GUEST BLOG: Stephanie Honeychurch – DITCH DOUBLE-DECKERS (& HOSKINGS TOO)
As a co-organiser* of Waiheke Island’s Ditch Double-Decker protest and as someone involved with the petition to remove these buses from Waiheke, I believe that Mike Hoskings has completely misrepresented this issue.
Firstly, anybody commenting in the media, should be responsible enough to check the facts first. On the 16th March, Under the heading DOUBLE DECKER ON PRECIPICE, the Waiheke Gulf News had this to say; “A double-decker bus which slipped off the edge of Carson’s Road, on Saturday, could not have come closer to disaster.” Hoskings says the more protest, “the worse the image.” Had the dozen or so, passengers, tumbled down the bank and died, what does he think that would do for Waiheke’s image?
There have been a number of incidents involving these unwieldy vehicles. TV3′ news showed footage of an oncoming car forced onto the verge as double-decker lurches by, straddling the white line and within a few feet of the car. Waiheke’s roads are narrow, twisty and tree-lined and completely unsuitable and unsafe for double-deckers. In order to enable mass tourism, the government has classified all roads as being the same, which may be why Mike felt moved to comment. Mike isn’t too worried about safety, his concern is the tourist dollar.
Mike doesn’t mention that native trees have been pruned at ratepayer’s expense, to enable the tall buses to operate. It seems that in Hosking’s world it is acceptable for public money to be used to increase a private company’s profit.
Waiheke has become a world famous destination because it is unique and beautiful. If we allow a transport monopoly, that charges some of the highest ferry fares in the world, to further exploit the island by turning it into a trashy theme park (with optional wine), our uniqueness will disappear. In order to secure the success and the future of our local economy, we must not destroy the very thing visitors come here to experience. Fullers is not creating wealth, it is making profit at the expense of the attraction it is promoting.
The double-deckers are not creating local employment in that they ferry their drivers over and the tour guide’s job last only as long as the season and smaller (local) tour operators say they are taking their business.
Opposition to these buses is not right-wing versus left, or selfish, backward-looking old hippies resenting progress as Mike opines. (His mother-in-law, was one of the protestors). Had Mike had enough respect for his readers to do some research, he would have found that the Waiheke Local Board, is 100% supportive of the petition, it’s chairman, spoke at the protest and Nikki Kaye put the petition on her Facebook page. Ludicrous to suggest that the local board and MP are somehow anti-tourist and resentful of Fuller’s “success. Its enough to make you choke on a pineapple lump.
*It was my great honour and pleasure to work with Susi Newborn (who I didn’t know before), on this project.
Mike Hosking is the self appointed press secretary of the NZ government. He demonstrates a striking similarity to the US press secretary Sean Spicer. Mike will no doubt be flattered by this comparison.
Flattered only if he can get his swelled head through the door Jax, good point though.
Two bits here struck chords with me.
“I believe that Mike Hoskings has completely misrepresented this issue.”
Mike Hosking doesn’t misrepresent, he represents – on just about any issue – his limitations, his partisanship, his position as so far up himself that no-one exists to mis-represent. Just himself to represent.
“Had Mike had enough respect for his readers to do some research…”
Following from that previous bit, respect does not come into it. Respect is a domain, a world preserved for him, inclusive and exclusive to him and he gives it the regard it deserves. He respects but himself.
The guy is National Party lap dog with a limited understanding of basic economics.
Ramaka you are right on there.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/02/19/conflict-of-interest-national-style-vs-labour-style/
As Frank pointed it out so eloquently “evidently, Shane Taurima’s links with Labour are a “conflict of interest”; But it’s not a conflict of interest when journalists work for NationalPrime Ministers,”
Funny this because we all remember when a Maori presenter Shane Taurima was fired on Maori radio some years ago by Nactional when they found he was a labour party card holder?
Hosking’s is clearly a National party lapdog supporter so why cant he also be fired under the same rules????
Maybe Frank or Martyn or both should request this Hoskings resignation also now of the National Party before the election begins.
Don’t hold your breath through it should be tested legally also now.
He obviously isn’t silly enough to be a card carrying member of the National Party?
gawd, another protester looking for a cause.
I actually agree with everything she say’s but as usual Dave, you’ve offered nothing than labeling. So to use your method, I think, like Hosking, your a bit of an anti socialist cock.(mostly useless thing)
As against another inane poster on automatic mode? Could you possibly see your response as the same sort of behaviour you accuse Stephanie Honeychurch of?
With the exception of course that what she is involved in has some rationality about it.
That comment in reply to Dave.
Try addressimng the issues if you can Dave. It’s really not that hard.
You can suck (up to) Mike Hosking later on.
One of the most intelligent National Party commentators the country has?
Mike is a ponse/National MP at large, let’s be honest.
Anything to question Nationals low-grade investment headless chicken approach tourism is a question too far for him. Has central government funded Waiheke’s infrastructure accordingly? I’m going to guess they have not.
Having said that I am only aware of Hoskings displeasure because of this blog as I don’t use TVNZ, ZB and the Herald.
A Stuff poll (17/8/15), showed 72% of 26,399 respondents thought Hosking was “clearly politically biased,” 15% said biased some of the time and 12% said he was an “outstanding journalist.” A petition to get rid of Hosking, got 23,317 signatures, one to keep him, got almost 3,000. Says it all really.
Hosking is not (and does not pretend to be) a jornalist. Never took the course. He is an “entertainer”. Surely as that we do not need to be subjected to his (and Larry’s etc) “opinions”>
Y’know, be like Fox pretends… We report, YOU decide.
I am not a kid and don’t need the school marm lectures, thanks. Especially from an ignorant, right wing shill ‘like Mike’.
Stephanie, we saw a TV item on having double-deckers on Waiheke Island. It kind of defeats the purpose of putting these rolling monsters on an unspoiled island, to view its natural wonders, all the while with these things filling up the background. Fullers Ferry should never have been granted consent to take those things over there.
Hosking – untidy clothes – untidy mind
Snug in his little boy too tight pants, Mike Hosking reveals the extent of his very limited mind.
Which is why he can stupidly put out an equation such as: very large unweirdly buses on extremely narrow hilly streets = the very definition of safety.
As such he reveals his absolute idols, namely the comedians known collectively as the nationals, Act, and the Maori Party. Whom together have stuffed up not only Auckland but 40% of the entire Nation.
Hosking is entitled to be a joke. As are his political associates and friends.
Bernie Hobbs
Mike Hosking is a jerk and a very tiresome, boring, unintelligent one at that, like most mouthpieces for the Natz are!
As for this issue, what does he know about Waiheke Island? I lived there for 26 years of my life, so have some idea of the infrastructure and what works and what doesn’t, as does the author of this article and local protesters. So what does Hosking know about Waiheke? Oh yes that’s right, his equally gobby Johnny-come-lately father-in-law lives there! So between the pair of them, their knowledge of the island amounts to zero.
I can’t believe the air brushed Hosking that we see (well I never watched it but hard to avoid the billboards in chch) is still on TVNZ ‘our’ tv station. The guy is an uniformed opinionated idiot. The wonderful programme on Nat radio called ‘media watch’ often picks up all the dumb comments that Hosking makes and is continued to allow to make.
Mike who?