Kate Hawkesby: "Let them eat cake" world leaders and climate hypocrisy

 

‘Let them eat cake’.

That’s possibly what Jacinda and Clark said to each other before each of them jumped on board their private planes out of London. Jacinda on board one as guest of Justin Trudeau en route to New York, Clark on another as guest of Albanese en route to Australia. Having both flown up first class on Qantas, clearly getting back home for Clark and Jacinda needed to be something a smidge better than god forbid – economy – on a commercial flight. Euuuw.

Not lost on any of us of course is the fact the people who took private planes to the funeral – when the Royal family distinctly asked people not to – were the most socialist of leaders. The ones who want to go to battle for the little guy, to see a world of equality, to push a regime of fairness, to admonish wealth or capitalism. Your Trudeau’s, your Albanese’s, your Biden’s.

Now I actually don’t have a problem with leaders (and their plus ones) travelling by personally scheduled private planes on business trips, if that’s how they want to and can, travel, but just don’t lecture me about climate change or carbon footprints while you’re at it.

It’s not the flights I mind, it’s the hypocrisy. Our biggest champion of climate change – the person who campaigned on it, calling it our ‘nuclear free moment’, the person determined to pave the way for a new generation of climate loving planet adoring earth saviours. Not only that, she promised to tackle it ‘head on’. Maybe she meant she’ll tackle it head on from the front of a private plane?

But all this enviro-friendly chat and posturing was before she got invited onto the jet with Justin, and Clark got offered a lift with Albanese. Suddenly it’s not so much about tackling climate change head on, but getting a plum ride to the next gig.

And not just for her – but for her partner as well. Look, fine by me, just don’t preach at us about carbon miles or saving the planet.

Don’t lecture others about how they can do better, if, when the opportunity arises for you, you don’t.

Ironically her focus at the UN is allegedly on climate change. You can’t make this stuff up. Greta will be beside herself.

It could be worse I guess, the PM could’ve been on the inaugural Air NZ flight to New York and back and have no bags.

And speaking of our national carrier, just like the Labour party, they’re starting a review apparently, as to how those bags got offloaded in the first place. You do have to wonder how a flight they admitted was “years in the making” couldn’t quite add up fuel plus luggage plus long haul equals.. ? What’s embarrassing is some of the passengers who were on the flight said they had to hear from fellow passengers their bags were missing. 

Compounding that, they arrived into Auckland to be “greeted by NZ media celebrating the success of the route”when in reality it was a “shambles”. They said their experiences were at odds with the hype surrounding it. 

So I guess, if given half a chance, our Climate crusading PM and her partner would opt for a private plane when and if on, or in this case two are offered to them.

Kate Hawkesby is a political broadcaster on Newstalk ZB - her articles can be seen HERE.