Waatea News Column: The Political Challenges for 2021 mount quickly
2021 has barely begun and NZ Politics is already reeling on a multitude of fronts which will continue to shape what is already looking like a year that may manage to eclipse the trauma of 2020.
Prison Riot – The smouldering ruins of Waikeria Prison are barely out and there are calls for an independent review of what went wrong and how Corrections managed to allow conditions to break down so appallingly. News that the Armed Offenders Squad opened fire on the Prisoners demands answers as well. There are some hard questions looming for Kelvin Davis.
Meth Crime Wave -The enormous amount of pure meth the 501s have managed to import into NZ through South American cartels has destabilized the domestic black market and combined with violent standover tactics, has seen a wave of gang-related shootings. New Zealanders are not used to the violent tactics displayed by the 501s and if a gang war erupts, Kiwi’s will turn to whatever politician promises the worst revenge.
Covid – Despite the optimism that the vaccinations would blunt the pandemic, Covid has mutated and is now more contagious than ever. As we close in on 100 million global infections, the threat of it getting into the country overshadows every other domestic issue.
Trump – The shocking images out of Washington last week showed that right up until the 20th January, Trump could be a destabilising factor so extreme it requires NZ to denounce its actions.
The Government will have its hands full just getting through January.
First published on Waatea News.
I’m enjoying the decline in this our Aotearoa. Its beyond saving now. Nothing will be fixed in 2021. Everything that matters will be made worse by Ardern and Co.
I used to think my life was a tragedy, now I realise its all a comedy.
Meth Crime Wave.
Stratford. Find it on a map if you can. Population. only a few fucking thousand.
The local P dealer arrested with $350,000 cash stashed in her house. The police have to up their game and government must start pouring money and resources into fighting P. Might find it helps their other targets in reducing poverty homelessness and crime.
decriminalise all drugs .
so then also support services can be set up without discrimination for those that need it .
Greens who?
A couple more:
– Our beautiful beaches so polluted that no-one can swim in them, let alone consume anything that lives or swims in them. People swim anyway, adults and children. “Pure NZ”, swimming in our own septic overflows. (But hey! We all must “Wash our hands”, remember. We’re trying to keep healthy here?)
– Entire harbours polluted to a toxic level. And a mayor says, “But, but… It’s the very old pipes and when we get around to it, one day, someone will fix it…” Yeah. Right.
– Climate Change, eg as it washes out Napier, 100+ homes uninhabitable. Yet despite declaring a CC emergency, little to be seen by way of action.
– Homes increasingly unaffordable, speculators delight as no law yet prevents or even slows them down.
– A dangerous new disease invades parliament. It’s called “Passing the buck”. Once you see it, it’s everywhere.
So you think by imposing some taxes, it will not rain in Napier? Even of no human lived in NZ, it will not make an iota of difference to the world pollution levels. So stop talking about climate emergency. It is all a scam to introduce more taxes. Nothing else.
Indeed!
Those “Comms People” (hopefully not the NZQA ones). PR merchants and spin doctors are already out in force judging by a few public servants I’ve spoken to this morning. Some of them – (actual worker bees) didn’t want to return to work this morning). Can’t blame them – in many cases, the absence of their master-of-the-Universe overlords would probably have things running a lot more smoothly.