I think it’s impossible to say Ardern didn’t change the country, as she shaped it *while* it was changing. It’s just that she perhaps didn’t change it through her legislative agenda as Richardson did. But I don’t think it’s a bad thing that it’s hard to summarise ‘ardernism’, or to label it. It shares its uncertainty with the entire leftist movement — and like leftism, it’ll get there. Give it time.
Better people question Ardern’s legacy than immediately settle on something like “Ruthenasia”. I was surprised to learn Richardson was proud of that. I imagine Ardern would be horrified if her legacy was such — ironic, as Ardern actually legalised euthanasia.
I think what Ardern did was not legislative but bureaucratic and executive-lead. And it was demonstrative. Not to be too personal but I’m at the mercy of the system currently and something notable I experienced was that WINZ became
so friendly, some people forgot that they ever could be awful. Not me. But Ardern made the country hopeful and pushed us towards a better tomorrow, made us think that tomorrow was today, and her takeover from National made it seem smooth enough that people forgot what NACT are like.
It felt like the changes she had made at the time were irreversible because what she changed was the culture, the focus, the *how* — the social safety net was made safe. No more holes. Make it out of soft, not razor thin wire that cuts you when you ask for help. Ministries like Whaikaha tested and expanded Enabling Good Lives-like support across the entire country. Maori were being acknowledged as partners, if perhaps not entirely treated as one. But she unified and typified the sort of progressiveness that New Zealand prides itself on.
Some of it even NACT can’t go back on openly, like EGL philosophy under Ministry for Disabilities, though they’ll certainly cut it to shreds in their attempts through bad budgeting and by removing its main financial function and giving it back to the only government department to ever inspire a mass shooting.
I cannot emphasise enough the incredible turnaround that happened there — someone shot up a WINZ office because WINZ was so awful, and then a short time later, support organisations had forgotten that WINZ could be terrible and turned hostile.
But it at least pushes the right’s ideology more firmly into a space where it must operate more openly, and its hypocrisy and repetitiveness becomes more visible. They are anti-kindness, anti-support, anti-progress. They are the third right-wing austerity government of three — and like the Tories eventually did in the UK, they’ve run out of believable excuses. It’s apparent that it’s austerity for the sake of austerity. It’s self-made austerity too, pure ideology pushing for privatisation and taking money out of the economy, causing all manner of catastrophes NACT now have to pretend to fix, in which their economic management merges with social stances to reveal the deep classist and corrupt roots that permeate the “center” party and its pet attack dog.
I think Ardern’s legacy has to be the response to *her*, and what she showed us our responses can be. She said the word out loud — empathy. Kindness. Openness. She showed us radicalism was wanted and needed, that the country was ready for change: that we thought we were changing, even, transforming into a more unified and stronger nation through our crises. We were setting examples internationally. When really, we weren’t.
But the reactionary response has exposed the deep divisions that pervade politics and prevent us from moving forwards. We are in a six-to-nine year cycle of funding and defunding in an exhausting endurance test where the right are still pushing their extreme unwanted legislative agenda from the 2000s and the 90s on to an unwilling, barely-noticing nation, and the lack of responsible management and the consequences of chopping and changing and underfunding things that are politically unpopular to pay for in a post-neoliberal society are very apparent.
Ardernism and its legacy is, I think, whatever we do next.
Ardern was the right PM for Covid (think how NATs picked over Canterbury post-quake), Ehakaari White Island (think Nats and Pike River) and the mosque attack (can't think of a Nats comparison, just Costello and her gun lobby crew now).
But Ardern wouldnt openly say Yes to Cannabis reform and said No to CGT. She had run out of gas, unsurprisingly, but not sure what progressive policy ideas she was ready to sell.
Ardern was brought down by an accumulation of failures, but most of these weren't her fault.
Kiwibuild?
Delayed end to lockdowns?
Abolition of DHBs?
Three waters/co-governance?
CGT was scuppered by Winston, not Ardern.
