9 Comments

Those working in the health sector need our sympathy though.

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Christopher ‘Spinner’ Luxon having absolutely no idea how to engage with the health system has now saddled it with the most dogmatic, inept, myopic, ideologue currently on New Zealand soil. Expect nothing good. And 2025 is off and racing. Same shit, different day.

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Chris Bishop is friendly and much more covertly nefarious so I expect positive headlines and happier voters while he helps his donors get rich. A true win/win.

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Yeah I'm not as opimistic about Bishop myself. I don't think the ministers of this government contribute to policy ideas. Those policies have been "mapped out" for them by other interest groups & the ministers jobs are to deliver what has been "mapped out" already.

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Simeon Brown also becomes SOE Minister which has to be bad news for KiwiRail and for the Cook Strait ferries.

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Well said, good riddance. Cannot see what the PM sees in him. I think the way he's been promoted can only really mean one thing - He has a whole lot of deep-pocket supporters (read lobbyists)

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A 'normal Minister of Transport'? Let's remind ourselves of Chris Bishop's record. His professional life before entering parliament was that he had dedicated himself to being a lobbyist for the tobacco industry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoTUo5iRI1Y

Which some might say is verging on evil.

Then the Fast Track Bill. Please take a look at Labour MP Arena Williams in Parliament giving the clearest explanation of the corruption inherent in the workings of this - and all closely allied to Chris Bishop. https://www.tiktok.com/@notmyprimeminister/video/7447830276224355592

And take a look at his answers to the select committee in this Hansard record here

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20241210_056220000/williams-arena-oconnor-greg-mcanulty-kieran-webb

It could be that Chris Bishop is even more dangerous than Simeon Brown.

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Bishop in the past has been supportive of the idea of extending the Melling Line up to Kelson/Belmont so he does have some record of supporting non-road infrastructure. Maybe he'll support replacing rather than removing the Ava Rail Bridge pedestrian walkway. If he can't even support these activities in his own constituency, what chance for the rest of the country?

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Same Minister for Housing, Infrastructure and Transport could be a good move done well.

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