National, ACT + NZF too frightened to act on petrol prices crisis because they are still criticising Covid response
As global conflict threatens oil supply and petrol prices surge, the Government’s response has exposed a deeper political problem — a paralysis driven by years of attacking crisis intervention itself.
National, ACT and NZF have put so much political capital into attacking Labour for doing too much over Covid that when a national crisis like the illegal Iranian War hits, they are too paranoid with fear to do anything!
The geopolitical crisis driving petrol prices
Look.
You either think Donald Trump is a strategic mastermind who will have this all wrapped up by the end of this week as he steams off to Cuba to pull the same stunt there and then home for a rousing singing of the American National Anthem with a follow up of his YMCA dance moves.
OR
You think he has blundered into the worst geopolitical strategic trap since Vietnam and has no comprehension of what he is doing as he edges the planet closer to all out war once he puts Marines onto the Iranian mainland to hold the Strait of Hormuz which will spark violent regional crises, energy prices to explode, a refugee problem swamping Turkey and possible global terrorism.
Trump’s Iran gamble and the risk of global energy shock
I am leaning to the latter.
Trump has blundered without any understanding of how badly he has screwed up.
He and Bibi killed the new Ayatollah’s Dad, Wife, Son and Brother, I think he may hold a grudge for that and be wanting a large orange pound of flesh from Trump and Israel for killing his family.
Iran still has 40,000 drones.
This isn’t being ‘sorted’ this year.
What New Zealand should do about petrol dependency
So.
We should be revisiting our relationship with petrol and what that will mean until the Strait are free and open again WHILE looking at the realities of the long term impacts of climate change and the urgent need to become 100% electrified and renewable.
Short-term solutions to ease petrol price pressure
Short term:
- We should be making public transport free as a pressure valve for all those people about to be hit by an Inflation spike rather than a rise in benefits because MSD will claw most of that benefit back. Free public transport puts money directly into people’s pockets while taking cars off the road.
- Working from home needs to become a regular feature of the work week.
- Reducing road speeds to 80km from 100km.
Medium-term energy and transport reforms
Medium term:
- Bring back the EV subsidy and raise road charges on the Trucking and private petrol market
- No new gas facility
Long-term transition away from petrol
Long Term:
- Solar panels on all Public Buildings
- More wind farms
- Push for driverless trucks
- More Rail, less trucks
- More biofuel production
- Cold Fusion
Political paralysis: why National, ACT and NZF won’t act
National, ACT + NZF are too frightened to do anything about petrol because they are still criticising Covid response.
This isn’t leadership, it’s paralysis.
How much did poor people donate to Nat/Act/NZF? My guess is almost nothing and that is how much they are going to get back from the callous COC. This government has put all their apples in the low inflation basket. They are not going to subsidize transport and risk a bigger government deficit.
The truth is EV car are not popular with most drivers.Worldwide sales have been far less than manufacturers imagined and they have written of billions in lost turnover.
It is silly to take tax off petrol as the lose has to be made up from other sources.A rise in price will convince people to use public transport, car share or bike
Rubbish Trevor. You sound like you work for an oil company. Over half of new car sales in China last year were EV’s. How’s that “not popular”.
Jacinda Ardern is often cited globally as an example of a masterclass in crisis management. Contrast white island, mosque shooting and covid responses consistently. Clear action, empathy, kindness, getting people to work together rather than leaving people to go it alone and just fend for yourselves. Things this current govt doesn’t really seem to understand.
The Coalition of The Hopeless’s possum in the headlights reaction should come as no surprise….it’s what they do best …they are so compromised and so lacking in ability to think past the end of their collective noses as to what is best for society, that, in the end, they’ll try and manipulate the situation to protect the wealthy and make the poor foot the bill…
Willis’s trainwreck of a statement from the podium of power yesterday didn’t even try to hide her condescending classless distain for the less priviliged in our society.
I see, obviously to try and educate the Luxun, Willis and Seymour on how to deal with a crisis, mainstream media have even taken to asking Labour what they would do when Chris Hipkins was on The TV one Breakfast Show this morning…
even they are not in power…
Now that they have a heads up expect them to follow a weak watered down version of what Labour would do…
Because that’s what they are…a weak wet minded government.
So glad to see the CoC getting some of their spiteful medicine back. NZ needs to bring in everything on Martyn’s Short-Medium-Long Term post and in truckloads, ha ha! This crazy CoC hasn’t got a clue, no common-sense with MP’s lacking intellect, foresight and basic planning, just kneejerking from one crisis to the next! Can’t believe there are voters out there with the same low level of intelligence. How can they not see the ‘right’ have totally stuffed up NZ irrespective of world events? We already have an unhinged, arrogant, narcissistic Trump who can’t see he can ever get it wrong? Of note, Joe Kent, their director of National Counterterroism, stepped down stating, “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation!” – see RNZ news – One would think it can’t get any worse but a long way to go yet!?