US President Harry Truman infamously had a sign on his desk saying "the buck stops here", signifying that he was ultimately responsible for the problems of his nation and how he dealt with them. But Labour, it seems, disagrees:
Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni is avoiding accountability over the cost of living crisis, saying it's "not necessarily the Government's fault".The government is not responsible for the weather, or the pandemic. But they are absolutely responsible for how they respond to them - and in particular, whether they protect people from the effects, or leave them to suffer. And while Labour has done a few things, pretty obviously, its not enough. There is a real cost of living crisis, with the middle classes being driven into poverty, and the poor being driven down further. And for Labour to disclaim responsibility like this basicly sends a signal of "fuck you; you're on your own". That's bad enough coming from a "labour" party, but having it said by a woman on $334,734 a year plus perks and slush smacks more than a little of "let them eat cake". But then, that's the modern Labour party, isn't it? A pack of professional politicians climbing the greasy pole for their mega-salaries, forgetting any hint of why they were elected in the first place.[...]
"New Zealand has been through a lot over the past six years… It's tough for people at the moment and I think when we sit back and reflect it's not necessarily the Government's fault that we've got cost of living issues, that we've had weather events, that people's everyday experiences have been very difficult," she said.
