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Andrew Dickens: David Clark has zero support and should be sacked

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 25 Jun 2020, 4:24PM
Photo / File

Andrew Dickens: David Clark has zero support and should be sacked

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 25 Jun 2020, 4:24PM

Well how many times have the average New Zealander used the phrase “thrown under the bus” today?

A former journalist posted that he had counted the phrase in the headlines of 11 media outlets today alone and I’ve heard it countless times today on the radio.

Normally along the lines of “Did you see David Clark throw Ashley Bloomfield under the bus yesterday. It was brutal!” It was a video clipped down to 10 seconds and it spread like wildfire around the country last night

So here’s my take. It was a classic gotcha piece by Newshub right down to the luck of catching Ashleys crestfallen face on camera. I don’t think Clark had a clue about how it would look or what he was doing wrong and that’s a problem.

The Minister had his big boy voice on. He was actually saying something for once. He was correct in saying that the Director General had taken responsibility and promised to fix it up. But when asked if he would take responsibility too, he simply thought it was unnecessary if someone else had already taken the hit.

You’re the bloke in charge of the Ministry of Health. Ashley’s boss mate even if he does have the mandate to lead the actions. You are also the boss of the frontline workers who made the cock up. Would it hurt you too much to say the whole Ministry is sorry. Including you. Well yes it was it appears.

It was as if he’s a robot programmed to avoid responsibility even though he has a job of responsibility. 

It’s far worse than his previous indiscretions which painted him as just selfish and stupid. Now he’s cruel and stupid too.

Because  it all flies in the face of the Labour Party’s branding of being a party of kindness.  He seems unable to have the sort of kindness that was afforded to him by Jacinda Ardern.  He was unkind to Saint Ashley. Unnecessarily.

And I saw in the screeds of reactions that there is zero support for David Clark . From everyone.  From the right and from the left.  And most worrying for Labour was the number of people who were turning not just against Clark but the party itself.

Labour has to cut itself from this cruel and callow waste of space. I can’t believe Clark is still there as we speak. He gives Labour nothing. In fact he costs the party.

Yesterday I talked about Phil Twyford’s two strikes not out. Well this is Clark’s third strike. He must be out. Send him to the dug out now.

Meanwhile National's health spokesperson Michael Woodhouse suggested there has been a breakdown in the working relationship between Clark and Dr Bloomfield. I don’t think so. 

Ashley’s look to me was the face of a man forced to work with an idiot rather than a man hurt by the words of a fool. 

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