The cannabis referendum was lost very narrowly. No such referendum has ever carried, anywhere in the world, until an effective, functioning medicinal cannabis regime has first been established...
I often wonder why no-one holds Ms. Ardern to account for the destruction she wrought on Kiwi women and our rights by supporting passage of the Self-Id provisions of the BDMRR Act (2021) and the act prohibiting counselling for gender-confused children (the conversion practices ban - an exercise in Orwellian double-speak). Those of us who begged her not to legitimise medicalising children who don't fit sex role stereotypes lost. But women and men in NZ lost big time when biologically-based legal categories for "woman" and "man" were scrapped by her. And because biology does matter, women are - as usual - the bigger losers. It is poor consolation that those opposing these measures have been more than fully vindicated by reviews of paediatric medicine for such children in Finland, Sweden, the UK and the US, to name a few. If you, Henry, were previously on the staff of Stuff, there is presumably little chance that you would wish to examine these issues for yourself. For Kiwis who are interested in what this all means, Broadsheet, New Zealand's Feminist Magazine continues to promote an understanding of these issues on its Facebook page.
Ever wondered where "life as we know it" is heading? Dogma and sex stereotypes are not things our pocket electronic brain enhancers are capable of processing
Welcome home Henry. During Ardern's time at the head of the country I cut up my life members card of the LP after 43 years of membership. My frustration was with cabinet members with little life experience outside of politics. They knew little about systems and how to change them. They were driven by ideology and PC mantras. To give Richardson her due she did understand systemic change, even though I detest what she brought into government. When I read LP history many of those who implemented the welfare system in the first government came from the school of hard knocks. They came with experience at the workplace with a determination to create change. Take Dr McMillan and the health system as one example. What he and his local Presbyterian minister, Arnold Nordmeyer, had achieved at their local community became the framework for our health system. The Royal Commission on Abuse in Care challenges us to completely review how welfare is delivered in this country. Has the LP turned its mind to what changes are essential with our current self-serving systems who knows. Their issue is that they look at things from inside the system they believe in, rather than from the outside in, the view of those impacted by how things are currently delivered. I have spoken to several victims of the abuse covered by the Royal Commission and asked if they are going to accept a payout and their response was "fuck them and their money".
I'm a bit mystified by your post. Ardern was rather thrust into leadership against her wishes, but she had terrific back up. Helen Clark, Andrew Little, Annette King among many others rallied around her.
Her handling of multiple crises was extremely good and was a big factor in the outstanding result in 2020.
I could criticise several policy failures, among them Kiwibuild and Three Waters, also the Health restructure. But these weren't failures of Arderns leadership, were they?
Hi there Phil. I'm not sure about her long-term relationship with Helen. Annette remained a good, and loyal friend as she has been for many of us. Andrew Little was one of the worst Ministers of Health we have had in my lifetime. The LP continues to this day a commitment to neo-liberalism which is eating at the marrow of our society, and I can't see any sign of them moving off this path. I agree that Jacinda (who I can't recall ever meeting) handled crises very well and compassionately, but the structural reforms under her seemed to reinforce centralism and Wellington rules. I certainly didn't see her as a reformer, which should be the natural role for the LP.
Shouldn't you draw a distinction between the "neoliberalism " of Clark/Cullen and that of the ACT party?
I'm in the Labour Party to support the first, and I can't see any significant ideological difference between the Clark/Cullen government and Ardern and Chippie. Can you?
No other than the fact that Helen and Michael did try to soften the awful impacts of this dreadful economic theory. I could not see the same commitment with the next regime.
Ardern left a long lasting impression on the hearts of millions of New Zealanders, also their kidneys, lungs, brains and everywhere the spike proteins cause clotting. The list of injuries and death stretches from here to Australia and just gets longer. Glad to see more people waking up to the foulness wrought by this globalist prostitute, NZ's own pied piper of death.
Is that what you say to all those suffering ? Yep. Typical jacunta supporters. Safe and effective eh... Stops transmission... How many jabs have you had? You sound vaccinated. Well remember who to blame when you get your diagnosis
Is that your comment to all those injured and killed by the injections ardern foistered onto our WHOLE NATION. Do you think mass murder is funny? EVERYBODY can see how the the nation HATES her... Here's a heads up, ALL those who pushed killshots look just the same, and more and more and more people are waking up and they are ALL LOOKING..... Looking at the ones they trusted and now know they lied, as more drop each day and the penny drops. Only those still pushing the democide deny the facts visible to all now. Is that your thing?
Looks like this evil prostitician has put her gates foundation bloodmoney to great use and bought a whole bunch of "friends" to praise and protect. Just another filthy evil corporate psyop played on us. Shameful and treasonous.
At times I feel urged to block senseless comments like yours. Then I lie down and get up feeling sorry for people who have these sorts of thoughts. The vaccination program was brilliant, and successful.
Thanks for exposing your complicity in democide. Anyone who cares to look can see the experiment imploding and those who see are looking at ALL those who are complicit.
Excuse me, but ANYONE who is not standing up to the jabdeath ALL AROUND US can no longer be considered to have ANY kind of valid opinion. I appreciate that weaponised psyop was used, however, enough evidence of death and injury is now evident to render ardern of democide, even if just through negligence. The revealation of globalist agenda and her connections suggest a more considered action was taken. This is YOUR heroine?
I'm used to being misquoted but that is not what I said. I think Jacinda Ardern led us brilliantly during the Covid outbreak. That does not make her my heroine. I have had all my jabs, and, unlike your predictions, I have not grown horns yet.
Welcome home!
I think it’s impossible to say Ardern didn’t change the country, as she shaped it *while* it was changing. It’s just that she perhaps didn’t change it through her legislative agenda as Richardson did. But I don’t think it’s a bad thing that it’s hard to summarise ‘ardernism’, or to label it. It shares its uncertainty with the entire leftist movement — and like leftism, it’ll get there. Give it time.
Better people question Ardern’s legacy than immediately settle on something like “Ruthenasia”. I was surprised to learn Richardson was proud of that. I imagine Ardern would be horrified if her legacy was such — ironic, as Ardern actually legalised euthanasia.
I think what Ardern did was not legislative but bureaucratic and executive-lead. And it was demonstrative. Not to be too personal but I’m at the mercy of the system currently and something notable I experienced was that WINZ became
so friendly, some people forgot that they ever could be awful. Not me. But Ardern made the country hopeful and pushed us towards a better tomorrow, made us think that tomorrow was today, and her takeover from National made it seem smooth enough that people forgot what NACT are like.
It felt like the changes she had made at the time were irreversible because what she changed was the culture, the focus, the *how* — the social safety net was made safe. No more holes. Make it out of soft, not razor thin wire that cuts you when you ask for help. Ministries like Whaikaha tested and expanded Enabling Good Lives-like support across the entire country. Maori were being acknowledged as partners, if perhaps not entirely treated as one. But she unified and typified the sort of progressiveness that New Zealand prides itself on.
Some of it even NACT can’t go back on openly, like EGL philosophy under Ministry for Disabilities, though they’ll certainly cut it to shreds in their attempts through bad budgeting and by removing its main financial function and giving it back to the only government department to ever inspire a mass shooting.
I cannot emphasise enough the incredible turnaround that happened there — someone shot up a WINZ office because WINZ was so awful, and then a short time later, support organisations had forgotten that WINZ could be terrible and turned hostile.
But it at least pushes the right’s ideology more firmly into a space where it must operate more openly, and its hypocrisy and repetitiveness becomes more visible. They are anti-kindness, anti-support, anti-progress. They are the third right-wing austerity government of three — and like the Tories eventually did in the UK, they’ve run out of believable excuses. It’s apparent that it’s austerity for the sake of austerity. It’s self-made austerity too, pure ideology pushing for privatisation and taking money out of the economy, causing all manner of catastrophes NACT now have to pretend to fix, in which their economic management merges with social stances to reveal the deep classist and corrupt roots that permeate the “center” party and its pet attack dog.
