MEDIAWATCH: Day 2 and a pregnant journalist’s MIQ grandstanding IS STILL THE STORY & not 23m Afghans starving???

By
Martyn Bradbury
-
103
1933

Pregnant Kiwi journalist Charlotte Bellis hopes to ‘move the dial’ on MIQ

Pregnant Kiwi journalist Charlotte Bellis says she hopes her situation can “move the dial” on the way New Zealand manages MIQ.

The former Al Jazeera journalist shared her story in the Herald over the weekend, detailing her rejection from an MIQ allocation in spite of expecting a child in Afghanistan – a place where unmarried pregnant women can face prison time.

Now Jacinda is in trouble, Charlotte has appeared in the high altar of light entertainment, The Ben & Jono Show!

What the fuck is going on here?

How can you-go-girl feminist hero Charlotte Bellis’s bureaucratic grandstanding STILL be in the news and not the fact that the country she’s trying to flee from which we occupied is now starving to death because of our sanctions?

How the fuck is this petty MIQ issue eclipsing the fact that we’ve supported sanctions on Afghanistan that are seeing 23million starve – remember there’re 40 million of them, that’s over half are starving.

They are predicting over a million dead kids starving to death from famine.

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A famine we’ve induced!

A famine we imposed upon a country we almost occupied for 2 decades!

A famine that hasn’t  even been mentioned by the NZ mainstream media because they are all too busy chasing the low hanging fruit of identity politics by platforming a grandstanding you-go-girl feminist hero.

Her nitpicking of which category she should use seems bewilderingly audacious if she’s trying to protect her unborn child. Who is lucky enough to critique the lifeboat?

Charlotte is becoming a Karen with every complaint isn’t she?

Of course we have to keep MIQ restrictions in place, Christ they need to be tighter!

Just over 50% of us have a booster, if Omicron hits hard we will have enormous sickness and death, and opening up that MIQ to citizens carry’s enormous risk, ESPECIALLY when you consider one third of border cases in a week were unvaccinated!!!

Nobody points this out often but unvaccinated Kiwis returning home with Covid would seed clusters every day!

We can’t risk that!

Yes it’s awful, yes it’s painful, but our obligations are to protect NZ!

Of course Charlotte Bellis should return home immediately & I’m almost certain Clarke will be sent to bring her through MIQ – but don’t pretend a bureaucratic process is the story – the sanctions we’ve put on a country we occupied is causing 20m starving Afghans – that’s the story!

You can’t seriously cover this story while ignoring the 23million people we formally occupied starving because of spiteful sanctions against the people who threw us out!

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103 COMMENTS

          • In reality, Countryboy is one of the most abusive and vile posters on TDB. He trashes people’s opinions regardless of their merits.

            Have you actually read what what he posted in response to my first post?

        • Ada why don’t you just stick to sticking it to Trotter ? I have such fun whenever his columns appear waiting to see if you’ll be the first to pull your pop gun out and flip a few corks at the writer man from north Otago.

    • Which is somehow justification for our running the MUCH NEEDED MIQ system as a lottery is it?
      Even Michael Baker has had to concede, in his usual diplomatic way, that things aren’t very fair.

      Possibly Charlotte Belis’ biggest sin is that she’s been out of the country too long, and didn’t realise that all that stuff that makes her “proud to be a NuZullner” exited stage left a few years ago as the managerialist neolib and 3rdwayers went into overdrive – almost as the last gasp at surviving.
      I reckon they still haven’t realised that a growing proportion of the natives are getting very restless and there are gNactoids will take advantage of it.

      • Things aren’t very fair? Ah, I remember well the holding up the Bill Gates’ leadership lessons, critical messages to give to teenagers making their way in life:
        “Life is not fair, get used to it!”

      • Time for John Key Chris Luxon to tap Charlotte Bellis on the shoulder after her prehnacy back in New Zealand and ask her to replace Judith Collins as an MP, or even himself, Chris Luxon, as a National Party Leader.

        Luxon did however kneecap his own potential choice of Charlotte Bellis, by claiming “Charlotte Bellis is a no-brainer” on Prime News 5.30pm 31/1/2022.

        However, he did make up for it on One Network News at 6pm, by once again lying like John Key https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/06/04/435-lies-by-john-key/ ob… ob… obfuscating around how National would fix poverty in New Zealand……or not!

