Jacinda Ardern keeps going on about having conversations.
On becoming a republic:
Labour leader Jacinda Ardern says it’s time New Zealand started having the conversation about New Zealand becoming a republic.
“I do think that we should start having the conversation. There are a lot of issues that need to be resolved on that path, and I would have liked the government to have had that conversation when the flag debate came up,” Ardern said during a special PM Job Interview with the Herald today. – August 22 – NZ Herald
On her tax plans and flip-flops”
She also said National was scaremongering in claiming Labour planned multiple taxes “that do not exist”.
“I’m calling time on the fear and the lying because instead we need to ask the question ‘why are we having this conversation?’ – 13 September – NZ Herald
On mental health:
“Mental health is the epitome of the conversation we should be having about health care in New Zealand,” the Labour leader said. – September 6, 1News
On coalition negotiations:
Ardern confirmed the Green Party would be the first she would have a conversation with in the event Labour needed to form a coalition.
“We have a memorandum of understanding with the Greens, so the first conversation will be with them.” – 11 September, NewstalkZB
and:
But it’s been done before, and it’s been done by Labour before. But what we’ve been continually saying in this last week is, it does a real disservice to voters for us to continually have conversations about the make-up of parties – 6 August – Q+A
On the Green/Labour MOU:
It offers to voters, who we’re asking to support us, some transparency. And I think this has been one of the major issues with MMP is that we are continually drawn into long conversations about the what ifs and who might partner with who. And it tends to unfortunately dominate conversation I think sometimes more than it should. And so we are going to focus on ourselves this election. But I do think giving some transparency to voters, to say, ‘But if we are in a position to govern, yes, we will work with the Greens.’- 6 August – Q+A
On coalition arrangements:
I love this hypothetical, because, of course, this is talking through Labour forming a government afterwards. And, of course, that’s the position that we’re out there campaigning on, to be in that position to be able to do that. But, ultimately, as every election has generated, that’s the conversation you have after the election. We’ve put out a set of priorities – 22 July – The Nation
On Winston Peters:
“The point I’m trying to make is that, we’ll find our common ground. You won’t hear a lot of conversation about that from us in the election campaign. We’re going to be focussed on Labour,” Ardern said. – 2 August
On Land tax:
Again, Guyon, what I’m trying to do is make sure we leave enough room for us to explore all the options on two things: making sure that we improve home ownership. One of the reasons we are even having this conversation is because the Government hasn’t done that. – 5 September, Radio NZ
I don’t know who has coached her to talk like this but when you hear it over and over again it sounds contrived and rehearsed, which is it is. Her media minders have given her a grab bag of slogans to cover up for a lack of policy.
One of those slogans is to constantly deliver a “conversation” line, probably with her “concern face”.
Jacinda needs to start having a little less conversation…a little more action: