Hard to like this, it is beyond believe, but not unexpected for those who could see it coming. No matter how many times I tried to explain this before the election, people still believed the myth this person could be a better finance minister than Grant Robertson. I tried to share your posts on the community pages of my town but they get removed due to being too political. It appears the public wants to know whose cat/dog is on the loose or why the sirens are going off. Fair enough good activities happen too, but this is years of missing civic education leading to disinterest or no understanding of how politics affects our lives. Our 4th estate is not at all putting this right by a huge lack of analysis, simply doing the he said she said snippets. National Radio is sometimes doing a good job but there is not where the average listener is, they get lost in sad feedback spaces commandeered by shock jocks🙁
As School bus drivers my wife and I are on the living wage, this only happened because Labour changed the rules about Govt contractors, before this we were on the minimum wage - it has made a huge difference🙏🏽 We also cover a contract driver job for our company outside of School hours and I had to negotiate the hours with our boss - his excuse for shortchanging our hours was he had already given us a pay rise (to living wage) I soon shot that down by reminding him that he had to courtesy of the government😅 He paid the hours we asked for👍 and doesn’t spar with me much these days🤔😅 These neoliberal assholes are everywhere😏😜
I don't suppose the guillotine exists these days, but... Seriously, Nicola and her mates seem to enjoy the cruelty they inflict on those for whom they care little. Those who often are working hard, sometimes at two jobs, to make ends meet. Why does Nicola seem to want to punish them? Have they done something wrong?
I think I know what their crime is. They have the misfortune of being poor. And with that, less opportunities. How dare they breathe the same air as willis, peters, seymour and the rest 🤔
Hi Alison, yes, the unlovely Nicola Willis highly likely had a very sheltered upbringing with enough money at her fingertips right from when she was born. Probably private school educated, no idea of the real world. Yes, she runs the country like she is budgeting for a household? Has she ever had to budget for anything? I doubt it very much. Right from the beginning I have disliked this woman and what she stands for immensely. 😔
Last night TV One news news allowed Nicola Willis to give misinformation to make it look like she was doing a good thing for workers. Thank goodness we have journalists like Bryan Bruce who still do the work that a journalist is meant to do.
Willis's similarities to Ruth Richardson grow increasingly apparent, and her dire effects on the wellbeing of large sectors of the population will be just as far-reaching. She has no qualifications for the position she holds, and her approaches would not work even in running a household, let alone a country. Her attitude belongs with the 19th century societal evils, so well described by Dickens, perpetrated on the poor. Presumably she'd be delighted to see widows and orphans condemned to the poor house (although that might be slightly better than just being removed from the statistics altogether, as seems to be the coalition's favourite way of dealing with inconvenient realities).
Very well said, Bryan. I hope this gets enough ´likes’ to be made public because it’s important analysis, so I would like it to reach more widely than your subscribers. Ngā mihi.
I like Rutger Bergman's 'Poverty is not a lack of character but a lack of cash.' Bergman advocates a Basic Income which many trials show gives choice and self direction to an individual's life. I wonder at the symbolism of the accompanying photo of Nicola Willis. She has a foot on the table. Is this revealing of Nicola's attitude of stomping all over people for whom she shares Luxon's attitude towards those deemed 'bottom feeders'?
One assumes that the previous Government had som pride in leading the way towards fair wages, some pride in making sure that the buildings they provided were of the highest standards, some pride in leading the use of electrical chicken etc. Will this Government pride itself in a return to "cheap and nasty"...low wage, poorer buildings, careless of environment?
Am pretty sure as well that such decisions would come about business lobbyists said "please stop leading the way on decent wages and buildings standards."
Willis simply disgusts me she's overpaid for a job she is entirely not qualified for & then has the audacity to say other people can work for less. Whoever cleans her toilet should get paid more than her because they do a better & more professional job.
Libertarians are selfish, don’t care about anyone else people. Add to that the attitude of most rich people towards anyone who isn’t and we have the coalition policies. Small government, underfunded public services and blame anyone who disagrees with them.
The attitude of Luxon, Willis and the rest of them is reprehensible but there are many who agree with them.
Without a loud opposition with strong policies, the next election will be a rerun of the last.
I was on a tram in Melbourne yesterday and overheard two young peple talking about possibly moving to NZ for a change of scene and a new experience. While they seemed keen on the idea, the discussion moved to wages and they quickly talked each other out of it. In reality, the hourly rate they said they were getting in Melbourne wasn't that different, but they both knew that Aotearoa is way more expensive on nearly all counts. The $24 p/h they'd get simply isn't enough to survive a winter in Queenstown. It's bloody dismal to still have willfully stupid people at the helm who think it's the poorest peple who cause all the issues for government. The sooner this mishmash ghoulish government is gone, the better.
I agree, but it isn't going to be easy to get a new one. The money flowing to them: very little public-good media: low trust in both politicians and media: right wing ownership of media (and the take-over bid for NZME is especially concerning): widespread disengagement with voting: wide engagement with Trumpism and right-wing ideology online. All of this means to it is really hard to get a different message through to the populous.