        And I transcript…..straight from Luxon’s own weasel wording on One Network News, when he was asked at the Queenstown National Party Conference about solutions to TACKLE POVERTY
        “Erm, erm, um, that’s the work we’ll get into , but, but, you know, you know, here’s,…. we have ideas, but I’m not gonna ready to talk about them publically!”
        “Erm earned income tax credit, looking at tax thresholds! So that you are incenting (sic.) and encouraging people to go to work! Not saying that’s our policy”

        How the hell can someone who is a possum in a spotlight, be 22%, and Jacinda Ardern is on 15% effective leader?

        Either a lot of people who are still alive in the team of 5 million were NOT part of the One Network News poll of leadership. Or there’s a lot of money being spent in the wrong places to ‘manufacture’ the results of a poll, that puts an obfuscating liar ahead of Jacinda Ardern?

        Of the 5 or so people polled, how many preferred Luxon over Ardern? What was the poll sample, and what was the margin of error, or “I don’t know”?
        Dirty politics again? I really think so.
        Selective phone-polling? I really think so.
        Luxon will lie/obfuscate more than Sir John Key? I really think so.
        Luxon will change the tax thresholds to benefit his rich mates? I really think so.
        Charlotte Bellis will be a National candidate in the next election? I really think so.

        https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/06/04/435-lies-by-john-key/

        No doubt the DPT (Dirty Politics Trolls) here on this site will support Bellis in Afghanisatan; Luxon, Willis, Bishop, Collins and and Simion Bridges in Queenstown eating cake, while the peons calls for bread and circuses. Key in his hermit kingdom will zoom into the conference no doubt and blow smoke telling the National Party that they are the (SKK) Second Koming of Key and warn them against introducing any form of a CGT (Capital Gains Tax), because it would have a negative fiscal impact on all those with three or more houses, you know.

        ‘The reality is that it is best to tax the rich less and increase GST’, says the smiling assassin. Lower the tax thresholds and increase GST (but suggest that ACT brings this piece of “incenting”(sic.) to the coalition table, buried in 2 point font at the bottom of page 666 of their ACT manifesto)

        To quote George Orwell in the last prophetic paragraph of Animal Farm:

        “Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

      • Charlotte attended an historically good private girls’ school in Christchurch ( Selwyn House) , and she did her journalism training in the United States, which may provide her with a different perspective in the way in which she approaches things.

          • gargarin. When Charlotte announced yesterday that she will “ continue to challenge the New Zealand government to find a solution to its border controls, “ she would have been better advised to quieten down and be grateful that things are panning out ok for her and her baby, and partner, and whatever of his relatives are now eligible to domicile here.

            We don’t need another crusading Saint Joan of Arc trying to throw their weight around with with the government – that’s Brain Tamaki’s job.

            She’s media trained and media savvy and she knows how to use the media. Having Prime Minister Ardern compared unfavourably with the Taliban right throughout the UK tabloids, and elsewhere, is not just hopelessly unrealistic, it is sick, and unacceptable. New Zealand has handled pandemic issues better than Charlotte may know. Many of us have close and dear family whom we long to see, and in some cases, who may never see again, and tragically, that’s what can happen with a pandemic.

            Her grammar is lousy, “ ..helped Jim and I immensely “ should be,
            “…helped Jim and me.” She said she never approached the New Zealand Consulate because they wouldn’t have been able to help – something like that. But if she didn’t go, she wouldn’t know.

            At the moment she’s safe in Kabul, there’s no way the Taliban are going to harm a foreign national, and they have infinitely bigger things on their minds than one woman – sexually primitive continental Indians would be considerably worse. I do think posting pictures of her naked burgeoning belly online for the world to see, was exhibitionist and vulgar- it’s more of a celeb trend than Christchurch girl.

            It’s all looking to me like National’s dirty politics again. I’m not a Jacinda fan, but trying to build a case for the New Zealand prime minister being worse than the Taliban is filthy politics.

        • If the Natz dont sign her up the Granny herald will be adding to their right wing reporting. Perhaps she is leading the dirty politics brigade.

    • Really Ada ??

