Chloe Swarbrick seems to be showing us she is not one of those cute cuddly Greens who can always find something good to say about everyone. Nope, she’s a whinging, nasty serial complainer, who thinks if she shrieks, scolds and stamps her foot then people will start listening to her.
The Government today announced its 36-point action plan, the successor to its 49-point 100-day plan, which was completed on March 8.
The new plan includes items such as delivering the Budget, and legislating for tax cuts, and “take decisions” on a dozen things, such as the reform of the Holidays Act.
It also included raising “the energy” New Zealand brought to its international relations.
The 36-point plan can be found here.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the plan was focused on three areas – rebuilding the economy, restoring law and order and delivering better public services – a key messaging line from the party’s 2023 election campaign.
In response to the announcement, Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick said there were no surprises nor “meaningful solutions” in the Government’s “bingo card for environmental destruction and trickle-down economics”.
“Christopher Luxon is not in the boardroom anymore. The irony is these bullet points wouldn’t even hold up in the corporate world: vague, immeasurable and untethered from reality and evidence as they are.
“What on earth does raising the energy New Zealand brings to international relationships mean? For who precisely, and how in reality, does the Government want to ‘improve the rental market’?”
She said when someone showed you who they were you should believe them and the Government had shown that its focus was “squarely on gutting environmental, climate and social gains in order to line the pockets of a few at the top”.
“They could at least be honest about it.”
1News
So, now we’ve heard the Greens’ response to the Government’s 36-point plan, calling it “PR spin” and “as pointless as it is hollow.”
But let’s take a step back and ponder, is it really the Government that’s untethered from reality, or perhaps the Greens themselves?
The Greens seem to be painting themselves as the champions of meaningful solutions, yet their critique lacks substance.
Swarbrick questions the vague nature of the plan, but isn’t her own criticism equally vague?
Instead of offering concrete alternatives, she chooses to throw stones from her glass house.
It’s easy to criticise but it’s much harder to propose real solutions.
And what about Swarbrick’s assertion that the plan is focused on “environmental destruction and trickle-down economics”?
That’s a bold claim, but where’s the evidence?
It’s easy to toss around buzzwords, and slogans but, without backing them up with facts, it’s just empty rhetoric. We saw all too well what happens when a foolish leader spouts only slogans as when Jacinda Ardern was Prime Minister.
But what about Labour?
Labour’s deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni said the Government “should ‘raise the energy’ on cost of living support for New Zealanders”.
“Our country isn’t a company and shouldn’t be run like one.
“Kiwis deserve a Government that chooses cost of living support for those who need it, like free prescriptions, half price public transport and free and healthy school lunches, rather than $2.9 billion for landlords.”
She said it showed the Government’s “latest list” showed coalition partner ACT had “won out over New Zealand First “in a big way”.
“It makes us wonder who’s calling the shots.”
1News
Carmel Sepuloni echoes the sentiment that our country isn’t a company and shouldn’t be run like one.
Sort of a fair point. But does that really mean we shouldn’t strive for efficiency and accountability in government?
We saw what happens when you run a government like a drunken sailor. Grant Robertson’s borrowings were the largest of any government in New Zealand, ever!
And what do we have to show for it?
Pretty much nothing.
The 36-point plan, flawed as it may be, at least attempts to outline priorities and set goals.
Isn’t that what responsible governance is all about?
Meanwhile, ACT leader David Seymour proudly declares that his party’s policies make up half of the actions in the plan.
Love them or hate them, ACT is undeniably making waves within the coalition Government.
It’s a reminder that politics is a game of compromise and, sometimes, the loudest voices aren’t always the most influential.
As we dissect the latest political drama, let’s remember to question not only the actions of our leaders but also the motives behind the critics.
Are the Greens and Chloe Swarbrick truly the arbiters of reality, or are they simply playing their part in the never-ending game of political theatre?
Help Keep The BFD Alive
Expenses are growing, ad revenue is shrinking. Things have to change otherwise we will need to cut services. We don’t want to have to do that. It’s really up to you.
- For security reasons, credit card donations require Javascript. Please enable Javascript in your browser before continuing.
Your Donation
Your Recurring Donation
Donation Period *
Your One-Time Donation
Details First Name * Last Name * Email * Address Address 2 City State Postcode Country Afghanistan Åland Islands Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belau Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo (Brazzaville) Congo (Kinshasa) Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba CuraÇao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Republic of Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin (French part) Saint Martin (Dutch part) Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines San Marino São Tomé and Príncipe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia/Sandwich Islands South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom (UK) United States (US) Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican Venezuela Vietnam Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Western Samoa Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Phone Number Payment Name on Card * .StripeElement { border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 1em; } #charitable_stripe_card_errors { color: #eb1c26; font-size: .8em; margin: .5em 0 0 0; } Credit/Debit Card Donate
Please share this article so others can discover The BFD.
