NEALE JONES is to be congratulated. No, no – it’s alright – I haven’t hit my head. It is just that I have always believed in giving credit where credit is due – and Jones deserves a lot of credit. Had I been on the receiving end of Kathryn Ryan’s and Bridgette Morten’s right-wing tag team, as Jones was on RNZ’s Monday-morning Political Panel, I’m damn sure I wouldn’t have kept my cool as impressively as he did.
Ryan is usually a lot more circumspect in revealing her personal opinions than she was on Monday (14/2/22). That’s as it should be. Her role on the Panel is that of moderator – at least, one hopes that’s still her role! She is there to put the questions to the panellists and prevent them from interrupting, talking over one another, and generally attempting to dominate the discussion.
That is not what happened on Monday. Ryan threw herself, boots and all, into the debate over the protest blockade of Parliament. She interrupted, talked over, and – not to put too fine a point upon it – hectored Jones, to a degree that bordered on the unprofessional.
Unsurprisingly, Morten was quick to follow Ryan’s lead. She, too, interrupted and talked over Jones – seemingly with Ryan’s blessing.
Jones, however, remained unfazed by this blatant breach of the Political Panel’s rules of engagement. He stayed resolutely on-message, stoically refusing to let Ryan and Morten rattle him. He didn’t turn nasty. He didn’t lose his temper. He just kept on talking sense.
It would have helped the listeners immensely if his levels had been set to match those of the two women – then we wouldn’t have had to strain our ears to hear him. But on Monday morning everything seemed to be set against him.
The most intriguing aspect of the whole encounter was the political line taken by Ryan and Morten. Both women consistently refused to accept Jones’s argument that the protest was inspired by individuals and groups in the grip of outlandish conspiracy theories imported from the United States. Nor were they willing to accept the well-established Far Right provenance of these conspiracy theories. Throughout the half-hour, Ryan and Morten attempted to paint the protest as the anguished cry of stressed-out Kiwi battlers determined to resist Government over-reach.
The fact that the so-called “Freedom Convoy” was always intended to establish a laager of motor vehicles within which a protest encampment in Parliament Grounds could be established and, more importantly, protected, in no way slowed Ryan and Morten down. They simply didn’t appear to be interested in exploring the strategic purpose of the Convoy’s organisers, or what lay behind their radical departure from the norms of New Zealand political protest.
Even more disturbing was the way they seemed to brush aside the unprecedented displays of aggression directed at New Zealand’s Members of Parliament and the Press Gallery. Wellington has witnessed many angry demonstrations in its history, but very few in which the rhetoric of at least some of the participants was explicitly homicidal. What was it that made Ryan and Morten so determined to re-focus the debate away from this deeply disturbing reality?
I couldn’t help being reminded of the Peter Ellis Case, where the most bizarre, outlandish, and obviously impossible accusations of the children interviewed were simply set to one side so as not to “prejudice” the jury. It simply didn’t suit whatever it was that Ryan and Morten were trying to do to have listeners reminded of the murderous fury directed by the protesters against politicians and journalists.
The least damaging explanation of Ryan’s behaviour is that she was overcompensating for what critics from the Far Right and the Far Left described as the Fourth Estate’s sneering, middle-class dismissal of the smelly protesters cluttering up its stately work environment. On-the-spot reports from intrepid Far Right and Far Left observers, reassuring New Zealanders that the overwhelming majority of the protesters were just ordinary Kiwis exercising their right to protest, have, as intended, shamed a number of mainstream journalists into revising their original stance. It’s possible Ryan is one of them.
Morten, however, is more than savvy enough to realise the damaging impact which the bad behaviour of the protesters, and the baffling failure of the Police to move them on, is having on the Government’s reputation. The longer the protest continues, and the longer the Government and the Police are seen to be standing by ineffectually, the better it is for the Opposition parties. Just because it would not be wise for Christopher Luxon to be seen taking the side of the occupiers, doesn’t mean that it is unwise for Morten to do everything she can to make it more difficult – from a PR perspective – for Labour and the Police to resolve the crisis.
The Jones boy, every bit as savvy as the Morten gal, knows this. Hence his dogged determination to keep his listeners’ minds focused on the true character of these latter-day “Freedom Riders”.
They are not honest toilers, they are people hell-bent on getting rid of the protections Labour has mandated to keep the real honest toilers safe. They do not have legitimate grievances – unless you reckon thwarting the sociopathic impulses of unvaccinated extremists constitutes a legitimate grievance. They are, however, people acting under the influence of individuals and groups with Far Right affiliations and aims. Scratch them, and you’ll bleed.