      You think our 5 eyes boss, the usa ,,,, which is a serial mass killer of children,, from the hundreds of thousand they starved in Iraq ,,,, to the present day children in Yemen ,,,, who we are starving to death at the rate of one child dieing every 5 – 10 minutes …. ( thanks MFAT/Air NZ)

      …the usa which has spitefully seized Afghan money and imposed sanctions ,,,, Afghanistan in Freefall: Deadly U.S. Sanctions Blamed for Shocking Humanitarian Crisis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFGTa6rKKQM

      You don’t think the Unilateral Sadism Abroad (usa) ,,, are more to blame than the Taliban ??

      Wake up to how sick the usa is Ada ,,, Despite U.S. Embargo, Cuba Aims to Share Homegrown Vaccine with Global South https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKfafJHqWqU

      The usa spreads it’s harm and suffering all around the world ..

      Sometimes nz joins in.

      • Still unconvincing that the NZ Labour Government is more responsible than the Taliban for the lack of food production or imports into Afghanistan…

        • Ada. I don’t know a great deal about Afghanistan, but I know much more than you do, and if you knew as much as I do, then you may find that silence becomes you more than making sweeping generalisations and insulting not just random persons, but the large percentage of the New Zealand population which does support the government’s Covid strategy.

          • Snow White,

            How do you know that you know much more than I do about Afghanistan? Do you have magical powers of perception?

            And how did you get to making this about me supporting or not the government’s Covid strategy?

        • Agree Ada.

          Afghanisatan’s Taliban, is playing off west against the rest of the west, and temporarily subjugating their misogyny for their own ends .

          Paradoxically, Taliban’s newfound compassion towards a pretty and pregnant Westerner will hopefully help achieve Taliban ends of lifting sanctions. ANother tool in a right-wing playbook of dirty politics. Just as Taliban beheadings subjugated any glimpse of humanity and soul, to achieve a similar goal, with a different barbaric means.

          The problem with the National Party’s Dirty Politics brigade is that they are so myopic on sticking it to Labour and Ardern, they ‘can’t see the beheadings, for the bump’.

          It goes to show that decency, compassion and opportunistic barbarity are on the same continuum, for right-wing conservatives.

          And there’s a fine line between center-right and far-right when it comes to politics and misogyny.

          It’s especially hypocritical when a political party like National, will display and promote horrific ‘Cindy’ ‘Marxist’ and “Zip it sweetie!” claptrap one minute, then support misogynistic barbarians like the Taliban, who are using a pregnant Charlotte Bellis as an expedient tool to influence public opinion in the west.

          BTW National, while you are on your 2 day caucus meeting in Queenstown, ring up John Key and ask him to tell Chris Luxon and New Zealand what Chris should think about the Taliban, in his own words and publically?

    • So, let me get this straight and simple.

      The Taliban that Charlotte ask to help her cause, I’m sure, would not in any way be, themselves starving?
      In fact, the Taliban that agreed to Charlotte’s cause, on the News looked very healthy and well fed raises a very hearty WTF? (where’s the famine?)

      The Taliban that is protecting Charlotte, I’m sure, could be able to help her with preferential treatment into an Afghani hospital and then for her to leave freely of her own will, with her baby, to New Zealand?
      The Taliban that is protecting Charlotte, I’m sure could also offer to send her to an influential coalition ally, in exchange for food for 23 million starving Afghanis?

      How do images of a semi-naked ‘unburka’d’ 5 months’ pregnant Westerner, sit with Taliban, who insist on head-to-toe covering of women and sanction stoning women to death?

      What about Taliban, who refuse to allow women to work; who refuse to allow women to be educated; what about the Taliban terrorist who shot Malala Yousafzaiwho for insisting on being educated? How does this all sit with them and how does all this sit with Charlotte Bellis?

      Charlotte became a pinup girl for the Taliban and any and every ‘morally superior western government’ via their morally superior western newspapers and morally superior western media outlets, against the New Zealand government?

      Malala Yousafzaiwho is a ‘pinup’ UN Ambassador for Peace, for insisting on being educated?

      How does the way that these two women, sit with the Taliban and with Charlotte Bellis?
      How does the way that these two women, sit with Chris Bishop and with John Key Chris Luxon?

      Now that the “dirty politics” brigade have got another alleged “gotcha moment”, when are we going to get some fucking perspective on this issue.

      Charlotte Bellis was offered multiple ways to get out of Afghanisatan. Maybe we need influencers like Jaime Ridge to act on Charlotte’s behalf? Or rebel influencers with a new cause John Key Chris Luxon!