I fear we are standing on the beach watching a tsunami coming... Climate Change and WWIII.
Thank you Bryan, Willis seems to be enjoying herself in giving the working-poor a hiding with an open hand and I wonder when she will start to use a closed fist. I couldn't help comparing the coalition with the Trump and his oligarchs government, will our own take a leaf out of their book? Are we in the age of dictatorships? I think it is time to vote 'no confidence' in this government before more harm is done.
Well said Bryan. I’m as blind to her state of mind as she is to those of us who need a hand up. Because she has no remorse, I suppose she sleeps like a baby, too.
This is slightly unorthodox but I've come to think that, for two weeks or so every 6 months, all politicians should have to clean their own toilets & be paid the wages the cleaners would normally get, with the politicians wages to be paid to those cleaners. Their loos are cleaned, for once workers get a decent wage & with any sort of luck, politicians will be brought rather more down to earth.
I suspect that there are some Neo Liberals who would welcome the return of orphanges & workhouses, in particular politicians like Nicola Willis, who appears to be as heartless as Ruth Richardson was.
I like todays article Bryan for all the wrong reasons. I can't comment too much given the language I'd be using in relation to this woman would be totally inappropriate for a public forum. Perhaps if they led by example and reduced their own Salaries, but we all know that'll never happen. If anything, they'll increase their own .... Grrrr !
But we can all take comfort, in that Willis will throw in her usual favorite saying of: "I get it !"
Her "getting it" which I don't believe for a moment, doesn't pay anyone's Bills. End of ! !
The greater sadness is that at the end of her tenure, which can't come quick enough, they'll award and reward her with a Damehood, just to insult us all that little bit extra ...
By the way, am loving the concept of "Electric Chickens".
Agreed Bryan. I also think it's time we had a tax free allowance at the bottom of the earnings table, too. e.g. "In the UK, for the 2024/25 tax year, most individuals can earn up to £12,570 annually without paying income tax. This is known as the Personal Allowance and applies to individuals on the standard tax code". I think Labour has considered this before but, probably fearing an assault by the media, declined to do it.
Hard to like this, it is beyond believe, but not unexpected for those who could see it coming. No matter how many times I tried to explain this before the election, people still believed the myth this person could be a better finance minister than Grant Robertson. I tried to share your posts on the community pages of my town but they get removed due to being too political. It appears the public wants to know whose cat/dog is on the loose or why the sirens are going off. Fair enough good activities happen too, but this is years of missing civic education leading to disinterest or no understanding of how politics affects our lives. Our 4th estate is not at all putting this right by a huge lack of analysis, simply doing the he said she said snippets. National Radio is sometimes doing a good job but there is not where the average listener is, they get lost in sad feedback spaces commandeered by shock jocks🙁
🎯🎯🎯
As School bus drivers my wife and I are on the living wage, this only happened because Labour changed the rules about Govt contractors, before this we were on the minimum wage - it has made a huge difference🙏🏽 We also cover a contract driver job for our company outside of School hours and I had to negotiate the hours with our boss - his excuse for shortchanging our hours was he had already given us a pay rise (to living wage) I soon shot that down by reminding him that he had to courtesy of the government😅 He paid the hours we asked for👍 and doesn’t spar with me much these days🤔😅 These neoliberal assholes are everywhere😏😜
I don't suppose the guillotine exists these days, but... Seriously, Nicola and her mates seem to enjoy the cruelty they inflict on those for whom they care little. Those who often are working hard, sometimes at two jobs, to make ends meet. Why does Nicola seem to want to punish them? Have they done something wrong?
Thanks for the article and the info, Bryan.
I think I know what their crime is. They have the misfortune of being poor. And with that, less opportunities. How dare they breathe the same air as willis, peters, seymour and the rest 🤔
Hi Alison, yes, the unlovely Nicola Willis highly likely had a very sheltered upbringing with enough money at her fingertips right from when she was born. Probably private school educated, no idea of the real world. Yes, she runs the country like she is budgeting for a household? Has she ever had to budget for anything? I doubt it very much. Right from the beginning I have disliked this woman and what she stands for immensely. 😔
It’s a tempting image…
roll out the Tumbrils...
Last night TV One news news allowed Nicola Willis to give misinformation to make it look like she was doing a good thing for workers. Thank goodness we have journalists like Bryan Bruce who still do the work that a journalist is meant to do.
Not to mention Casey Costello, and the "we have better evidence"... disgusting on so many levels = corrupt.
Yes, I totally agree!
Willis's similarities to Ruth Richardson grow increasingly apparent, and her dire effects on the wellbeing of large sectors of the population will be just as far-reaching. She has no qualifications for the position she holds, and her approaches would not work even in running a household, let alone a country. Her attitude belongs with the 19th century societal evils, so well described by Dickens, perpetrated on the poor. Presumably she'd be delighted to see widows and orphans condemned to the poor house (although that might be slightly better than just being removed from the statistics altogether, as seems to be the coalition's favourite way of dealing with inconvenient realities).
