Waatea News Column: The Political Challenges for 2021 mount quickly

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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.

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15 COMMENTS

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

    • 1000 percent on our beaches. Auckland beaches and the state of the gulf would be our largest environmental shame. And yet crickets – obviously the woke don’t swim at beaches.

    • 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.

    • There are more important problems to solve a the moment than whether someone can buy and use drugs.
      The government are asleep at the wheel with sorting out a vaccine schedule and are not listening to the medical staff at the isolation hotels who say they are tired and overworked. That is when mistakes are made.
      Police recruitment is on hold at a time when gangs are growing and meth problem is growing along with gun crime.
      The feedback from those working in prisons says they are racist and not well run and before Bert and crew say anything this has been a problem for years and is only getting worse under say nothing Davis

  3. What do I know…? Nothing. I know fuck all. I’m not an elegant lawyer in an elegant office praying to Christ criminals, as a resource, never stop coming because I’ve just bought a Ferrari and a house in Ponsonby.
    I’m not a cop. Cops crave power more than Brawndo. And power corrupts, so the old saying goes. Be honest cops? When you thought of becoming a cop, you also thought of the power you’ll enjoy. Sure, you’ll rescue kittens and smile at babies but it’s the power you know you have over others that gives you the frisson.
    I’m no crook. I think of myself as a kind man. A straight up fellow who has no interest in hurting others. I’ve never pinched stuff nor swindled anyone. I hate bullies and I love my beautiful AO/NZ. So, nothing to see here copper.
    That list above? Is bullshit. Here’s why this dumbass thinks that.
    Prison Riot.
    Lets be honest. The Waikeria prisoners are not in prison so much as they’re in a torture chamber. They committed crimes so that gives us the right to literally torture them for years and years does it? That’s not justice. That’s sadistic torture. I can understand why the public need to be protected from the inclination of some towards violence etc but also liars, swindlers etc but surely we must rise above the desire to torture them. That’s just sick on our part. We’re supposed to be the victims of crime not the manufacturers of it.
    Meth crime wave.
    Decriminalise meth ! Jesus! Indeed manufacture the poison by the tonne and distribute it to anyone insane enough to use the awful shit. But while it’s illegal it’s an [illegal] cash crop. If meth was a health issue instead of a criminal justice issue what’re the gangs going to do for a living? Get a job? ( Also see the prison torture-cult above)
    Covid.
    Close.The.Borders.Immediately. I was just talking to a registered nurse who has a nursing daughter in the UK.
    Ambulances lining up along the streets, body bags delivered empty and leaving full daily. Her daughter does 12 hour shifts while some do longer. Covid is to be taken very seriously and we should close our borders completely and immediately.
    Trump.
    Who cares? I don’t care and neither should you.
    It’s America for fucks sake. What do you expect? Class? Elegance? Style? Grace? Empathy?
    Psycho Drumph, his family and his Klan member father are the perfect American family. They’re vulgar, crass, vicious liars and they could have been assembled in Las Vegas using spare plastic surgery flesh sucked out of Hollywood’s film stars. Hollywood, the twinkle-sparkle head-fuck capital of the world.
    I don’t understand why so many people seem so surprised at drumph’s behaviour. He’s the living embodiment of everything America. That’s why he’s so popular with the hoi polloi? They’re as dumb and craven as he is so are they likely to vote for left wing artistic intellectuals who love the minorities, women and kittens? No. Is the answer dumbasses.
    There you go. My gift to you. My knowing fuck all yet there I go. Thank me later.
    I fixed the meth problem because it’s as cheap as icing sugar because it’s now in the supermarkets beside the booze and fags.
    Prisoners are now treated with dignity and respect. Two things that the lacking of has created in them a criminal disposition and now that they feel dignified and respected they’ll never return to prison. Ever.
    Covid.
    Our borders are closed and we have no c-19 infections. We instead have a paradise of good foods, fresh water, wonderful climate, our land area larger than the UK with but with only 5 million people… We can enjoy paradise without the discomfort, inconvenience and expense of an untimely death.
    trump. Because we don’t need to care we don’t therefore we’re unaffected and so we can simply just get on with enjoying our awesome selves on our beautiful few glorious islands.
    Cheers ( Clink, fizz, bubble.)
    P.S. Read this re trump. Know your enemy.
    The Guardian.
    Why the Democrats should not impeach Donald Trump
    Simon Jenkins

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/11/democrats-impeach-donald-trump-exile-base

  4. decriminalise all drugs .

    so then also support services can be set up without discrimination for those that need it .

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. ” The Government will have its hands full just getting through January ”
    Well that what the crown ministers and their bureaucrats get so well paid for isinit with their gold plated individual contracts. Is anybody actually back at work yet ? I never stopped since before xmas !!!
    I hope that this collection of wannabes and self entitled Labour MPs are put through the mill and don’t have the time to enjoy their considerable perks and the arrogance that comes with that although some are already compromised.
    I hope they are tested and with no credible opposition they will act like many of the previous FPP governments did exercising total undiluted power to maintain the status quo.
    Voters have given Adern, Robertson and Little a blank cheque to do absolutely nothing ” radical ” which is exactly what we need right now to solve the problems these social democrats say they want to address.
    We are waiting even if they change the election cycle to a dissolution of parliament every four years which will only serve to lengthen the time it will take to act to address the crisis that will not dissapear.

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