DO AS I SAY, NOT WHAT I DO

Despite leading a Government that has seen 18,000 further children plunged into poverty since the pandemic began, Jacinda Ardern has been attacking the parenting skills of some of the Wellington demonstrators. 

SEVERAL days after the Wellington occupation began, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reemerged yesterday to provide what amounted to the Government's official response to the demonstration. Doing her routine Monday round of media interviews, she delivered her rehearsed lines. 

Ardern took the scattergun approach to the demonstration, firing off most of the allegations that have been repeated ad nauseam by Ardern supporters like commentators Morgan Godfery and Neale Jones. She variously described the occupation as the work of 'extremists', 'imported', and 'unrepresentative' of the majority of New Zealand. She talked of people being 'harassed' by protesters. She talked of 'Trump flags' being flown even though none have been in evidence. 

Perhaps the only new 'contribution'' that Ardern made to the vitriol directed at the demonstration was to express concern about the children who were present and demand that the parents should take them home.

I have no idea how many children have been at the occupation on any given day and no doubt neither does the Prime Minister. But this was a deliberate attempt by her to pander to every middle class prejudice about the parenting skills of working class people. Its the kind of hateful invective that gets a regular airing on talkback radio.

In her personal life Ardern has employed a nanny to look after her child, far beyond the financial resources of everyone participating in the occupation.

She also leads a Government that has seen some 18,000 more children pushed into poverty since the pandemic began.

In September last year the Child Poverty Action Group said there had been a ten percent increase in child poverty since the first coronavirus lockdown.

'Homelessness has increased, financial insecurity has increased, food insecurity has increased and all the mental health issues around that have increased,' said the group.

In January this year economist Susan St John observed: 

'So far the signs are that we can look forward to more spin and self-congratulations from Labours well-oiled machine in 2022, while deep and desperate family poverty entrenches a large underclass that portends ever increasing social unrest and polarisation.'

It does seem that Jacinda Ardern needs to look closer to home to find out who really isn't looking after the kids. But this is the same Prime Minister who yesterday, while expressing concern about the children present at the occupation, refused to criticise the Speaker of the House for spraying the demonstrators with water and blasting ugly music at them throughout the night. I don't imagine any children present would of enjoyed it either.