I think Ardern’s legacy has to be the response to *her*, and what she showed us our responses can be. She said the word out loud — empathy. Kindness. Openness. She showed us radicalism was wanted and needed, that the country was ready for change: that we thought we were changing, even, transforming into a more unified and stronger nation through our crises. We were setting examples internationally. When really, we weren’t.
But the reactionary response has exposed the deep divisions that pervade politics and prevent us from moving forwards. We are in a six-to-nine year cycle of funding and defunding in an exhausting endurance test where the right are still pushing their extreme unwanted legislative agenda from the 2000s and the 90s on to an unwilling, barely-noticing nation, and the lack of responsible management and the consequences of chopping and changing and underfunding things that are politically unpopular to pay for in a post-neoliberal society are very apparent.
Ardernism and its legacy is, I think, whatever we do next.
☆☆☆☆☆ (5 Star review of your reply!)
I agree with a lot of what you say.
Ardern was the right PM for Covid (think how NATs picked over Canterbury post-quake), Ehakaari White Island (think Nats and Pike River) and the mosque attack (can't think of a Nats comparison, just Costello and her gun lobby crew now).
But Ardern wouldnt openly say Yes to Cannabis reform and said No to CGT. She had run out of gas, unsurprisingly, but not sure what progressive policy ideas she was ready to sell.
Ardern was brought down by an accumulation of failures, but most of these weren't her fault.
Kiwibuild?
Delayed end to lockdowns?
Abolition of DHBs?
Three waters/co-governance?
CGT was scuppered by Winston, not Ardern.
The cannabis referendum was lost very narrowly. No such referendum has ever carried, anywhere in the world, until an effective, functioning medicinal cannabis regime has first been established...
I often wonder why no-one holds Ms. Ardern to account for the destruction she wrought on Kiwi women and our rights by supporting passage of the Self-Id provisions of the BDMRR Act (2021) and the act prohibiting counselling for gender-confused children (the conversion practices ban - an exercise in Orwellian double-speak). Those of us who begged her not to legitimise medicalising children who don't fit sex role stereotypes lost. But women and men in NZ lost big time when biologically-based legal categories for "woman" and "man" were scrapped by her. And because biology does matter, women are - as usual - the bigger losers. It is poor consolation that those opposing these measures have been more than fully vindicated by reviews of paediatric medicine for such children in Finland, Sweden, the UK and the US, to name a few. If you, Henry, were previously on the staff of Stuff, there is presumably little chance that you would wish to examine these issues for yourself. For Kiwis who are interested in what this all means, Broadsheet, New Zealand's Feminist Magazine continues to promote an understanding of these issues on its Facebook page.
Ever wondered where "life as we know it" is heading? Dogma and sex stereotypes are not things our pocket electronic brain enhancers are capable of processing
Welcome home Henry. During Ardern's time at the head of the country I cut up my life members card of the LP after 43 years of membership. My frustration was with cabinet members with little life experience outside of politics. They knew little about systems and how to change them. They were driven by ideology and PC mantras. To give Richardson her due she did understand systemic change, even though I detest what she brought into government. When I read LP history many of those who implemented the welfare system in the first government came from the school of hard knocks. They came with experience at the workplace with a determination to create change. Take Dr McMillan and the health system as one example. What he and his local Presbyterian minister, Arnold Nordmeyer, had achieved at their local community became the framework for our health system. The Royal Commission on Abuse in Care challenges us to completely review how welfare is delivered in this country. Has the LP turned its mind to what changes are essential with our current self-serving systems who knows. Their issue is that they look at things from inside the system they believe in, rather than from the outside in, the view of those impacted by how things are currently delivered. I have spoken to several victims of the abuse covered by the Royal Commission and asked if they are going to accept a payout and their response was "fuck them and their money".