In summary, Neale Jones was not “smacked down” by Kathryn Ryan and Bridgette Morten. He was, however, interrupted, talked over, and made extremely difficult to hear. In spite of all these hindrances, he kept on fighting the good fight for close to half-an-hour with admirable clarity and forbearance. Unlike the other two participants in Monday’s Political Panel, Jones kept his focus on the dangerous realities of the protest taking place in and around Parliament Grounds.
For that he deserves our cheers – not our jeers.
I’ve pretty much tuned off RNZ. It was dull but objective and starved of funding but tolerable. Now it’s focus is on pure annunciation of Te Reo, oh, and a bit of news now and then. It’s gone woke and it’s pointless and boring. And its still starved of funding, just one of Labour’s many failed deliveries, this one to transform public broadcasting.
And some other stuff, the Panel for example. Trouble is the left ceased speaking to me sometime ago on it, probably coinciding with this Labour government.
Today as record housing unaffordabilty is announced, showcasing Jacinda’s chief failure in government, maybe a protest in MP’s faces on that subject would be easily justified. But somehow I don’t think any of the Panel trio would give that much thought at all!
‘annunciation of Te Reo’?? Nice!
Good point, “Enunciate” to be correct. Still announcement is not dissimilar
RNZ has a tradition of engaging Tory aligned interviewers from Maggie Barry to Plunkett, Hosking and Ryan and any number of lesser crawlers if you use your ears.
The cadence, speed of questioning, repetition, “sorry to interrupt Minister” all give them away.
Agree Chris. There seems to be a narrative in the MSM that the protestors are ordinary decent Kiwis that have had enough and that all the threats and aggression are the work of a few maladjusted misunderstood samaritans.
Hip hip hooray. At last the screws are turning on Katherine Ryan’s right wing slant.
Just an observation, but it seems necessary these days to HAVE to interrupt a politician or a politician minder as they simply cannot have a two way conversation.
For when the politician (and their minders) get a head of steam up they talk, talk, talk. Raising the same point three different ways come Sunday. Simply to stretch the dialog out to suit the minutes available.
Ardern, Robertson, Nash and the Jones or Pagani’s of this world simply talk and repeat what they said in the first sentence.
Next time have a good listen and resist the temptation to yell “you flippin well said that three minutes ago – for the love of god shut up and listen for once”.
Politicians and their minders don’t do conversations, they do lectures, they use berate and belittle tactics in generate never ending sound bites. Hence the need for interruptions.
Politicians and their minders, need to learn to listen as well as speak to get a dialog going.
But that means going down to the “river of filth” and have a grown up conversation with the deplorables. How to do that is not in their university communications degree training manual.
Yes so true, Pagani is so full of herself and her importance and so is Jones and the rest of them. This idea that they are on the right or the left also is rubbish. They are nowhere near the left in my view, just apologists for Labour and how wonderful they are, despite their lack of work on child poverty and housing!
Yes so true, Pagani is so full of herself and her importance and so is Jones and the rest of them. This idea that they are on the right or the left also is rubbish. They are nowhere near the left in my view, just apologists for Labour and how wonderful they are, despite their lack of work on child poverty and housing!
I see Russell Coutts has joined the protest too. Is he also a Nazi?
Meanwhile I have three friends, two were teachers and one a soldier who are looking for work because they refused vaccination. The mandate is abhorrent.
Nah, he’s just a rich prick mercenary yachty who was pissed his latest venture was canned during the Delta outbreak.
Yes Xray a rich prick that was happy to take tax payers money
For all they care about their jobs your friends may as well be mercenaries. As for Russell Coutts, he’s not a fascist, but a self-obsessed member of the gentry trying to turn water into a private property right, who has means and motive to enable an ugly mob.
He’s a one-percenter, $55 million plus
Soldiers get vaccinated for everything out there especially when in a armed conflict and I’m not providing a link its so fucking obvious! If us vaccinated people were not trying to stay away from you anti vax retards we would be right up in your face with with a real argument. Your like little children who throws stones and run away, I’m glad they haven’t brought the batons and tear gas out if just go’s to show, if a right wing government was in power you fascist pawns would have been skittled days ago.
Chris, serious question can which of the 9 demands of the protestors do you agree or disagree with and why (I agree with 6, the others, specifically around mandates to me, are extreme libertarian in a pandemic but hardly frothing-at-the-mouth-far-right).
Throwing around this elitist rhetoric that characterises the whole of the protest by it’s worse supporters shows people that the is no home for them on the left. Like Hillary Clintion’s ‘basket of deplorables’ it’s a masterclass in driving people with legitimate grievances into the arms of the right.
