Waatea News Column: David Seymour’s political stunt backfires into public health vandalism

By
Martyn Bradbury
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59
2284

Let me start by saying I actually like David Seymour.

He is at times funny, smart and while I never agree with anything he has to say, I respect the role of opposition he represents.

But none of that defends or protects David from the appalling political stunt he pulled this week by tweeting out the code Māori can use to book a vaccination.

The petty, childish point Seymour was attempting to make was some tired argument about equality in that any attempt to help vaccinate Maori is somehow racist to non-Māori.

This could only be true if we didn’t know Māori are 50% more likely to die from Covid and have lower overall vaccination rates.

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Māori are more at risk from this virus and to post out a code for a program that is helping reach Māori in the middle of a national crisis is not smart arse politicking, it is public health vandalism!

I don’t want to call it racist because that allows him to argue it is not, and I don’t want to give him that luxury of escape from his actions!

He has willfully, in the middle of a pandemic, attempted to derail a program to vaccinate the most vulnerable from a dangerous virus.

There are no words to describe the maliciousness of such actions, David Seymour should be deeply ashamed.

This is the behaviour of a 1% Party, not a double-digit supported Party.

For those attempting to claim this stunt will resonate with the wider public, if that is true, if attempting to corrupt a programme vaccinating Māori is popular with the wider public then we have a dark streak of genocide in NZ far more dangerous than ISIS terrorists.

A shameful day for David Seymour and all those who support ACT.

First published on Waatea News.

59 COMMENTS

  1. After his similarity to Rimmer on Red Dwarf, it is really hard to take anything he says seriously. I can’t help but imagine a large H appearing on his forehead at any moment. Like you I find him smart and funny sometimes, but overall he represents a hallow and damaging view of how things should be, and that ain’t funny at all.

  2. See more is a fucken clown and his actions show he is a very desperate and divisive politician. He is fueling the underbelly of deep seated entrenched racism and the rising white supremacist racist who cowardly attack our Maori women and men wearing moko. Our government needs to ensure these racists cowards have the book thrown at them and this needs to be reflected with lengthy prison sentences. If our government does not sort the rising cowardly attacks on our Maori people we will pay for it dearly in our country. See mores comments feeds into white supremacist and a very racist divided country.

    • Covid is pa. Seymour is another high achieving Nga Puhi, Michelle. He doesn’t seem keen on some separatist policies and practices – it’s not his fault if Maori hesitate to vaccinate – he looks a better example than Billy K as far as Covid is concerned.

  3. It was odd because he has plenty of material to work with.

    Such as leaving Aucklands 1.8 million residents jammed into this city yet again as the lab rats for Covid outbreaks rather than a well thought out, even a basic thought out response to quarantining. I mean having a densely populated major component of the economy neutered (including Northland) because no one from the MoH to it’s ministers have a brain to analyse risk. Not the Minister of Health, not the Covid Response Minister, not the Finance Minister and certainly not the Prime Minister.

    He could have easily rained down upon this incompetence and drawn the support of pissed off Aucklanders who by week 4 of level 4 and no end in sight are losing patience with idiots like the above ministers who cannot forward plan.

    But instead he played the race card. Moronic doesn’t begin to describe it.

    Labour will remain in government not because they are any good but because of Judith Collins and her fellow chumps like Seymour in opposition.

    • Agree +100% doubt whether Seymour and Collins will get the support to form a Government, they even make Winston and NZ First look good and they could only manage 2% at the last Election. Come back Winston all is forgiven.

  4. I agree that maori of equal age to pakeha should be prioritised if its proven they are more at risk but how about older Pakeha to younger Maori, who should be prioritised? I believe it is clear that age is the biggest risk factor and therefore believe that age and health should determine priority first.

  5. What’s worse this or the Green party candidate that tweeted supporting murdering white people? Where is the fawx outrage for that?

        • Would still be good to provide a link – a bit of googling says that Frank’s statement is incorrect and a repetition of an exaggeration of the right.

          • Does that make it wrong Bertie? Given Rachel Stewart had her place searched for something less don’t you think young Lourdes for get a visit from Woke Plod?

            Or is it OK if the left do it?

          • Still don’t see any actual fact here Frank. That makes your comments completely incorrect and made up at this point.

          • Does it make it wrong, no but it gives massive context! Seems you fell for the literal interpretation Frankie.
            The best reply to The Kiwiblog posting was this…

            “Anonymous
            Well screw it, since this was my original comment on Kiwiblog from 2014 in response to the rapper Tom Scott, I figure I can re-purpose it here. So….

            I think that you misunderstand what homicide means here. Lourdes Vano is a part of society oppressed by the patriarchal, heteronormative power of White People. In this context “homicide” is merely a theoretical construct which does not present as the literal act per se but as a representation of Ms. Vano fighting back against her oppressors.

