MEDIA WATCH: MPI screws NZ over for fishing industry
Another sterling bit of journalism from Michael Morrah on the gasp inducing incompetence of MPI…
Emails obtained by Newshub show Government officials were in the dark about what protocols Russian fishermen had followed prior to their arrival in New Zealand, where 32 then tested positive for COVID-19.
Neither the Ministry of Health, managed isolation nor Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) officials had seen the first group’s pre-departure test results, they didn’t know when the men were tested or anything about their isolation before they landed in Christchurch.
At the time, the country was assured great care had been taken to get them here.
…the two glaring things these emails highlight is how far the assurances that everything is fine from the Government and the reality on the ground is and that MPI was once again acting in the interests of the Fishing Industry and NOT the wider interests of the public health…
But MPI said the Russian and Ukrainian crews were essential workers, needed in the country to keep the boats catching fish. Four months on, we are getting a better picture of the information officials really had at the time.
…we see MPI do this time and time and time again for the Fishing Industry when it comes to promoting their interests over any environmental considerations and now we are seeing MPI do it when there is a risk to the entire public health of the country!
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Not only the fishing industry, Ports of Auckland get special treatment to bring in crane drivers ffs!
No backup contingency,Proves that there is no training for a rainy day or anything else for that matter, heads should roll, but this is NZ & the neoliberal juggernaut rolls on.
Ports of Auckland, have killed some of their employees so they get special treatment. Disgusting. Like the fishing industry killing their workers. Clean up standards and conditions instead of making things worse with foreign labour giving NZ business a free ride to exploit.
Foreign workers takes up NZ resources like housing and congestion with another car on the road. Kiwis pay for the exploitative employers lack of training and foresight with taxpayer paid residency benefits to their foreign labour. It’s a Ponzi.
Weld another seat in the crane. Fill it with a kiwi who can receive on the job training to operate the crane. For every foreign operator there should be 2 kiwis in training until they become qualified and then the overseas operator can return home. It wouldn’t be exploitation if the overseas operator opts into the scheme before coming here. No more P.O.A. crying lack of trained Kiwis in the job market…just thinking without thinking to deeply
Disgusting, people’s lives are worthless to the bumbling Morans.
Not sure that increasing Covid risks for private fishing profits while most people can’t afford to buy fish to eat in NZ, is good for the economy either. Wage subsidies seem pretty large with each lockdown.
BTW – Funny how after Jacinda spoke out about the rapes of the Uigthurs, China mysteriously stopped NZ seafood exports. Trade deals are worse than useless!!! At least Aunty Helen could muster up a F**k You to the Israelis for stealing passports and ditto Lange for Nuclear Free to the US. Does Jacinda have courage or is the prospect of selling a crustacean worth supporting a regime that has rapes and concentration camps?
When did that happen, 4 months ago?? Next thing they’ll be going back to March last year and saying they should have closed down earlier. Getting sick of these “retro joes” who were all for Swedens herd immunity (joke) opening the borders (then closing them), allowing kiwis to come in then stopping all kiwis from returning. Where do they get their expert advice from – Hosking and Garner? Don’t they watch TV or look online and see whats happening around the world. I say to those losers, Rejoice! you are in the most free and safest country in the world, otherwise go and live overseas.
Ill stick to Ash, knowing that he seeks advice from all other experts before he advices the PM.