Why Jacinda is Obama and what this Labour Government has taught us about the self serving Public Service

1. She who can do no wrong by you is the Prime Minister of a majority government in NZ. She has MP’s with zipped lips who will not speak their minds. You can blame anyone you like but the buck stops with her and our elected sycophants.
   Who would vote for more of this?

   • Martyn is the obvious answer. Despite being the most incompetent PM in NZ history by a huge margin, he still worships her.
     Christ, even Muldoon got shit done.
     It was largely the wrong shit, but it did get done.

     • Well Ardern IS getting stuff done – unfortunately it’s not good stuff.

   • Jacinda once babysat Martyn’s kids so she’s alright forever in his eyes..

     Nothing that happens or doesn’t happen is her fault.
     Or Grant’s.

     • Objective blogs?

   • About 60%

   • You seem confused

     • That’s just cope-ium talking. The vast majority literally gone crazy.

   • Obviously I will not.
     We need Government not a bunch of amateurs.
     An understanding of basic economics would be a good start.
     Must have a healthy economy to benefit all
     New Zealanders,
     Current lot have betrayed the poor to the benefit of the wealthy.
     Outlook poor and wealthy alike is bleak while the most inept government in our history is in power.

     • New Zealanders have to be ready for change. Undoing what’s been done doesn’t count.

   • Martyn has provided the reason for his view in the article, if it confuses you then learn how to understand written English, you are allowed to have a different opinion although the reasons you have supplied are nonsensical.

   • Martyn certainly knows what Jacinda is, for good and bad. Not a sycophant.

2. Ah yes, a communist paradise where nobody needs take responsibility for themselves or their children. Breeding the next generation of beneficiaries one dysfunctional family at a time.
   Isn’t it funny that the more “free” stuff we give people the more free stuff they need to exist and the less capable they are of caring for themselves.

   • ah yes a libertarian capitalist utopia would of course be so much more preferable.

     • It would be actually, because at least in such society generational dysfunction would be much more difficult to propagate.
       We have a poverty problem because the people having the most children are beneficiaries who are generally less capable of raising functional human beings.
       We have a species have halted evolution by ensuring the least fit breed the most.
       People like you are ensuring even more misery in future generations.
       I hope you are proud.

       • ha ha ha! so becoming an even more unregulated capitalist society like… America is a solution? i guess they must have solved their poverty and generational dysfunction in the last 5 minutes.

         and you seem to have a puritannical view on poor people having sex, is “little” jays having problems at err… home?

         why is it you libertarian eggs always come across like the geeks at school who used to hide in the library to avoid a hiding every lunchtime, so you could play D&D?

         loser.

         • Ah yes, the last refuge of those who don’t have a coherent response. Even Adern can summon up the ability to “refude” the premise.
           Get back to me when you can actually offer a response that “refudes” my argument.
           Oh and one last point spanky, had we met in the playground 1 on 1, trust me you would have been heading to the doctors.

           • your “argument” has nothing to refute. you make a bunch of generalised statements, based on what? veiled eugenics? jesus, just how much time do you spend listening to Jordan Peterson?

             send me to the doctors? what with? an irritating headache? wow you’re just a regular renaissance man, what with your IQ of 155, exemplary fighting skills, you’re like a
             kiwi chuck norris

   • what you describe jays is not ‘communism’ it’s just a list of prejudices do your homework son, in sexual matters it was 19th century bourgeoise all the way….in fact the kind of repressed society that makes you stain your jeans.
     The communist countries had a a notional policy of full employment so no hoards of claimants.
     things weren’t ‘free’ you paid rent to the state and had a savings account for your lada.

     so if you must be a rancid rightwing blowhard at least do your homework then you won’t look like an asshole too.

   • Yes Jays seen as a right.

   • When you say ‘communist’ you announce yourself as fool. Worse, a Fascist fool. Or more lightly, you listen to Fascist American sources. That there are a lot of you only declares these dangerous times for democracy. But praise us, your silliness is undermining America — too few of you fuck-wits here.

