GUEST BLOG: Willie Jackson – Kate Hawkesby is free to have a political opinion
Kate Hawkesby is free to have a political opinion and have that opinion published on ZB and on the NZ Herald. Both are right wing media who seem to rejoice in the thoughts of the rich and wealthy about the poor, but her latest column attacking my Labour Party colleagues at our recent Caucus summer retreat for what we were wearing is superficial even for ZB and the Herald.
What my colleagues wore is of no interest or importance, what we discussed, debated and talked about as we gear up to deliver on the promises we made the people IS important.
Kate’s type of glib utterances provides no real insight, and as respected journalist Andrea Vance said, “We can all have a laugh about the vacuous stupidity of this. But this kind of empty, insult rhetoric is part of the reason politics is so broken. It doesn’t add anything, just ratchets up the nastiness. We (media) can do so much better.”
If Kate wants to attack people for what they wear, perhaps she can start with this photo of National Party MPs wearing some interesting shirts in the speaking chamber? Or does it only matter when it’s Labour MPs?
Willie Jackson is the Minister for Employment
Kate has become shallow and bitter. Her voice has become more shrill and the content vacuous. There is no political analysis in her writing just negative diatribe. Must be sad to live in her mind.
Hey listen Heather, aren’t you making an assumption here, that behind the masses of blondie locks (compensating for hubby’s hearth-brush head) and Cleopatra’d black eyes, some grey matter lurks ?
Not necessarily. Reactive people don’t need to actually think,they’re probably programmed sort of simple – to just react.
There’s a coterie of caterwaulers who may never recover full usage of their cranial faculties after the country wisely turned its back on the Nats, but are possibly getting quite confused now that Bridges seems to be promising everyone a free hamburger if they vote his lot back in again. Without chips.
Their taxes could be paying for people living in cars getting freebies when it is the Coalition who are meant to be the kind guys, and such weighty matters may be so confusing that it is no wonder some may be reverting back to the glorious simplicity of school yard scrapping.
And underneath they know it won’t happen anyway, which is also quite sad as it adds a certain pathos to what could otherwise be the carefree days of summer.
And further, if the mascara isn’t waterproof, they can’t even cry without looking like immigrants from Transylvania, and must smile when their hearts are breaking. Life can be jolly grim for some.
There so Many Right Winger Journalist who attack this Government for Every think Hawkesby Hosking Soper O Brian Garner Richardson and the list goes on Tova O Brian was praising Bridges tax Policy and out attacking Labour They don’t like the Government.
Hawkesby. A bottom feeder like her husband. Neither should be taken seriously.
My 10 year old could write better than her.
But I guess if this is the quality of “jounalism” the Herald wants to provide to us, the public, I can tell them – this will not end well for them.
It is true that Kate Hawkesby is wholly entitled to have a political opinion. It’s also true that the general public is entitled to pillory her for having an embarrassing and shallow political opinion, and one that makes her look like a petulant adolescent girl.
Her column was basically her dribbling on about the Labour Party’s questionable fashion choices. Not what you’d call insightful or revelationary journalism. I mean, I could claim that Gerry Brownlee looks a bit like an elephant seal stuffed into an ill-fitting suit, but I wouldn’t expect a round of applause or to be accused of profound thought.
Come on, Kate. Lift your game.