 10 a statistical reminder…even though I don’t exist a statistical reminder of a world that doesn’t care. I doubt Labour actually gives a fark what happens to us as long as they stay in power.

26. Hmm. I would like to see it but I can’t see Jacinda being allowed to fix any of that. I think the difference is that National are happy to work for the rich and Labour now does it (I hope) grudgingly. With the former happy to go way beyond what is required. I’m voting Labour because the alternative is far worse and the Greens are too woke.

    I’ll be happy if Labour’s impending majority is not used to push through stuff that would otherwise get blocked. It’s not like they’ve never been very crap before (Rogernomics and identity politics).

27. We need results.

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