      Really Chris Bishop and John Key rChris Luxon?
      Really? You would rather be agreeing with the Taliban, than with the New Zealand Government for political dirty politics gain? Now that is arguably worse than Todd Muller displaying his MAGA hat for all to see! But, not as bad as a Tory PM, partying up while the Queen was grieving her dead consort.

      National and their DPT Krew, really do deserve another 7 years on the opposition benches for a cunning stunt like that.

      Who’s your “dirty politics” advisor these days? Baldric? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsXKS8Nyu8Q

      Blackadder: “Your cunning plan about your mother’s low ceiling was to cut off her head?”
      Dirty Politics advisor 003: ‘I have a cunning plan for you Mr B. Agree with the Taliban that Charlotte Bellis should jump the queue of MIQ, we’ll even arrange a lawyer for her’
      Mr B “I’ll tell John Key Chris Luxon immediately and I’ll call the media. Or should I get Judith to call Chris Luxon directly, or through an anonymous intermediary?

      Dirty politics and National, the grift that keeps on giving!!

  2. And yet, the NZ Government is still playing silly buggers with her, example, she needs to apply again…no, the Government needs to reverse it’s decision…and let her in ASAP.

    • PR spin doctors are slaving overtime @Nathan to find ways of not having to admit they got it wrong. Something will happen in the fullness of time in that space, going forward. It might even mean some junior staffer has to take the load.
      Meantime 23m Afghans continue to starve and we’ll have to continue to rely on various overseas media (including some of the worst) to cover it.
      The Faff might even have to go into hiding fulltime. But fear not, there’s a Bunny rabbit that’ll keep his job and move onto the next gig when he thinks the time is right, just as wee Megs and Boss Hogg’s little gal seem to have done

    • Ekshully, we’re lucky they didn’t pull the usual stunt. I.E. for the responsible Munster: It’s an operational matter”; and for the bumbling bureaucrats: “We can’t comment on individual cases for privacy reasons”.
      Thankfully it’s now way past all that shite but how much easier it would have been for them had it not happened over the NuZull annual shutdown.
      Gawd strewth how I long for a few functioning bullshit detectors I could distribute like RATs.
      I’ll ask young Tilly when next I see her, but I’m betting there could well have been a run on books on Management Theory in recent weeks

      • I must say I long for 1 journo any journo to reply to ‘operational matter’ ‘privacy issue’ or ‘commercial confidentiality’ with a sounding clear clarion of ‘you mate are full of shit, just answer the question’ but I have many many dreams.

    • This is yet another nit picking low blowing bullshit issue like the RATS saga Bellis should be treated the same as everyone else.

  3. I actually like what Charlotte is up to. She has been a journalist for Al Jazeera for God sakes, and I like the way she is highlighting this governments procedures and methods globally, and somehow making the Taliban look like guys that you can cosy up to when in a spot of bother. That is quite truly epic for a mere girl.
    Be kind folks, and pull together in the team of 5 million….. that is Jacinda Adern speak, which I find somewhat dubious. Charlotte’s point is that this is really messed up.

      • a position she chose to put herself in knowing the risks full well and balancing those risks against an increase in her public profile…grandstanding does not entitle her to special treatment….maybe her partner should be lobbying the belgian govt to take her in.

      • Well according to Charlotte herself it is not the case. She won’t apply under the other category, of being in danger/ concerned for safety and having no other options, because she feels that is disingenuous.

        Taliban aside, if they have such poor neo natal care then I can’t see why she feels it is disingenuous to say she fears for her safety. She already said she had no other options.

    • It’s “messed up” because she messed up her application from the start.. Then we are treated to her looking for scapegoats for her incompetence, and arrogant assumption that she deserved preferential treatment because of “who she is”..
      “She has been a journalist for Al Jazeera for God sakes”.. And your point being? Do you actually believe that Al Jazeera are still the “independent, and neutral news agency they were considered when they first arrived on the world stage? I’ve watched their progress over the years, and they are now just another member of “the club”.. The fact that they have self absorbed attention seekers like the subject of this blog working for them leaves no doubt in the minds of those who understand what a timeline means to the relevance of any issue… She is quite obviously in no danger whatsoever.. as the fact that she’s able to spout whatever rubbish she likes at no risk to herself shows..
      Get over yourselves boys and girls…. The real world is getting tired of waiting for you all to grow up…

      • She did not “mess up her application” it was filed correctly according to her medical status. She has pillared by govt, as their standard go to, to avoid the real issues. Ne KFC worker.
        And Charlottes allegedly by the advised by MOH or Hipkins (can’t recall which) to resubmit her application under a different classification, which she claims would be falsely representing her position.