I'm a bit mystified by your post. Ardern was rather thrust into leadership against her wishes, but she had terrific back up. Helen Clark, Andrew Little, Annette King among many others rallied around her.
Her handling of multiple crises was extremely good and was a big factor in the outstanding result in 2020.
I could criticise several policy failures, among them Kiwibuild and Three Waters, also the Health restructure. But these weren't failures of Arderns leadership, were they?
Hi there Phil. I'm not sure about her long-term relationship with Helen. Annette remained a good, and loyal friend as she has been for many of us. Andrew Little was one of the worst Ministers of Health we have had in my lifetime. The LP continues to this day a commitment to neo-liberalism which is eating at the marrow of our society, and I can't see any sign of them moving off this path. I agree that Jacinda (who I can't recall ever meeting) handled crises very well and compassionately, but the structural reforms under her seemed to reinforce centralism and Wellington rules. I certainly didn't see her as a reformer, which should be the natural role for the LP.
Shouldn't you draw a distinction between the "neoliberalism " of Clark/Cullen and that of the ACT party?
I'm in the Labour Party to support the first, and I can't see any significant ideological difference between the Clark/Cullen government and Ardern and Chippie. Can you?
No other than the fact that Helen and Michael did try to soften the awful impacts of this dreadful economic theory. I could not see the same commitment with the next regime.
Ardern left a long lasting impression on the hearts of millions of New Zealanders, also their kidneys, lungs, brains and everywhere the spike proteins cause clotting. The list of injuries and death stretches from here to Australia and just gets longer. Glad to see more people waking up to the foulness wrought by this globalist prostitute, NZ's own pied piper of death.
Feel better after vomiting that out? Perhaps you need a good therapist.
Is that what you say to all those suffering ? Yep. Typical jacunta supporters. Safe and effective eh... Stops transmission... How many jabs have you had? You sound vaccinated. Well remember who to blame when you get your diagnosis
If this comedy, you need to work on it.
Is that your comment to all those injured and killed by the injections ardern foistered onto our WHOLE NATION. Do you think mass murder is funny? EVERYBODY can see how the the nation HATES her... Here's a heads up, ALL those who pushed killshots look just the same, and more and more and more people are waking up and they are ALL LOOKING..... Looking at the ones they trusted and now know they lied, as more drop each day and the penny drops. Only those still pushing the democide deny the facts visible to all now. Is that your thing?
Keep working on it.
I dont take advice from deathcult members.
An article praising Ruth Richardson's efforts and feeling frustrated at Ardern, perfection for The Post. Hope it's a great stint BTW.
Good luck for your new role back in NZ!
She is not welcome here.
Looks like this evil prostitician has put her gates foundation bloodmoney to great use and bought a whole bunch of "friends" to praise and protect. Just another filthy evil corporate psyop played on us. Shameful and treasonous.
At times I feel urged to block senseless comments like yours. Then I lie down and get up feeling sorry for people who have these sorts of thoughts. The vaccination program was brilliant, and successful.
Thanks for exposing your complicity in democide. Anyone who cares to look can see the experiment imploding and those who see are looking at ALL those who are complicit.
Sorry old chap your anger is a worry.
Excuse me, but ANYONE who is not standing up to the jabdeath ALL AROUND US can no longer be considered to have ANY kind of valid opinion. I appreciate that weaponised psyop was used, however, enough evidence of death and injury is now evident to render ardern of democide, even if just through negligence. The revealation of globalist agenda and her connections suggest a more considered action was taken. This is YOUR heroine?
I'm used to being misquoted but that is not what I said. I think Jacinda Ardern led us brilliantly during the Covid outbreak. That does not make her my heroine. I have had all my jabs, and, unlike your predictions, I have not grown horns yet.
"Ardern’s legacy is not a topic that I am done writing about" - like Ardern's book, are you going for a US audience with that sentence?
Welcome home.