By focusing on the worst of the protest rather than engaging with the best of it you also give cover for some righteous bureaucrat to slide the country towards authoritarianism. (The new left cheers digital un-personing now comes financial un-personing, do you trust anyone with authority has the wisdom to navigate this and not let it become a revenge fantasy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGLJ6sYYDqg)
You fear fascists? They will only prevail if we become so fearful of our fellow citizens that we empower the state and corporatists to ‘protect’ us against them.
Chris you’re part of the problem.
Hear hear
I’ll do a Bomber first up and say “I loik Kathryn, really I do -But….etc., etc., etc.”
Apparently Bovver Boy Trev reviews QT and his rulings, presumably in a bid for self-improvement each day.
I’m wondering whether Her with the balanced portfolio should do the same once in a while – or maybe she’s auditioning for (my idol) Kim Hill’s replacement.
I’ve just been through it for the first time using all the buzz MDIA 101 techniques – (Content Analysis et al)
As She does during other segments – such as Sport with Sem Ekamun, sure as shit, Her with the balanced portfolio definitely injected herself and her perceived expertise into “the conversation”.
But, we should not forget: this is Her “show”, and may ahe continue to get an earn from it so I don’t have to picture Her as one of those peculiar Wellington identities in the future. Not unlike that bag lady a while back, or the ‘Wart Lady’, or various others whose friends She’d helped build their careers deserted them.
Traj eh?
Often the best bits of RNZ Neshnool are when the locum gets to be in charge
.
Actually, I’ve just had another bran fart. If Her (with the balanced portfolio) doesn’t have the time because she’s following a strict work-life-balance regime, she could probably ask one of her little protoges to do it for Her – whose career She’s helped build in that space, going forward. Maybe the Corduroy Kid (who’s a good journalist and a thoroughly thoroughly nice chap, but a real pain in the arse when people have ever had to do psychadelic drugs with Him, or if you think he’s ekshully down with the reality of the indigent and dispossessed.
Nice guy, albeit with his rehearsed (Deep breath, ummmm errr) mannerisms and comfy lifestyle, shame about his efforts to push what He thinks is a left-wing perspective. The left-wing version of a Doncha know who I am.
Cue Gentle Annie
This protest is Dirty politics #6 or is it #7, a right-wing hate jacinda Tory/Act circus supported by USA and Canadian $$$$, White supremist and gun lobyists, etc. Luxon and Seymore and their ministers should confront their people, the protesters and tell them to bugger off. They are just and embarrassment and cringeworthy.
Well said. There’s enough right wing comments and misinformation here to suspect this place is being deliberately targeted too
A broadcast debate taking place within the membership of the political class changes nothing on the ground, where the people have shown themselves to be more than a match for a colonialist regime which has emphatically failed.
The abandonment of the elimination strategy, the ludicrously mis-named “vaccine pass”, the “no jab no job” policy and the petty, vindictive responses of the regime to the presence of protesters in Wellington are part and parcel of a consistent series of mis-steps by the government and the regime as a whole.
Now a group of people, using the tactics tried and tested at Ihumaatao and numerous other sites of conflict with the regime have boxed the regime into a corner. They may lack the ideological and organizational coherence of the kaitiaki of Ihumaatao, but that that has not stopped them from bringing all the misguided plans of the state to nought.
Rant and scream as much as you like, call in the police, the army and the SIS but whatever you do you cannot thwart the will of the people.
Best to get real Chris. Neale Jones is not going to save the regime from its own stupidity. Just remove the mandates and get on with it. You are going to have to remove them sometime in 2022. Why not now, or, if you want to save face, give a date a month out from now?
Will of the people? Hardly. 2/3 of NZ supports vaccine pass/mask mandate, 95% consented to vaccination. Half the country still supports Labour/Greens. National and even ACT agree with the overall approach.
Only a few thousand of the dregs of society protesting LOL. A combo of Alt Right/Trumpian Trumpeters Counterspin/Uncensored/Investigate/Nexus nutters, Destiny Church, Gangs, washed up Hippies, New Conservative Party, Vision (Destiny Party 2.0), Advance/NZ Public Party, OneNZ, Outdoor Recreation, Maori 1835 Declaration/Separatist Extremists, Blood & Soil, RWR, Anti-1080, anti-5G, Gun Fanatics, anti-3 Waters, some Homeschoolers, some Offgridders/Survivalist-Apocalypse preppers. Anti-social uneducated/ miseducated contrarians. All those parties of the right fringe couldn’t get 5% combined.
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