        In other words they’ve advised her how to game the system.

        Foreign DJ’s in and out 3 times in a year, no problem. NZ citizens wanting to return home and have their babies here. No way!

        Lastly I don’t believe this is all about Charlotte, she’s in a reasonably privileged position and seems to have options. I believe she’s doing what she’s always done; bringing examples of unjust, and inhumane practices through her profession, to diner table.

      • Get over yourselves boys and girls

        Do a numbers tally.
        Lots and lots and lots of “boysies” commenters giving their inexperienced snap-lock answers.

        If you ain’t been there, you have bugger all knowledge of what it’s like.

  4. But we welcome COVID positive DJ’s from off shore, because they’re buddies of the elites. What a sorry state we’re in. Some people still believe the vaccines are slowing the spread. Muppets.

    • It’s far worse than that. Data from Denmark, Scotland, and Germany show the vaccine is aiding infection (the rate of Covid infection for the vaccinated is higher than those unvaccinated!). It really is literally a “pandemic of the vaccinated” now. And what is the solution to this? More boosters of course!

        • All you’ll get is a Shite-ation Gagarin.
          And you’ll hear them all going “Wah-wah-wah, I can’t hear you I have my fingers in my ears”
          THUD

      • What’s the rate of serious illness , in vaxed versus uvaxed, as opposed to actually just catching the virus? Is the vaccine “aiding” infection because those vaccinated are out and about and not worried about being infected versus hiding at home admiring their tin foil head piece?

        • why are the unvaxxed at home?..covid is just flu, I’ve taken my de-wormer, anti-malarial, bleach and hydrogen peroxide today…..

      • So you drink fish milkshakes Nathan? Well done for supporting a New Zealand business.

        Our company does not recommend you make milkshakes with our products.
        There are some delicious 2 for $5 deals at New World that you should try instead of fish milkshakes.
        No wonder you are not very poular with your mates.

      • I guess when your religion is fear, forced vaccinations and ‘I was doing what I was told’, it’s no wonder we’re doomed to repeat the past.

      • But what would have the national party spokespersons on Covid done all summer long without their bangladesh cricket games, rules for fools no complaints here folks as long as it suits the agenda, with a few pizzas thrown in,

  7. More from UNESCO:
    https://en.unesco.org/themes/safety-journalists/women-journalists
    A number of recent UN resolutions and reports show that there is growing recognition by the international community of the need to take into account the specific risks women journalists face both offline and online.

    UNESCO Director-General in her annual request to Member States regarding judicial follow-up of killings of journalists also inquires on specific actions taken by Member States to address safety of women journalists. A summary of the reported measures can be found in the Director-General’s Report on Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity.

  8. Dead right @ MB.
    And this I’ve just read re Ethiopia.
    It’s beyond comprehension for those who’s minds are a vacant lot, I understand that. But really?
    ‘We pray for rain’: Ethiopia faces catastrophic hunger as cattle perish in severe drought
    https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/jan/30/we-pray-for-rain-ethiopia-faces-catastrophic-hunger-as-cattle-perish-in-severe-drought
    As billionaires fly into space for a wee wank and a giggle there are kids dying in their mothers arms beside the parched skeletons of their farm animals.
    How is that ‘right’ in any language or culture?
    But instead? We’d rather buy that trinket to send more money to that freaky alien bezos to make his polished scalp twinkle and sparkle. How deeply fucked is that?

  9. RSF: Reporters Without Borders
    https://rsf.org/en/protector-journalists
    Ensuring the safety of journalists is essential to safeguard the public’s access to information that is freely reported, independent, pluralistic and reliable. This is as true in peacetime as it is in wartime or during a pandemic. Nonetheless, journalism is now badly obstructed or restricted in no fewer than 132 countries, according to the 2021 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

    At least 1,059 journalists have been murdered in the past ten years, and 387 were arbitrarily detained at the end of 2020, according to RSF. The rate of impunity for crimes of violence against journalists is still around 90%. Threats and hate speech against journalists are flourishing online, as well as disinformation. And women journalists are being targeted both as journalists and as women.

