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CHRIS HIPKINS IS set to replace Jacinda Ardern as the prime minister of New Zealand.
The 44-year-old senior politician must be formally endorsed by the party’s caucus on Sunday to become the country’s 41st prime minister, after Ardern’s shock resignation on Thursday.
Hipkins, who is currently the country’s Education Minister, was the only nominee to put himself forward for the top position within New Zealand’s Labour Party.
Yesterday, Ardern announced she would resign from office in a matter of weeks.
The 42-year-old – who steered the country through natural disasters, the Covid pandemic, and its worst-ever terror attack – said she no longer had “enough in the tank”.
“I am human. We give as much as we can for as long as we can and then it’s time. And for me, it’s time,” she said at a meeting of members of her Labour Party earlier this week.
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Take your time Leo sure there’s no rush
I’d love a drink a chat, with a few of my friends. I’am not lonely or anything, just a few pints and a laugh with friends.
Course it will need to be reviewed, the backlash over this has been huge and even the FFG back benches realise, they will find it very hard to get re-elected if they basically go along with the same restrictions and rules as last summer when we didn’t have vaccines and nothing bar a 9 euro meal has changed, meanwhile people will head north or out of the country soon as the digital green cert is in place. Hard to convince people who own or work in hospitality, aviation or the entertainment industry to vote for your party that basically has thrown you under the bus for over a year and still is keeping ya there even with vaccines
Meanwhile nearly all open in NI, walking around masks are extremely lax in shops, a lot of people not wearing in stores and nobody seems to care! Feels nearly like 2019!
@kevinhunt101: they are also a few months ahead of us on vaccinations having opened the 18+. We are still at 44+. Give it time.
@Paul Clancy: Give it time???…they are trying to extend the covid powers till November, they are talking about extending PUP till September and the fact they are flip flopping round reopening aviation and hospitality fully, even when we reach the same time line as Northern Ireland did, tells me things won’t be anywhere near the same. Too many need to realise, its not just a virus we now have to worry about, but also the health of the countries finances, cos another recession is the last place we need to go since we haven’t even paid off the previous one yet.
Musicians and other performers should give themselves two rules
a) creating underground spaces for art
b) stop performing whenever a member of the current government is present… even after the pandemic
There is 0 scientific reason behind outlawing live music for more than a year. Maybe you can gaslight people with indoor reasons but there’s no reason why music can’t be played in an outside setting…
So if you’re sitting a a restaurant eating you can’t be there for more than 105 minutes because you could become a close contact. But if you are sitting in a restaurant attached to a hotel you are staying in that risk doesn’t exist? How on earth does that make sense?!
@Melissa OHara: It doesn’t but none of this government’s decisions have made any sense. Their appalling ineptitude keeps rolling on.
@Melissa OHara: it almost makes one hate hotels
Its a Farce.. all Dining indoor and outdoor should open at the same time.. at least its a level playing field.. scrap all time constraints as the virus has no time limit.. and allow live Music.. what harm is it doing.. look at the sport.. hugging and celebrating with each other and no harm there.. Restrictions are pushing everyone to their limits..open the place up.. Save jobs…!!!
He will probably leak it in a few weeks!
what he means is put in mad rules and see what the baclash is
Neck with two heads
It should be reviewed now, not after the summer
He will probably leak in a few weeks!
Genuine Question, Why are Faite Ireland making the rules now when it previously was Government with NPHET advice
@SandraMeyler: my thoughts exactly. WTF do Failte Ireland know about infectious disease
@SandraMeyler: because apparently our government doesn’t know how to do anything
backlash
Oohh. Can’t wait to get me a substantial meal!!!
The elephant in the room is a drunken cohort who can’t or won’t behave like civilised human beings, even if there was never a pandemic. The drinking time limit is really an attempt to limit the amount of alchol a person can consume on the premises, so that some people won’t become unmanageable. However, although ireland apparently has relatively high booze taxes, and some recent token demarcation gestures per buying booze, it is still to cheap and easy to stock up in supermarkets and neighbourhood shops, and then there’s the irony of drink readily available in petrol stations. …. i wonder how covid19 deaths and long-Covid statistics compare to harm by overloaded livers, domestic violence, streetfights, drunk driving, hungover driving etc. etc.
have your say