On Radio New Zealand's website last week there was a picture of a geezer standing on a footpath in Auckland. He was looking into a pothole in a very serious sort of way. What had the pothole done to deserve this? It merely existed.
Potholes, it seems, are the enemies of the people. For one thing they make motorists say rude words when they drive into them and end up in China. The photograph was hilarious. It might be the worst news photo of a politician ever taken - bar those ones of MPs doing tours of fascinating factories while wearing hair nets and pretending they really don't mind looking like Coronation Street's Ena Sharples. Oh, the glamour of politics.
The seriously worried-looking geezer was National Party leader Christopher Luxon, who, given he wasn't doing anything about the pothole, might as well have been a pothole worker. And now he sort of is. National has promised $500 million to a pothole repair fund, if it is elected to the government benches in October. So Luxon, who obviously wants to be the next prime minister, has become pretty much the political equivalent of prime pothole filler-inner.
There was another joker in the photo standing on Luxon's right. This was National transport spokesperson Simeon Brown. He was asked by RNZ whether the promised pothole-fixing plan was a "political gimmick".
He said it wasn't. "This is a reality of our roads being in the worst state they've ever been and the need for us to be investing in making sure that they are safe to drive on so we can keep our economy moving." If it is a gimmick, it's a dud. A pothole repair fund is about as exciting as the gravel and asphalt needed to fix things.
IN WHAT?
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 29 - August 4 2023-Ausgabe von New Zealand Listener.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 29 - August 4 2023-Ausgabe von New Zealand Listener.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Sights to behold
Being blind didn't deter Aucklander FRASER ALEXANDER and his partially-sighted wife from travelling in Europe. Their memories were shaped by sound, touch and smell.
Pages of delight
Charming survey of children's literature throughout the centuries should be treasured and reread.
Heart of the matter
Women are less likely to be diagnosed with heart disease than men, and less likely to get best treatment. Researchers are struggling with old stereotypes to right the balance.
Balaclava beats
Their paramilitary shtick is intentionally menacing, offensive and alienating, but to be fair to the hip-hop trio Kneecap, their infamous balaclava is disarmingly hilarious. Kneecap, the 2024 movie that offers a fictionalised account of their rise to fame, is a Bafta- and Oscar-nominated Northern Irish film sensation.
Friends like these
One of the stranger characteristics of the populist oligarchy mobilising around Donald Trump's new administration is the interest taken in the domestic politics of the UK.
Irresistible force
A new documentary about gentle rugby giant Jonah Lomu reveals little but is a reminder of what made him special.
Fleeing the nest
A tale of building a new life after an abusive relationship makes for an impressive debut.
Life less ordinary
Chelsie Preston Crayford follows a big 2024 with a new comedy role and putting the finishing touches on her debut feature as a director and writer.
Not on our watch
Nasa, one of the most technologically advanced organisations on the planet, made prospective astronauts take inkblot tests to determine their sexuality.
No free lunch
The new, cut-price school lunch programme will shut out many community providers. But will bulk-supplied meals meet children’s needs?