            While White People may find themselves brutalised by this process that is simply a regrettable but understandable consequence of them inheriting the power of their race and class. White People could, of course, check their privilege and ameliorate the problems that Lourdes Vano faces, but power does not usually yield to good intentions.

            Kiwiblog should not be asking Ms. Vano to compromise on her reaction any more than it would think of demanding a starving Parisian that they refuse to pick up a pitchfork in 1789. Such requests merely show how much the likes of Kiwiblog and even the Green Party are part of the power structure and the problems.

            By contrast, the racial homicide against which Ms Vano is reacting is the status quo situation resulting from White race, class and gender imbalances in our society, and since this is the responsibility of our White Ruling Classes it is incumbent upon them to make the changes necessary. The fact they will not is merely because – unlike Ms. Vano – racial homocide is part of the way that they maintain their power and control over society.

            While today’s video represents a small and bright source of hope it is noted that it could only be broadcast on Tik Tok rather than between 5 and 6pm on TV One every week night. This is simply a reflection of the dominant forces at work within our MSM and the rest of our society.”

            Your post on Kiwiblog about animals lost me Frankie.

            Given the illegal search of DotCom and Nicky Hagers place from a horrid National government do you think it’s only the left Frankie?

            You probably never get challenged on Kiwiblog Frankie but it does fit your profile.

          • “…….oppressed by the patriarchal, heteronormative power of White People”

            At which stage I lost interest in your counter argument Bertie. I was onto my 4th Tiger Beer at the same time though…….

          • Your post on Kiwiblog about animals lost me Frankie.

            “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” – George Orwell, Animal Farm.

            Quite literally the best book I have ever read Bertie. Suggest you read it – it will explain the 5th Labour government succinctly. I can even give you a cast of characters if you like.

          • And yet Frank, you still provide no fact to anything you’ve said. That points to just making stuff up, throwing it to see what sticks, then shouting about these as actual issues.

            This seems to be a common fantasy world on the right. Try being factual for a change, and own your comments.

          • Well given it was on Kiwiblog and not mainstream media it probably does. And given you post on the Kiwiblog site I wouldn’t put too much weight on it’s credibilty.

          • Lol Bertie. The feckless don’t pick it up because it’s not a narrative their paymasters want out in the public.

          • equally frank, you clearly follow a line of propaganda and conspiracy that suits a libertarian bent, and you openly back National and Act. Who are the paymasters there?

            You still haven’t backed anything up with fact.

    • Ones a Green party candidate as you say Frankie, the other a Leader of a party. The Leader knows exactly what he’s doing/ saying which makes him way worse.

  6. I recently read a vaccination rate statistic with Maori on 26% and non-Maori on 33% (definition of ‘Maori’ needed to start with let alone how they measured this), and this is enough to send the entire establishment into a headspin that the indigenous population are rampant anti-vaxxers. The difference is probably statistically negligible at best (the media can just round them both to 30% if it means they can sleep better). If you take into consideration that there are fewer older Maori as a proportion then these priority groups have possibly been vaccinated at a comparable rate. Talk your Vaxxer family and friends down off the ledge if you have to people.

  8. Only the polls will tell if it has backfired or not.
    Reading comments around the internet- where people are still allowed an opinion at least- there seems to be plenty of support for a one law for all approach.
    Not surprisingly the tribal left hate it and cry racism, I seriously doubt he was counting on gaining their vote..

  9. For those attempting to claim this stunt will resonate with the wider public, if that is true, if attempting to corrupt a programme vaccinating Māori is popular with the wider public then we have a dark streak of genocide in NZ far more dangerous than ISIS terrorists

    This Paragraph is spot on Martyn and explains why our health system is third world.
    It is the reason the middle class squeal like stuck pigs if there is even a hint of more money being spent on a decent health system.

    It is the classic example of the KIWI I AM OKAY SCREW ANYONE ELSE attitude that prevails in NZ and why National and ACT get 30+ % of the vote.

    David Seymour’s response re the code is a classic example of a common nz kiwi’s attitude towards anyone getting health equity.

    READ AND WEEP.
    https://www.facebook.com/themedicinegap/

  11. What seems to be missing here is the fact that under this government Maori and Pacifica are under vaccinated. Leaders in the Maori camp say they were not listened to by the government early on . Jacinda and co say they are following the experts but then do not when the message says they are wrong. I note it is National nd Act that are pushing for incentives to be made to get a better uptake and Labour who are against it . I am an old white guy but realise that not all people are driven by the same message . Ihave a lot to lose by getting ill with covid so will do anythink to help myself not get ill. I am happy to make an appointment using my computer and hop in my car at 9.30 pm and drive to the vaccine centre and then follow up after a text to say when my next appointment was. It would be harder with no computer no phone no car this is what the privileged MPS on both sides forget is the lot of many and more so in those Maori and Pacifica groups. They are so busy trying to survive day to day fitting in a vaccine is just too hard.

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