3. Agree more economic solutions are required.
   With a majority Labour could have gone down that path but frankly solutions are not their strong point.
   What current policies are they pursuing to come up with economic solutions?
   None is my guess because it’s beyond their ability.
   Most inept Government in living memory.

4. Jacinda promised transformative change in 2017

   And won 37% of the vote. The electorate’s appetite for Labour’s transformation wasn’t so strong. Whether it was Winston Peter’s handbrake, or Ardern’s pursuit of the centre, transformation got dialed back. Until Covid, Labour began to poll higher, registering in the low- to mid-forties, with government parties remaining over 50%. When the pandemic arrived, the lack of transformation made it easier for Labour to gather votes from a broken National Party.

   The path for Labour to retain power is to recover voters now flowing back to National. That means targeting voters more concerned about the price of a block of tasty cheese, not transformation.

   • Fair enough analysis. Quite angry at the last election at Grant reaching out to farmers at the last minute using the language of inclusion, despite the intrinsic exclusion of the neediest since 1984.

5. Exactly! Wellington city is a pro Labour/Green city since forever, hence to say public service are the problem is bit disingenious.

   Looking at Martin’s points:-

   Most were already promised by the current govt in some form, and none delivered.

   It starts and ends with ministers and their “yes minister” ministry – the nz version of emperor’s new clothes.

6. Not me that’s a certainty even though I’ve done well personally during her tenure.
   But it’s not about me it’s our country that I worry about.

   • bob the first. It’s our vulnerable children who I worry about. Dumping the Children’s Commissioner is indefensible. Ardern’s credibility as somebody purporting to care about children has is gone. Kaput.
     She’d be well advised not to fling those sort of “aspirational “ sound bites around ever again: using kiddies for political gain is pretty sick.

     • Agree entirely Hollyhock.

       • You seem like Cameron Slater’s love child Bob, breathlessly supporting and paid to be a National Party attack dog, and bagging Labour in every post. How did you and your ‘dad’ Cameron Slater spend Father’s Day yesterday, apart from posting?

         And tell us all here on TDB, how children will fare under your beloved Daddy Warbucks National Party? NACT’s jackboots heeled on the throats of children, of the the poor; children whose fathers and mothers will be removed from benefits if Aloha Luxon is elected? How will NACT’s tax-cuts for the rich work out for ‘muddle New Zealunders’ to quote your favourite old NACT, Sir John Key?

         Naively, here on TDB, the acronym NACT. National and ACT, has been used, ‘jestily’ and somewhat benignly, to represent the symbiotic cup-of-tea, leadership-do-si-do-relationships between National and its ACT partner in coalition.

         Recent centre-right, right and alt-right events in New Zealand will have to alter the NACT meaning.

         National, ACT and Counterspin Terrorists have upped the benign NACT, to a more disturbing and sinister NACT

         NZ Democracy is ‘gone by lunchtime’, if not already there, with National ACT and its dirty politics terrorist wing, FARC, fueled now by hate, conspiracy theories, overseas influence, local grievances, racism and misogyny.

         Nuremberg NZ set up the hit list, put enemies of the FARC’s on trial. Alp and Spierer’s mouthpieces of NZ’s Nutty New World order. Alp and Spierer are a disturbing trend, putting elected Kiwis on trial, promoting civil disobedience, appointing sheriffs, erecting gallows and promoting conspiracy theories and attempting making New Zealand ‘ungovernable’.

         If NACT – National, ACT are elected in 2023, NZ/AO get the underground-Counterspin-Alt-Right FARCs, and its feral, nutter malcontents as well!
         NACT is the New Nats and ACT and Alt-Right coalition.

         NACT, the new acronym that keeps on taking.

         The arrest of Alp and Spierer was premature, and should have waited until a money-trail was found.