  10. How is it grandstanding to expose the hypocrisy of our ‘kind’ government showing less humanity than the Taliban?
    NZerz who still support MIQ as it is have lost all perspective and the straw man argument about unvaccinated NZers returning from overseas holds no water – NZers overseas were vaccinated 6 to 12 months ahead of everyone here.
    On the sanctions against the Taliban, Ada’s comment absolutely nails it.

    • Alex. No, Ada’s comment does not nail anything at all. Ada glibly ignores the tragedy which is an Afghanistan shaped by decades of outside interference suddenly being dubbed the author of its own misfortune when the facts of history show otherwise, and when millions of innocent Afghanis are now paying a terrible price for the greed of Russia, America, Great Britain, and this little ship of fools. Using their suffering for petty domestic point scoring is utterly obscene.

  11. Anybody who has not got the memo that to be away from NZ during a global pandemic whether or not its work or getting your jollies is traveller beware. You may get locked down, locked up or locked out.
    I travelled frequently before 2020 and there is no chance in hell i would risk it.
    You were warned.

  12. I’m sorry Martyn I believe many NZRS don’t give those in Afghanistan a second thought. A growing number here can’t put food on their own table. The reality is this government has fucked up again. National MP Erica Stanford has brought up the issue of pregnant kiwis needing to get home in October last year. This latest
    incident is just one of many and has hit the headlines for obvious reasons. Labour just doesn’t learn even when it’s told.

  13. Sounds like they’ve only let 10 percent of pregnancy applications in…. fucking clowns it’s pretty fucking easy to let people back in to their support systems etc fuck can even have them booked in advance so it’s not overly pressing on the boarder. Except we have a fucking lottery.
    Absolute clown show.

    • Yes, a 25 week pregnant NZ woman, reporting from an active war zone being accused of playing mind games with the NZ Government, and their MIQ system, with its daily tales of woe…is something National/ACT would do.

  14. So, What would you do, if it were you in her situation?

    Serious question.

    Anyone??

    It is easy to preach away about what someone else should be doing, but What would YOU do??

    • Start writing my Pulitzer prize nomination biography how strong pioneering female reporter took on wicked government for the benefit of womankind.

    • how about staying pregnant and safe in belgium rather than deliberately travelling to a war torn fundamentalist pit of steaming woman hating whabists ..and keeping baby safe that way
      …oh my bad, no story in that…silly silly me.

    • I would stop taking those entitled selfies and star praying. Pray that uncle Joe lifts the sanctions and the World Bank gives Afghanistan back their money.

    • One of the things Bellis could have done was to partake in the MIQ voucher release in mid-December which had rooms available from December to March. The time to apply was extended due to low demand, and the release ended with over 800 rooms unallocated for dates in December and March.

      For someone desperate to secure an MIQ spot, it’s strange how she missed this opportunity.

      • I am sorry Applewood, but “Tut, tut” doesn’t cut it.

        Also, there’s a generational difference in perception.

        I understand where you’re coming from – I had a momentary response that was similar, but “judging” closes a door to understanding. Who knows? Her partner is a professional photographer.

  15. To follow up on my previous comment, she is raising the spot light on afghanistan, the world wide misogyny against the Afghan women that obviously need no longer liberating by the pure forces of the west.
    In fact, she should take the Taliban up on their offer, stay there and do a daily special of the fuckuppery that women and female children live in Afghanistan on the basis of their sex. But then, would a Green and a Labour supporter even mean what that means, and lastly could they even clarify what a women and a female child actually is. I doubt.

    • She is there isn’t she?
      Spotlight on the misogyny of Afghan women!-do behave.!
      She worked for Qatar ,which she tells us is a repressive regime regarding pregnant,unmarried women…then phones her hi level contacts in Afghanistan…and travels there ,despite knowing their record on womens rights.
      Out of all the countries in the world she chooses to go to Afghanistan..to..GRANDSTAND.
      If she bothered to fill in her application properly as everyone else has to..she would be on her way home.

