Wowser Alert!
And the Wowser of the Week award goes to the writer of this article on the government taking four weeks holiday in the middle of their “100 days of action”. The fact that governments (including the last one) have always done this has apparently escaped the writer. Wowser highlights are:
“Despite the global economic crisis, Prime Minister John Key is on leave at his Hawaii getaway”
Presumably, he could be here in New Zealand running around screaming “the sky is falling, the skyyyyy is faaaallllling!”. Or not.
“The continuing economic crisis and short break in the wintry northern hemisphere has kept leaders there busy.”
And here’s why:
- The economies of these northern countries are considerably more stuffed than ours.
- Their parliamentary recess is in summer – Many politicians work through the shorter breaks to catch up. Much like university students, actually.
“Mr Key’s Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd has taken a 3 week break but published an article in the Financial Times last week urging world leaders to act together in a “global response”.”
Oooo. And Kevin Rudd wrote something. Probably long before he went on holiday. Unless he is really lousy at time management. Or possibly because because newspapers are interested in what he has to say. Unlike in New Zealand, where they appear only to like printing Helen Clark’s pronouncements. Oh well, Newspaper editors always were a bit slow. Perhaps they’ll realise that there’s been a change of government, just in time for the next elections.
“Former Prime Minister Helen Clark, on holiday in Europe, criticised the Government for taking a “laissez-faire” approach to the economic crisis.”
It’s really amusing hearing our former prime minister (I must confess to liking the “former” bit) chiding the new government on taking a holiday, while being on holiday. She really does have lots of chutzpah, doesn’t she?
““At the end of the day, when you’re elected, you don’t have a 100 per cent holiday.””
Slave driver.
“Opposition Labour leader Phil Goff said the summer season was no excuse for inaction, and compared to other countries, the Government was leaving a “big void” in dealing with the economic crisis.”
Not to mention the content void in Phil’s response to the economic crisis. Any suggestions, Phil? A game of Shadow Puppets, perhaps?
“Reserve Bank Governor Allan Bollard and Treasury Secretary John Whitehead were both back at work last week.”
They are accountants. That is explanation enough.
The irony of it all is that the people complaining most about the government taking time off are the very same people complaining the loudest about everything being put through under urgency a few weeks ago. And the most ironical thing of all is that ministers will have been spending their holidays catching up on the mounds of paperwork they have to read through before parliament restarts.
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Jan 12 09 1:32 pm
I wonder if Paddy Gower (Herald journalist) has had a holiday. Quite frankly, I think it’s great that John Key is holidaying with his wife and children. Goodness knows, they won’t see much of him for the next three years.
Jan 12 09 1:35 pm
I don’t think Key needs to hurry back.. I have good advice that there’ll still be a credit crisis when he comes back.
If he’s to save NZ, the world, stop climate change and bring peace on earth to all men, I think he has to pace himself. Nothing annoys the public more than a PM who fixes everything in the first couple of months and then just cruises through the rest of the term.
In this respect Clark has a point. It’s her experience that it’s better to look busy than be productive.
JC
Jan 12 09 4:51 pm
MacDoctor
Good posts, some of your readers may care to look at this
http://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2009/01/12/12511/
Jan 12 09 6:35 pm
Quite frankly I am dissapointed. It has been 2 months into John Key’s reign and the streets are still not paved with gold, nor has the price of cheese come down.
In any case, I am quite happy for National to take as long as possible. I’m not ready to be screwed over by Ruthanasia/Rogernomics part 2 just yet
Jan 12 09 7:04 pm
I wouldn’t worry about what he says – it’s just a case of penis envy.
Do you think that this guy has worked out yet that NZ closes down over Xmas/New Year?
Jan 12 09 7:45 pm
If there was a genuine crisis like in Fiji or if nuclear war broke out in the Middle East I think he should be on the first plane back to NZ.
He will be working 70 to 90 hours a week as most PMs would be. He should have a holiday. The public at least knows where he is that is more than was the case when Clark took a holiday.
Jan 12 09 8:25 pm
Cannot journalists write about something worth reading!What a load of claptrap!Leave John Keys alone,use your brains and training and find a good story.
Jan 12 09 9:00 pm
Yes, those low-flying pigs I just had to duck would make a good story.
Jan 12 09 9:47 pm
Has all that “action” by other leaders achieved anything more than John Key has while on holiday?
In my experience you accomplish more after a decent break than you would have had you stayed at home, not that Key will be 100% on holiday anyway – he’ll be in touch by phone and email and he’ll be reading and planning.
And it is good to know he trusts his ministers which is more than the last PM did.