To wish that Jacinda Ardern was Prime Minister here

[Bassarid]

I think she is fantastic

I don't know that I'd say we're more compliant, necessarily. If something sounds sensible to us, we tend to go along with it. If it sounds like half arsed, chicken running around with it's head cut off, with it's arse hanging out in the breeze, bullshit, we tend to ignore it. Particularly if we feel it's one rule for the oiks, and another for the guvnors. . .

She used to work for Tony Blair. That's my one fact.

If it sounds like half arsed, chicken running around with it's head cut off, with it's arse hanging out in the breeze, bullshit, we tend to ignore it

@mbosnz That's got to be far and away the most apt description of the UK PM I've seen.

TBH I’d take almost anyone else over BJ as PM. Even the next person I pass in the street is likely to be able to a better job.

She's done well with the pandemic, but it wasn't all that difficult seeing as NZ doesn't have land borders.

Otherwise she hasn't done so well.

She also doesn't seem to agree or understand that a woman is an adult, human female (as opposed to a man in a dress), which is worrying for women's sex-based rights.

I'm not sure you can really compare shutting borders in NZ to the UK. NZ in many ways is a very isolated country with nothing like the international traffic.

Anyway - she seems like a nice person who listens to experts which is not a bad thing in a leader. I do however think she is altogether too ready to restrict information and only accept a limited way of thinking. In that sense she reminds me of Justin Trudeau, who has a sort of instinctual feeling that his values are Canadian values and so there is no real need to consider that all citizens might not share them.

I also wonder, and this isn't a personal criticism, if the people of NZ may find that their system isn't awfully centralised with a majority government.

RHTawneyonabus 'TBH I’d take almost anyone else over BJ as PM. Even the next person I pass in the street is likely to be able to a better job'.

Not is likely, would do a better job. Please be kind and respectful of those in your area.

Nope. She would never get my vote.

She's in charge of a tiny little country with a population smaller than London.
What makes you think she could step up to govern a population more than ten times that of NZ, and a major international hub for finance, trade and commerce with a cosmopolitan population?

@JaJaDingDong

She's in charge of a tiny little country with a population smaller than London. What makes you think she could step up to govern a population more than ten times that of NZ, and a major international hub for finance, trade and commerce with a cosmopolitan population?

Boris is in charge of the UK, despite the fact he wasn't in charge before, so I don't understand this argument.

I’d prefer Merkel if I had to choose. Closer fit to our situation.

Presumably this is the same Jacinda Arderne who voted for the law in NZ allowing abortions up to birth and voted against the amendment to allow medical staff to give the foetus/baby pain killers or any medical aid?

Yes, this is the same Jacinda Ardern who is decriminalising abortion. Abortion will be available on demand up to 20 weeks. Thereafter, a qualified medical health professional will need to assess the woman.

@Fallulah

“ Sebastian- we're also an island though. Theoretically we could have been in a lot better state than we are if we'd followed her example and went in on lockdown hard- with lockdown meaning lockdown. ”

Unfortunately though, New Zealand people seem to be a lot more compliant than here. Just look at the queues of stupid people trying to get in to pubs/clubs etc for their last drink before curfew/closures kicked in in the north. Or the people who protested against lockdown measures. Or the people who just refused to take care of themselves/others by complying with what they were asked. I don’t see that in New Zealand.

Also she has had a string of high profile incidents in her country in which she has been a good figurehead, been able to male snap decisions and create great sound bites. She’s a good leader (I’d still take her over Boris) but let’s see how she fairs now she has a long run of ‘business as usual’.

And indeed the stupid people in the south who did exactly the same when London level 2 was announced 🙄

I just hope NZ does have a run of 'business as usual' - it's due for it! Especially Christchurch. . .

@mbosnz

I just hope NZ does have a run of 'business as usual' - it's due for it! Especially Christchurch. . .

Christchurch and the surrounding area has had a rough few years with terrorism, plus you can see so much earthquake damage still