It’s the video of the PM touring the devastation on the East Coast last week. As he’s walking back to a Defence Force helicopter, he stops to talk to a volunteer firefighter who’s wearing the old high‑vis with 'Fire' written on the back. He does his political schmoozing - having the chat, getting up in the face, clapping the arm - then he heads off toward the chopper.
The firefighter turns around, looks at the phone filming her and makes a crude gesture, which the Hauraki boys would describe as “feeding the birds".
I saw that on Friday, I smirked, I thought, “Oh, that’s a bit funny,” and then I shut it down and got on with my life.
Fire and Emergency NZ, however, does not think it’s funny at all. They’ve completely overreacted to it and, after questions from the Herald, have decided to launch an investigation into this firefighter.
If they're open to taking some feedback, I would urge them to drop the investigation here. If there’s been a bad call, the really bad call isn’t the firefighter doing something silly in front of her mates who are filming - it’s the person who put the video online, which was the truly unwise thing to do in this modern age.
And it doesn’t seem to be the same person, by the way, given the TikTok account is run by a man and the firefighter is a woman. But even if they were the same person, it’s just really not a big deal, is it?
Politicians should expect - and do expect - this kind of reaction when they go around doing their political schmoozing. And if people have a laugh about the PM doing his schmoozing, who cares? It’s not threatening or intimidatory, it’s just mocking.
We have a shortage of volunteer firefighters in this country. We shouldn’t be lifting the expectations of volunteers to the same level as what we expect from professionals to the point that volunteers are dissuaded from giving us their time, which we frankly should be grateful for.
And there but for the grace of God, etc, right? Because we all do stupid things - we just hope the people around us don’t put it on TikTok.
I don’t want to live in a world where we get investigated over something as silly as this. Hopefully they drops this investigation because surely - surely to God - Fire and Emergency NZ has more important things to do.
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show. This article was sourced from Newstalk ZB.
10 comments:
Heather, if you "think" that act of filming, via a cell phone of a person in Fire Fighters Uniform committing a "silly" act then posting to Twitter (X), Facebook, or other social media platform, is beyond the pale, then you 'need to cast your eyes' to Minnesota/Minneapolis and look at the TV Film footage of the protests that occur (by planned design) on a daily basis.
Look into the background (and also amid the protestors) of those films and "note" the number of people, with cell phones in hand, arms extended toward the ICE Agents filming "everything" that is occurring then, which is then "posted" to a social media account - more so to 'point fingers at what actions the ICE agents are involved - the objective/aim - "to discredit the actions of said Federal Agents" - and in turn discredit The President.
The actions in Tauranga, no different, just someone showing what they think of The Prime Minister.
Oh and Heather, there are many New Zealander's that will now replicate that action every time Luxon is in a public space.
Just watch the "postings" to social media accounts of said actions.
If you think this is a "new" skill, just remember those who turned the Churchill "victory salute" around and used it a more common manner of "up you" which has been used more often than anything else.
Power to the "Fingers".
What a waste of money. Just get rid of them, what are they going to do? Go the the ERA?They are not an employee.
I haven't seen the video clip in question, but I can take a fair guess at its contents.
FENZ should stop with the po-faced response and stay out of it. It has, I'm sure, more important things to do.
There's no way that this is commensurate with what's going on in Minnesota.
I travel overseas frequently every time. I return I soon realise what a coarse , crude , uncouth, violent and uncivilised nation this is.
We bash our children, sexually abuse them and woman at world leading rates. commit violent crimes at similar rates.
Our rates of drug and alcohol abuse lead the world.
Our rates of school achievement languish behind most other developed world states
We have an openly and thoroughly racist party in Parliament, the maori party ,and the
Green Party who should be rightfully called the lgbtqp+++ party.
Foul language is common place and everywhere including frequently on Radio National.
A major part of our populace think they can succeed in life with a pidgin english command of our language and bizarre hair does and bodies covered in tatoos.
We tolerate a vast counter culture in New Zealand that not only condones non achievement but actively promotes it
That anyone condones a rude and offensive gesture directed at our Prime Minister is very very sad.
That's the nation New Zealand has become for many.
But then many hold themselves to a higher standard. They are the ones who achieve more
This isn't an original, but I use it occasionally. Thanks & credit to whomever invented it.
It applies in this situation (I have seen the vidclip) ... "a foaming nothing-burger".
Stay out of it FENZ, and focus on getting brigade machinery repaired and up-to-date.
To anon at 3.13, yep unfortunately I agree. We have let our standards slip so much that we are a shadow of what we could be. We are a country that is pretty much down and out. It's the ambition of the left to find this countries biggest loser, with the longest violent criminal history and hold him up as an example of what we should all strive to be.
We, the good people have to fight back against these far left whackos who are destructive by nature, haven't a clue about personal responsibility and seek to destroy rather than build a great proud nation.
Anonymous @ 3.13. You are correct. This place is circling the plug hole. But it's really cool how some people wear no shoes to one of the only duopoly supermarkets. Really???
That about sums this place up, the average IQ of a New Zealander can't be high.
anon @ 5.58pm... Barefoot? pfft. Try wearers of ill fitting onesies or pyjamas with Ugg boots/slippers cruising the Pak and Save aisles. Looking complete dishevelled. Almost scary but worthy of Walmart random shoppers online albums.
Anonymous @ 3.13. I agree. This country celebrates coarseness and vulgarity. Our national dance involves rolling eyes and sticking tongues out while wearing a grass skirt and shouting threats of violence.
The firefighter should be investigated and disciplined for a lack of political neutrality expected of a firefighter when performing their profession duties. Heather, you have zero standards and poor judgement.
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