      • She “bothered” to include 59, – 59! relevant documents with her application.
        How dare you suggest she was being lazy or sloppy in the process.
        https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/middayreport/audio/2018828718/midwives-back-calls-for-pregnant-nzers-to-get-miq-spots
        From that link:
        “There are growing calls to prioritise MIQ spots and home isolation for pregnant New Zealanders wanting to come home.

        It comes as the lawyer for pregnant journalist Charlotte Bellis plans to take her case for an emergency MIQ spot to the High Court.

        Bellis says she and her partner submitted 59 documents in their application, but were told they hadn’t provided enough evidence to meet the threshold.

        The New Zealand College of Midwives chief executive Alison Eddy spoke to Māni Dunlop.”

  16. Ms Bellis wants to travel back to NZ at the end of February, but has been encouraged to bring her plans forward to be able to do so. So why hasn’t she? Also she has been offered Consular assistance, an offer to which she is to yet respond.

    I am becoming more convinced now this is an attack by right wing media on the PM and government.

    • Horseshit mary_a
      Why should she ‘play’ the system in order to come back to her home country – AS A BLOODY CITIZEN! DID THEY ASK JACINDA AND CLARKE’S POMMIE DJ MATES TO CHANGE THEIR TRAVEL PLANS TO ‘FUDGE’ THE SYSTEM?????? NO THEY JUST LET THEM IN!! If she wants to come back to her home country for the birth there should be no debate!

    • Dirty politics reborn. What pregnant woman travel to Belgium the home of her boyfriend then decide to return to Afghanistan. Why doesnt the boyfriend terminate his contract there and both of them go back to Belgium. Whats the next dirty politics story?

  17. There were similar responses from people in Aus when Julian wrote to Julia Gillard, asking, “Please. Let me come home now.”

    All the media bigwigs responded with similar comments – I don’t know if “Grandstanding” was the actual word but I remember at the time – the general feeling expressed was exactly that.

    I realise that many of you don’t get this, but to me, this is our own PM’s “Julia, Help me” moment.

  18. According to Hipkins, they have offered her emergency access but it must be taken up with 14 days, she wants a specific date are the end of February. If that is so this helpless maidens story is an utter steaming pile of bullshit.

    Whatever is really going on is not the way she and the media are portraying it. Not by a long way.

    And as TDB have said, the elephant in the room in starvation in Afghanistan, not Miss Super Girl Scout Reporter.

  19. Bellis over the years has done a lot for the people of Afghanistan bringing their story to the Western people. She now needs some of the kindness that our leader talked about but does not seem to be there at the moment.

    • T S
      This weird (but cruel) MIQ strategy that Jacinda and her govt are playing in order to win the next election, will be the very reason they will lose. Looking at the latest numbers, she seems to have lost most of ‘reasonable middle New Zealand’ already. Well, if that’s what it takes to get rid of them….play on Jacinda.

      • The latest numbers: New Zealand +130 cases, 1 death V Australia +36,719 cases, 42 deaths. Yep, play on Jacinda and thank-you for your perserverence in the face of moronity from the begrudgers.

      • I wish very much that I did not agree with you.

        Just as Julia lost in Aus right after her cold response, this is our PM’s win or lose moment.

  20. In a war zone, is it honestly the “right thing to do” to say, “I cannot go drag you to safety buddy, – coz – all those others out there from wherever are dying and – y’know.. we’ve got to be concerned about all those millions first. So, yeah, sorry bud. Can’t help you, even tho’ you’re one of our own.”

  21. A news influencer just trying to jump the ‘Q’ because it’s a, “Don’t You Know Who I am!” Kinda moment.

    How Mellinially-Woke!