         Where’s the money coming from for the new NACT, Nuremberg NZ and Counterspin?

         Who’s your Daddy in NZ and overseas Bob and NACT?

         Father’s Day in the National Party, Dirty Politics brigade 2.0.

         NACT: National, ACT and Counterspin Terrorists.

         • Bit quiet Bob – ringing NACT HQ to ask how to respond to this post?

7. Jacinda is Obama in terms of being all talk but a complete failure in practice, and Obama created Trump as a consequence.
   Labour is the political wing of the self serving public service though, it’s not a hundred day plan thing, it’s the fact their interests are not the best interests of the country.

   Labour are a hollow Trojan horse for Maori separatism and identity politics – the things the public service rely on for endless funding and need for more bureaucracy, but that actually tear this country apart.

   • Yep.
     Despite being young, handsome and charismatic Obama was an appalling president and as you said, was the driving factor behind Trumpism.
     In fact, if you ignore Trump’s disgusting personality, he was actually a better president than Obama.

     • jays in exactly what way was trump better than obama jays?
       a list of his completed policy aims would be appreciated….it won’t take you long

8. If Jacinda is Obama, it’s just as well she isn’t in charge of drones then.
   https://www.cfr.org/blog/obamas-final-drone-strike-data

   • Well, she does talk a lot. That’s a bit of a drone when you think about it.

     • Oh. By the way. She’s about to officially announce at the UN, NZ is going to join the War against Russia! FFS!

       Afghanistan ‘Mission Creep’ all over again!

       https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/474125/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-to-travel-to-new-york-for-united-nations-meeting

     • Showing your true misogynist colours Tane/Male/Man,+not+Female/Woman+not+Maori

       • Say waaaht? Who, how, what?

9. I agree Jacinda is our Obama love overseas not so much in NZ. When the history is written of her period in power in I believe it will say so much promised so little achieved . Compared to Clark she will not rate especially for the effect on the wellbeing of the poor .

10. Martyn, that’s an excellent plan for the next time Labour are elected, which based on NZ political history will be in 2032. Between now and then I am sure Labour can announce some plans to announce consultations on proposed policy research – they seem to be very good at that.

    • He ha.

11. Let’s hope Greens (2 or 3 or 4 of them with principles), TPM and even TOP are preparing their bottom lines.
    From what I’m seeing and hearing, Labour could be in for a bloody big shock and it’s probably already too late for them to get their shit together.
    Danyl nailed it the other day with his Sunday Essay with TDB’s reference to it here:
    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2022/08/30/a-self-serving-public-service-a-parliament-of-property-owners-land-of-the-wrong-white-crowd/
    He’s nailed what has changed within the ps (and political enablers) over the last 30 or so years.
    On that thread, I think I asked what is the way out of it.
    My reckons and thinkings in this space going forward are to vote the way MMP was intended – without all the spin and bullshit politicians would have us believe and listen to. That is to electorate vote for the most competent and possibly experienced candidate available, and to party vote for the party whose policies most closely align with yours. Spin and bullshit isn’t working anymore – we’re at peak PMC, peak egos, peak individualism, peak spin and bullshit.
    Trust of course is a big issue, but they’ve gone done it to themselves. If it takes another cycle or two for people to awoke, then so be it. The sooner the better

12. The hilarity is that Labour wont and certainly Jacinda wont change a damn thing… the track record of Labour is essentially making things worse since the Lange govt. (If you dont count aspiration and virtue signals) I’m sure Jacinda will refute leaving those out.

    Yet somehow the likes of the author keep voting for them, defending them…

    What’s that saying about doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result?

    Theyll change next time, just one more term… honest…

13. ” Jacinda promised transformative change in 2017 ”

    Nearly six years ago Bomber and you know and I know it will not ever happen.

    Bomber stand for the NZLP in a safe seat and get elected next year and begin the fightback from within ! You obviously believe that its all down to the public service and had nothing to do with LINO to force real change.

