Bernard O'Brien

@canderlodge @SimeonBrownMP Shame all the money was spent on COVID!

Burnt out, stressed and scared: Health care assistants suffer due to short staffing rnz.co.nz/news/national/… But @SimeonBrownMP says there's no problem. Dialysis at Chch Hosp cut to 3days/wk 6mth wait for MRI scans Wgt Hosp Napier often no emergency night care Nelson need staff!

@CitizenBomber So toxic he selected Labour in 2017?

NZFirst supporters are easily the most toxic in NZ – a Vote for National is a vote for Winston – The Daily Blog buff.ly/skAHBhG #nzpol

@GaryPayinda Who do you think pays if there isn’t a toll?

We wanted and badly needed a simple and affordable #BrynderwynsBypass, but now we may get a #TripleToll instead. National's has just announced plans to "heavily toll" Northland. Cars would pay $14.20 (and trucks $28.40) for each return trip between Auckland and *Te Hana*. And beyond Te Hana, to Marsden Point? Well, National's considering a 3rd toll on that potential Te Hana to Marsden Point section. Why weren't we told this up front? Why wasn't it in the calculations of costs to Northlanders? And why are we just hearing about a #TripleToll just now? Remember, you can make your feelings known about a triple toll. Email your MP. And make an *online submission*. I've put the link in the comments below. But act quick. They've only given us until April 15th. f.mtr.cool/ttxwiqblkd #brynderwyns #waipu #ruakaka #whangarei #northland

@GaryPayinda So what, if anything, will Labour do to boost growth?

I've spent months asking people in Whangarei what their biggest worry is. It is the *cost-of-living*. Nothing else even comes close. People simply cannot make ends meet. New Zealanders of every age and background tell me they are sinking financially. Benificiaries on a fixed income struggling with electricity costs. Workers who can see their paycheck eroding, people worried about losing their job, or facing rates, rent, petrol, food, and electricity bills that have grown massively while their real income has shrunk. In Whangarei, the current govt's influence is unmistakable: real per-person decreases in infrastructure/housing/health/education funding at a national level end up hitting Northland hardest. Weakening of job protections. Stalled contract negotiations for teachers, firefighters, nurses. Scrapping of the Fair Pay Agreement. The devastating womens pay equity losses. The cancellation of 450 families' desperately needed social housing builds in Northland. It goes on and on, and it affects everyone from the pensioner to the tradie to the shopowner. Real per capita GDP that is actually *lower* than it was three years ago. We've gone backwards economically. This govt's policies have been a great for a few (namely tobacco corporations, power companies, supermarket duopolies, property investors, and foreign banks), but economically devastating for the average New Zealander. But we will rise. Help us for the next 6 months as we push back. Give us 6 months of your help, your time, your volunteering, or your donations. We need that help front-loaded, now. Because we can't have another three years of this. And we can't wait until later. -Gary To directly lend your help to our campaign to change Whangarei: f.mtr.cool/ozbcvjztkw f.mtr.cool/zlavpqaqaf Or email: labourparty.whangarei@gmail.com

@GregPresland A strong desire to alienate the US, with all of the subsequent consequences. Seems pretty irresponsible.

Vanushi Walters has recently outlined a stark contrast between the Government’s appeasement of Donald Trump and Labour’s desire to have an independent principle based foreign policy. thestandard.nz/towards-an-ind…

@MrsWard007v2 @nzfirst In what way is it sensible? What if anything will they do?

NZ elections are looming. Luxon has failed us and the Left could win by default (as Luxon did) as a result. Perish the thought. Keep your vote to the right and give @nzfirst more influence. A sensible choice.

@freedomgirlnz Winston could select Labour if they offered more baubles, look at 2017.

If NZ First gain 9 more points and National lose 9 points then NZ First would be the main coalition partner at the next election. It's not beyond the realm of possibility.🤔 Is Winston the PM National need? The look on Tova's face would be priceless...🤣

@AmandaPalestine @AucklandIsland Under Labour debt went from 20% of GDP to 40%. Under Willis it has increased to 43% of GDP, so hardly doubled. I agree though that she should be reducing the size of Government spending back to pre COVID levels at a minimum.

@BernardOBrien1 @AucklandIsland Its a shame that Nicola Willis has doubled our borrowing whilst giving tax breaks to landlords & cigarette companies

GPs worry about patients missing appointments, low medicine stocks as fuel prices soar. rnz.co.nz/news/national/…

@attackcartoonz You are right we need to cut taxes!

Easter break? Costs don’t…

@JesahnOne So you aren’t getting enough free things?

New Zealand has the worst Prime Minister in 50 years. The most incompetent, dim witted, and ineffectual PM in my lifetime. The three headed dragon government is equally as incompetent. Winston Peters, David Seymour, you are both as accountable as the PM for how incredibly crap your government has been. I am not a party pleb. I vote for people. There are three parties now that I would never vote for. NZ should not be in the position it is. We can take care of ourselves, we don't need to be slobbering over a kiddy fucker. NZ needs to make a turn away from the policies this loser government has instantiated. #NewZealand #NZPol

@AucklandIsland Where would you cut $14 billion from to pay for this?

How National made the lives of 1000s of New Zealand women and their families harder. For this alone they should be dumped. rnz.co.nz/news/political…

@aniobrien It was the race to get to 90% for international bragging rights.

READ: aniobrien.substack.com/p/more-advice-… This timeline appears to establish that the shift to a faster second dose pathway was operationally aligned with a major, politically branded mobilisation event whose success would be measured in doses delivered and second doses completed.

@KiwiCraig74 Exactly

@BernardOBrien1 Hipkins*

Does anything scream 'slim pickings' more than Simmonds being in cabinet?

@dpfdpf Shame Willis is still in cabinet.

Moving Energy to a more senior Minister is a very sensible move.

@Mt_Maunganui What difference did that gesture make??

🗞️ July 1986. A nation of 3 million told the most powerful country on Earth: “No nuclear ships. Not in our waters.” Washington suspended ANZUS. Lange didn’t blink. Some called it madness. History called it courage. 🇳🇿 Would YOU have done the same? #NewZealand #History

@PronouncedHare @coco_galle_eden Exactly

My personal political position has always been a certain fatalism about what elected politicians can realistically be expected to do and achieve. But never in my life have I been as close to thinking “why actually bother voting for National?” as when it is so utterly passive about things it could easily resolve

@peterpa19659647 @carlworker So the consequence is that the NZ tanker fleet will be prevented from transiting the Strait of Hormuz?

@carlworker @BernardOBrien1 We should've been closer to Spain's approach, which I believe Lab Foreign Min Vanushi Walters has implied(also similar to Helen Clark's GulfWar2 stance). The Straits are still open for Spain. Luxon signing that support letter might be this Coalition Govts biggest cockup?

So, under the helmsmanship of our great leaders Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters (and Judith Collins), we have tacitly supported a disastrous US/Israeli illegal war against Iran, and we are about to become a serious victim of that war. Fine job, team!

@ponekeben It wouldn’t cost much more than the Civic Square changes.

Pleased to advise construction of the revamped Johnsonville Mall begins today. The Johnsonville Khalifa is going to be absolutely transformational for our suburb.