Very well said, Bryan. I hope this gets enough ´likes’ to be made public because it’s important analysis, so I would like it to reach more widely than your subscribers. Ngā mihi.
I like Rutger Bergman's 'Poverty is not a lack of character but a lack of cash.' Bergman advocates a Basic Income which many trials show gives choice and self direction to an individual's life. I wonder at the symbolism of the accompanying photo of Nicola Willis. She has a foot on the table. Is this revealing of Nicola's attitude of stomping all over people for whom she shares Luxon's attitude towards those deemed 'bottom feeders'?
Spot on Gaylene ..
One assumes that the previous Government had som pride in leading the way towards fair wages, some pride in making sure that the buildings they provided were of the highest standards, some pride in leading the use of electrical chicken etc. Will this Government pride itself in a return to "cheap and nasty"...low wage, poorer buildings, careless of environment?
Am pretty sure as well that such decisions would come about business lobbyists said "please stop leading the way on decent wages and buildings standards."
Electric cars rather than chicken! Really must remember that these apps seem capable of writing what they choose. Apologies!
It was funny 😂
It caught my attention though and a second read.
Luxon stands up frequently and says he's incredibly proud of the work this Government is doing. That tells us all we need to know!
Willis simply disgusts me she's overpaid for a job she is entirely not qualified for & then has the audacity to say other people can work for less. Whoever cleans her toilet should get paid more than her because they do a better & more professional job.
Libertarians are selfish, don’t care about anyone else people. Add to that the attitude of most rich people towards anyone who isn’t and we have the coalition policies. Small government, underfunded public services and blame anyone who disagrees with them.
The attitude of Luxon, Willis and the rest of them is reprehensible but there are many who agree with them.
Without a loud opposition with strong policies, the next election will be a rerun of the last.
Keep up the good work, Bryan!
I was on a tram in Melbourne yesterday and overheard two young peple talking about possibly moving to NZ for a change of scene and a new experience. While they seemed keen on the idea, the discussion moved to wages and they quickly talked each other out of it. In reality, the hourly rate they said they were getting in Melbourne wasn't that different, but they both knew that Aotearoa is way more expensive on nearly all counts. The $24 p/h they'd get simply isn't enough to survive a winter in Queenstown. It's bloody dismal to still have willfully stupid people at the helm who think it's the poorest peple who cause all the issues for government. The sooner this mishmash ghoulish government is gone, the better.
I agree, but it isn't going to be easy to get a new one. The money flowing to them: very little public-good media: low trust in both politicians and media: right wing ownership of media (and the take-over bid for NZME is especially concerning): widespread disengagement with voting: wide engagement with Trumpism and right-wing ideology online. All of this means to it is really hard to get a different message through to the populous.
I fear we are standing on the beach watching a tsunami coming... Climate Change and WWIII.
Trump needs to crash and burn and then politicians will cease to emulate his disgustingness.
Thank you Bryan, Willis seems to be enjoying herself in giving the working-poor a hiding with an open hand and I wonder when she will start to use a closed fist. I couldn't help comparing the coalition with the Trump and his oligarchs government, will our own take a leaf out of their book? Are we in the age of dictatorships? I think it is time to vote 'no confidence' in this government before more harm is done.
Well said Bryan. I’m as blind to her state of mind as she is to those of us who need a hand up. Because she has no remorse, I suppose she sleeps like a baby, too.
This is slightly unorthodox but I've come to think that, for two weeks or so every 6 months, all politicians should have to clean their own toilets & be paid the wages the cleaners would normally get, with the politicians wages to be paid to those cleaners. Their loos are cleaned, for once workers get a decent wage & with any sort of luck, politicians will be brought rather more down to earth.
I suspect that there are some Neo Liberals who would welcome the return of orphanges & workhouses, in particular politicians like Nicola Willis, who appears to be as heartless as Ruth Richardson was.
I like todays article Bryan for all the wrong reasons. I can't comment too much given the language I'd be using in relation to this woman would be totally inappropriate for a public forum. Perhaps if they led by example and reduced their own Salaries, but we all know that'll never happen. If anything, they'll increase their own .... Grrrr !
But we can all take comfort, in that Willis will throw in her usual favorite saying of: "I get it !"
Her "getting it" which I don't believe for a moment, doesn't pay anyone's Bills. End of ! !
The greater sadness is that at the end of her tenure, which can't come quick enough, they'll award and reward her with a Damehood, just to insult us all that little bit extra ...
By the way, am loving the concept of "Electric Chickens".
Agreed Bryan. I also think it's time we had a tax free allowance at the bottom of the earnings table, too. e.g. "In the UK, for the 2024/25 tax year, most individuals can earn up to £12,570 annually without paying income tax. This is known as the Personal Allowance and applies to individuals on the standard tax code". I think Labour has considered this before but, probably fearing an assault by the media, declined to do it.