    These ridiculous posts do you a disservice because deep down you know that Adern and the others will not break the status quo. Is that not why you formed the Mana party because LINO are just that and will never after being bought out be of any use now or ever.

14. I always liked the snippy quip which was apparently set at the disadvantages of Big Government. When there was a hiatus in the upward movement in the USA space race someone said that they should have called the failed rocket The Civil Servant:
    ‘Won’t work and you can’t fire it’.

    It’s slightly amusing to have the same feeling now that privatisation has us by the throat with eager beavers rushing around setting up financing for their latest grande concretisation in projects (in French as it sounds grander than in English). In theory we don’t have to fire most as they are on shortish contracts. But they have still got us there as they might be recompensed if the contract is not rolled over for another term. But hey they are all generic anyway, so provided they know how to pick their teeth with both steel, wooden (and now greenl, bamboo) toothpicks we’ll get a fresh face on our smartphones toot sweet.

15. Absolutely, Martyn. Leadership or defeat. Let those neolibs consider that.

16. Jacinda is nothing like Obama. Obama did not drive a devious agenda. Obama was not underhand. And Obama was certainly not above everyone and arrogant on top of that.

17. In fact it’s Jacinda who has encouraged the creation of a flabby and incompetent civil service. Quotes from two recent articles:

    Newshub: “…when Labour came to power there were 339 communications staff working in public sector agencies. By 2021 this has climbed nearly 50% to 497. Similarly, the budget for government “spin”, had gone up from $33.8m in 2017 to $55.3m in 2021.”

    and

    “Labour’s spending on contractors and consultants has climbed to nearly $1bn a year, despite Labour coming to power suggesting that they would rein in this use of the private sector. Much of this is spent on the “Big Four” contractor firms – Deloitte, PwC, KPMG and Ernst and Young.”

    This is clearly a government on its last legs, scrambling to make stuff up on the fly and lying to voters in order to cover its tracks. All their policy initiatives have by now failed and several sectors are in real crisis: Health. Education. Crime and policing. Housing and homelessness. Economic. Race relations. Child welfare. All of which were perfectly predictable years ago because they are the result of their own policies – ‘own goals’ by this government.

    • Yes this Labour Government have created the largest Civil Service in our history and for what benefit?

      • Their own.
        Bryce Edwards nails it :
        https://theplatform.kiwi/opinions/has-the-govt-become-too-focused-on-comms-instead-of-delivery

        “ State capacity being taken up by a “Professional Managerial Class”

        The quote by Mclauchlan is from an essay he published on Sunday, titled An administrative revolution. In this important analysis of the rise of comms and PR focus of government, he argues that those who make up the political class and associated Wellington industries have a financial interest in focusing resources on bureaucracy instead of delivering results to the wider public.

        Here’s one of the key paragraphs: “It’s almost as if the primary role of the administrative state is shifting from serving the people to the redistribution of wealth to the staffers, lawyers, PR companies, managers and consultancy firms that work in them, or for them. A billion dollars a year in public sector consultancy is an awful lot of money when you’re running out of teachers and nurses because you don’t pay them enough, and the fire trucks are breaking down.””

18. Labour are Master and Commander over the law and order ministries and by my reckoning have got exactly what they wanted. It’s just the consequences for the rest of us aren’t good as a result!

19. To me, Jacinda is more like Meghan Markle.

    Adored and despised in equal measure, blatantly self promoting and speaks a lot but says nothing.

    • Let me count the ways Jacinda is not like Obama. For starters, Obama is highly intelligent. And despite all the disappointments, he did achieve something substantive and unambiguously positive – Obamacare.

      And hasta cuando will you paint Ardern and LINO as hapless victims of the Wellington bureaucracy? LINO has a thoroughly symbiotic relationship with the Wellington bureaucracy – they’re one of LINO’s most dependable constituencies, and unsurprisingly one of Ardern’s principle achievements has been to create thousands more bureaucrats.

