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Hipkins certainly looked the part when he was anointed Prime Minister. The years of Ardern’s manipulative public relations slogans and dishonesty were at an end. The electorate was more than ready for a positive change and some real leadership, and Hipkins made all the right noises.
Backtracking (or at least pretending to do so) on some of the policies that the public clearly don’t want a bar of was a good start – if you were prepared to believe he actually meant it. Of course, we all know that philosophically he was (and obviously must remain) totally committed to the cause. He was Ardern’s right-hand man. We would be very foolish to overlook or forget that. Like their good friend in Canada, pretty boy Justin Trudeau, Ardern and Hipkins are cast in the same mould. They know how to look the part, how to act the part and how to say the “right” things as and when it suits.
But like anything which is merely “gold plated”, the veneer soon starts to wear off and the underbelly begins to show. Ardern’s underbelly was ugly and as more of the electorate came to realise it, her popularity plummeted. She had to go. It became a question of how best to capitalise on all the positives and, let’s face it, for the first time in memorable history, the Labour party had a leadership coup that didn’t look like they were about to devour their own family.
Like Ardern, Hipkins has never had a real job and hasn’t a clue about the realities of life. He’s a pretty boy who looks innocent and charming, but the veneer is thin and starting to wear already. The New Zealand electorate is desperately looking for real leadership and integrity; given the opportunity to show some, Hipkins has been an abysmal failure and has shown himself to be just as shallow as the car park puddle Ardern was.
Two events have shown he’s nothing more than a pretty face, spouting the same philosophical nonsense that most of us want kept in perspective. As Prime Minister, he needs to show leadership – not follow the woke worldview.
The things he has said, and allowed to be said by members of his government, about the events in Albert Park and the Posy Parker affair are unforgivable. He is the Prime Minister. At the very least he should have insisted the police do their job and he should have totally removed himself from any possible perception that he agrees with Marama Davidson’s racist comments. Instead, he’s joined the baying mob and become one of the crowd. Bad move, Prime Minister.
The Nash affair was an opportunity to take control and do the right thing. Well, he did half of it by sacking Nash. That of course was inevitable in the circumstances. Not even a pretty boy emperor with no clothes would mess that part up. But covering up for the two senior staff members in the Prime Minister’s office who failed to do their jobs? Bad move, Prime Minister.
There is a strong perception that since coming to power, Labour have been as transparent as a thick concrete wall and that favours for mates have happened all over the place. The Nash case is not an isolated case and we all know it. They have too many lefty mates working in their offices covering up for them, and the Nash exposure is unlikely to be the last.
The two senior advisors were either knowingly and intentionally covering up for Nash or they are completely inept or worse – they told the then Prime Minister and all of them are complicit in a cover up.
Either way, they should both go. No ifs, no buts, no maybes.
Two bad moves, Prime Minister. Three and you’re out. It’s unlikely that strike three will be long in coming.