  22. An open letter to Charlotte Bellis
    Hey Charlotte Bellis, I sincerely do hope that you get home to NZ to have your baby if that’s your choice.
    BUT! Your story has more holes in it than a sieve. Why can’t you just properly fill in an MIQ emergency application? ‘technical details’ and all? Is it maybe because the 14 day requirement didn’t suit your pretty, white, entitled ass.
    You say you pay NZ taxes? You haven’t lived here in seven years, why are you still paying tax in NZ?
    You’ve become a mouth-piece for all that is wrong with NZ. i.e people complaining about an amazing Covid response and the management of 220,000 people through MIQ. You’re pregnant, not dying.
    Dear prime Minister, don’t bother responding, you’ve got enough on your plate.
    Will the horrible Herald run a story about the poor ugly cancer victim that nobody’s heard of, that cannot afford to employ a PR firm, that gets dumped ‘cos you whinge and get in ahead of them?
    MIQ advised you to re-submit your form with a compliant time-frame and in the mean-time you go bleating to the media?
    Why did you leave Belgium? Have you sent an open letter to their government? Why do you choose to politicise your pregnancy?
    Why did you really choose to leave Al Jazeera? The news network that made you famous? Doha have no problems, particularly with foreigners, not following Shariah law. You’re just stomping your feet and demanding special treatment and publicity. You were not happy just reporting on the news, you want to be the news and jump on the right-wing bandwagon of the criticism of Jacinda Ardern. The real news is what’s happening to the real people of Afghanistan.
    I had all the reason in the world to want to travel back home, twice, last year, I chose not to because of the pandemic and there is no way that I would be asking for any special treatment if I did. Stop bleating and just fill in the form properly this time and maybe direct your media value to the innocent men, women and children of Afghanistan that need a crumb right now.
    BUT! I repeat I sincerely do hope that you get home to NZ to have your baby if that’s your choice.

      • Thanks for the recommendation,but I’ve already read that one, I’m a big fan of Matt Brown and his great work, but relevance? The day any man cannot criticise any woman is the day that toxic feminism is competing with toxic masculinity. My comment is a politic one as we would appear to be on a politic blog?. Whilst, obviously, Charlotte Bellis is a woman, my criticism of her is based on her grandstanding, her desire to queue jump, her inablity to fill in a form properly and then politicising the whole sorry affair, not the fact that she is a woman. I will happily discuss any issue/issues that I have raised/stolen above and promise to apologise and withdraw if proven incorrect but for the record ‘going forward’, any criticism that I make of the Isreali administrations’ treatment of Palestinians, does not make me anti-semetic. Any criticism I make of Eftpostle Brian Tamaki, does not make me a racist. Any criticism of wee Micky Hosking/John Key/David (Can’t see no more) Seymour and Chris ‘Gaslighting’ Bishop does not make me a man hating toxic feminist.

  23. Bellis is NZ’s Novax and shouldnt be given anexemption. All the media and right wingers have been conned by Bellis. We hear now she has been offered to apply for MIQ but she hasnt responded. Its obvious the only reason she left Belgium for Afghanistan was to be with her boyfriend. His contract there finished at end of February so she wants a room then and to bring him here. A good suggestion by someone is that Piers Morgan, Whooten and Schofield should sponsor their heroine and her boyfriend into the safety of the UK. We dont want their type here – photographer is not an essential profession and we have enough right-wing Natz journalists in NZ. There are plenty of more urgent cases with merit to return including my sick cousin and a friend.

  25. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoning#

    From that link:
    In recent times, stoning has been a legal or customary punishment in Iran, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, northern Nigeria, Afghanistan, Brunei, and tribal parts of Pakistan, including northwest Kurram Valley and the northwest Khwezai-Baezai region though it is rarely carried out.

    “In some of these countries, including Afghanistan, where stoning is not legal, it has been carried out extrajudicially by militants, tribal leaders, and others.” References are at the link.

  26. Sadly with middle class journalism, they are the story!

    Who cares about facts, or starving Afghans, two birds with one stone, get a news story out there about yourself and get freebies and special treatment from NZ who is one of the few countries stupid enough to change the rules after any media story…. (Clearly Belgium wan’t going to write a check for free maternity care and quick visa on the base of a simple pregnancy from people who seem to have means).

    Sadly pregnancy is pretty normal in many parts of the world, and not one to create new rules for, but NZ falls for it every time! (Apart from if you live in NZ and give birth, then you get lower standards than many in the OECD, part of our obsession with Rogernomics, we only like to give freebies to people from overseas not those who live and work here).

  27. wellll I see the bourgeoises spoilt white woman has got what she’s entitled to by the ‘devine right of karens’…

    NZ GOVT FOLDS AGAIN BEFORE PRIVILIDGED

    maybe if she closes her eyes real tight and and wishes very very very hard daddy will buy her a pony

  28. Most jurno hustlers’ end up in the PR world (creating news). Twice the pay, half the work. Charlotte has joined the ranks, great effort in Afghanistan, but needs training in logistics.

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