      What we’ve seen from this government is nothing more or less than the expression of their political DNA – though of course their own incompetence has stymied even that to some extent. They’re progressive neoliberals.

      As for your “cherished progressive values” – no thanks. A 21st-century “progressive” is a monumentally self-righteous individual who believes in Critical Race Theory and radical gender ideology. I don’t want progressive policies – I want restorative policies. Restoration of the equality of opportunity that was undermined by privatization, users-pays and the move to indirect taxation.

      • Good comment Pope P

        I think you’re on to the key issue here. Although the Labour Party today needs the lower classes to vote for the party, they don’t actually *like* them and certainly don’t mix with them!
        This started in earnest with Helen Clark who liked attending the ballet and art galleries rather than the local pub or western springs raceway. In general the top Labour Party people like mingling with academics and the well heeled Grey Lynn set. They feel uncomfortable with practical people who work with their hands and who drink beer from the bottle.

20. Gosh Martyn, the National PR team are out in force this morning, all froth and distemper and not a single solution in sight. If you cruise the comments world you’ll see the same narrative espoused by numbers of anonymous individuals and after having found,on stuff, consecutive identical hate comments under different pseudonyms could I be forgiven in thinking that Bob the first, Krauty et al are not real people they’re just figments of imagination of comb over Dennis who sits in Hootens office?

    • Sorry KiwiJoker, I apologise.
      Yes, you are absolutely right, Jacinda is like Obama. Actually, in fact, she is way way away above Obama. She is so up there way above Obama, that she is God(ess) and Obama is just a little trembling altar boy. In fact, in time to come, like in 100 years, nobody will even remember Obama. The whole world will just talk about Jacinda. Especially Bert. So yes, sorry again KiwiJoker.

    • Liked that Kiwijoker.
      Can assure you I’m a real person expressing my own views.

21. Don’t worry about all that, NZ now has more inclusive language like chest feeding and people with uterus.

    Pity that the inclusive language comes at the expense of cancelling out woman’s language and experience.

    Funny how nobody wants to be a midwife anymore!!!!!

    Government agencies don’t provide a real house in emergency housing, but apparently have people knocking down the door to teach you Te reo at 8am.

    Talk and virtue signalling is cheap and the main focus of wokesters! (Although cancelling others is even more of a priority).

    Real results like housing, quality jobs, health care, education, quick justice, are a lot harder to achieve and going backwards, fast.

22. If Labour had given the wealthy tax cuts while raising GST for the poor. Turned Christchurch into a car park. sold off our generation and statehousing. Build a couple of conference centers. Flooded the country with migrants, tourists and students and then told us we had a rock star economy would you think they were competent.

    • ” If Labour had given the wealthy tax cuts while raising GST for the poor. Turned Christchurch into a car park. sold off our generation and statehousing. Build a couple of conference centres. Flooded the country with migrants, tourists and students and then told us we had a rock star economy would you think they were competent ”

      YES ds YES !

23. #11 Give Pharmac the $3,000,000,000 a year it needs to adequately operate as it was originally intended and meet the Oecd average of a minimum 10% of the health budget for medicines.

24. oops That should have been #13 not # 11 re Pharmac funding.
    The pathetic minimal % increases a year has to stop.
    It is a major reason our hospitals are collapsing.

25. Obama also found that Left Wing “solutions” didn’t work. Sound good though, and that’s all that matters.

26. Sorry Martyn you can’t compare Ardern to Obama. Ardern has it comparatively easy compared to being the first black president in a country with like the US. He probably burnt most of his capital on the Affordable Health Act which apparently made him a raving communist. Also he did not have both houses for very long did he (?) whereas second term Ardern has complete license to not be National with a tiny bit of empathy for more than the top 5%

    • Fair point there Wheel, POTUS can only do so much if the other side controls the Senate and/or Congress.

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