Now For a Little Bit of Personal 'Housekeeping' Vis-a-Vis a Whole Slew of Matters Concerning Politics in God's Zone/God's Own Over Recent Days and Weeks...NONE of Which Throw A Particularly Positive Light Upon Our Unprecedentedly Popular Present Prime Minister and Associates...

Join me as I speak of (opinion) polls - 'universal' acclaim from international pundits and politicoes - a politically 'unsuccessful' but principled predecessor - a similarly 'successful' (and globally feted) but less (than) principled, pragmatic pontiff - over-promising and raising expectations to the hilt whilst leaving folk in the lurch, under-delivering here, there and pretty much everywhere, and even entering upon territory verboten by Parliament, wherein the dreaded 'h word' is in grave danger of being invoked...

...yet 'in the end', when all is said and done and the fat lady has spoken to the very point of hoarseness, no longer having anyone to blame but yourselves for having nothing to show for it, no convenient fall-guy or scapegoat to fall back upon when the roosters all well and truly come home to roost once and for all time...

Yes, join me as I speak of *plummeting approval ratings *deceptive praise from unaffected devotees *the real-deal person of principle *gratifying everyone whilst failing to really please anyone *finally eschewing endless hui, whilst embracing some true-dinkum 'do-ey' *much-touted political 'expedients' losing faith and patience *'essential' workers deserted in their hour of gravest need *environmental credentials shredded faster than an emission credit *pussyfooting around whilst ethnic cleansing carries on apace

Suffice to say, none of the above (to be outlined and detailed in forthcoming blogposts) reflects well upon Aotearoa-New Zealand's current administration, though they could give bobsy dye about any of it, and sadly and all too predictably they will continue in the selfsame till those whose credulity they are stretching see fit to recognize the fact and actually do something about it, though methinks by then it will effectively be way too late, and then some...

The following day (eve), Wednesday March the 24th (NZ time):

Suffice to say, events having as usual gotten well and truly on top of me (as the numbers did in a recurrent childhood nightmare atop my mother's large bed)...

these are the various and sundry news items to which I've been referring:

1) It was interesting/entertaining last week (Tuesday March 16th) to observe how visibly rattled and riled up the Finance Minister (and deputy PM) got in Parliament (during Question Time) as the results in the previous night's Colmar-Brunton poll really came home to roost...

...the only really salient point (as in negative feature) in said poll for the Government being the massive quarter (plus) shaved off of Prime Minister Ardern's personal approval ratings: yes, the gloss has at last well and truly started to fade 'locally' from the lady who at one time could apparently do no wrong, the ongoing fawning and obsequiousness by international media and global politicoes notwithstanding...

Folks, it's - long past - time for you (the NZ Govt) to be resting and reclining upon your internationally-gifted laurels, it's now time for some real-deal 'do-ey' as opposed to the rather endless 'hui' (i.e. talkfests and commissions of inquiry)...

...and this time around, there's no convenient fall guy (coalition political party or leader) such as NZ First (or even the Greens) to blame if everything goes wrong or to custard...

2) By distinct and dazzling contrast, former Labour leader David Shearer, featuring upon Jim Mora's esteemed Sunday Morning show the other day, evinced those qualities of real leadership which mark him out as a man of sterling principle and integrity, attributes sadly lacking from so many these days who take it upon themselves to assume political office and revel in all the privileges whilst blithely shirking the commensurate responsibilities...

3) Though not New Zealand-related, by point of comparison  I noted last week an adept as move strategically/politically/religiously by that master of such manoeuvres, Pope Francis himself: c/o a new Vatican-based 'edict', coming down in favour of civil unions whilst steadfastly eschewing same-sex marriage(s)...

...a move surely set to please and infuriate vast hosts of the 'faithful' (as well as unbelievers) at the same time, and the selfsame people in many cases!

4) I note - as has the media (even RNZ National Radio to boot!) - the growing disquiet and slowly simmering discontent amongst the survivors/families of the victims of the Christchurch (March 15th, 2019) mosque massacres...whilst the await substantial action and follow-up on the many fair political professions made...

5) And how come 'essential workers' somehow fails to include those noble, self-sacrificing supermarket workers whose valiant efforts put them firmly in the foreground of the nation's response to Covid-19? By which I mean, of course, that it's all well and good to give them such commendation when it suits the Government, but now that the vaccine is being rolled out they're not even cited on the list...

6) And as for the Government's other 'priorities', such as "our generation's nuclear-free moment" vis-a-vis climate change, the fact - as noted and distinguished overnight Newstalk ZB talkback host, the inimitable Bruce Russell himself - that last year New Zealand imported more coal than any year since 2006 (incidentally during the previous Labour Government of Helen Clark, no less, who has herself ever waxed eloquent and said all the right stuff upon such issues both while Prime Minister and ever since), makes one unavoidably think of a certain word beginning with the letter 'h' - I wonder what that could possibly be?

7) But far more serious, at least to this global onlooker, is - as also referred to by Bruce Russell - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's "Softly, softly" approach to Mainland China over their oppressed and beleaguered Uighur people...

...ever careful not to needlessly antagonize their CCP Government. Yes, Russell is A1 correct in asserting she needs to take a leaf out of her neighbour ('Scomo')'s notebook thereabouts... 

...as indeed, to her credit, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta - like her esteemed predecessor, the Right Honourable Winston Peters, ever and always did...