MEDIAWATCH: John Campbell’s devastating critique of Labour is Public Broadcasting at its greatest
TRIGGER WARNING: The following journalism will trigger some. For National and ACT voters, John’s journalism will shatter your stupid neoliberal myths, for Labour voters, John’s journalism will shatter your tribalism for Jacinda, and for the woke, having to listen to a heteronormative white cis male drop truth bombs will trigger you, that said, the Wellington Feminist collective have made John an honorary women, so that should soften the intersectionalist wheel of grievance some what.
If this latest brilliant work of journalism by John Campbell is the future of public broadcasting and investigative journalism in this country, we are safe.
From the beautiful design and lay out, to the clever use of imagery and just enough interaction to benefit the story rather than eclipse it, John’s damning indictment on the way Labour and National have left the poor to rot is angering, righteous journalism that does more to bring insight and oversight to the poorest parts of our community than 7 Sharp or The Project have ever managed to do collectively in the years they’ve both been running.
John is such a cultural treasure of a broadcaster, he forensically highlights all the things that everyone of us who have been fighting poverty have brought up, and that is Labour have failed us.
He goes further and highlights the legacy damage caused by National as well.
Labour have not implemented ANY of the 42 recommendations by WEAG to help the poorest amongst us and that’s because it doesn’t matter who is the Government, Labour or National – it just doesn’t matter because the neoliberal Wellington bureaucratic elite ensure there can never be any Bernie Sander’s left wing populism as welfare policy ever.
They will shut it down and claw it back and continue to treat the vulnerable as scum.
If the poor are too frightened to ask the State for help, then it saves us money, that’s their ideological position.
John’s fearless journalism reminds us that Labour have failed the poor and that if Jacinda can’t show us real transformation then we must use the Greens and the Maori Party to force bottom lines for a Government post 2023 or start our own political party.
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It’s been proven that John Campbell lost his job under both National and Labour so it’s questionable what kind of jobs programmes they’re running.
NZs own border security has been picking up pandemic level disease at the borders for years. Why these national security risk alerts didn’t motivate action could not possible fall on a journalist.
His stories are more balanced, reasoned, and sane than any of your opinions though. Just sayin’.
john is just another grumpy old unbiased man but with a faint social bent.
Grumpy? Faint?
I wasnt quite so impressed with this piece. Yes, it said the government had failed but it also really lay into the National party. Deservedly but the government got off comparatively lightly.
To me, it felt more about John Campbell sound bites and a platform for him to show he’s still relevant and less about being as compelling as it should be. The Govt has hung these people out to dry. People desperately need help now and Jacinda said that would be their priority (Years ago). Where are the warm, dry low income homes? Where is the CPI linked accommodation supplements and tax bracket adjustments? Why are so many people having to go without food? $3 petrol and climbing. Climate change is important but I’m darn sure we are not going to be seeing GST off food (and if its such a bad idea, why do many other countries do it?) in the budget. Money for kerbside food waste infrastructure when kids go hungry. And as usual light targets for agriculture.
It probably wasn’t the takeaway John Campbell intended but the lasting impression I got listening to his report was a countries economy, such as NZ’s, is completely out of kilter if it requires infusion of taxpayer money to citizens, just so they can survive. And that is people actually working. This dog chasing its tail can never win or fix anything.
Anyone stuck on some form of income support like this is hooked on a insidious drug that means they can never be free to escape the rut they are slowly sinking into.