The former prime minister of New Zealand has been made a Dame by the Prince of Wales despite being a republican.

Saying be kind is what’s said to kids.Being kind is up to the individual, it’s easy to go round saying it.

Oh I expect she came out with a fair bit of twaddle herself over the years.

Oreo

A PM saying ‘Be kind’ is also bizarre, it’s a position of leadership not a knitting circle.

Actually disagree and applaud someone holding high level positions advocating this, to me kindness is akin to fairness and acceptance.

Better to advocate being kind than some of the utter twaddle some of our leaders have come out with over the years!!

julieray

I was on holiday in New Zealand this time last year and was shocked by how different our perception of her was to theirs. I didn’t meet one person who could say a good word about her - and we travelled right across both islands. A common theme was that her husband was allegedly involved with some shady people. Its a shame as she was someone I admired albeit from the other side of the world

I have some friends in NZ, they do still like JA, they agree the lockdown resulted in some economic damage and don’t agree with the length of it, but in other ways they found her to visible and compassionate and straight to the point.

I have to agree with their views.

Wasn't there a Death in Paradise where a knitting needle was the weapon of choice?

😁Never annoy a woman holding a knitting needle.

Oreo

Interesting Maddyfour I knew NZ had a very small population but didn’t realise how small.

The only traffic jam we came across was in Auckland but drive a few minutes and you were out in the countryside 🙂

And is utterly utterly meaningless. One persons 'kindness' is another persons 'cruelty'.

Oreo

A PM saying ‘Be kind’ is also bizarre, it’s a position of leadership not a knitting circle.

Visions of crafters sitting poking each other with knitting needles - "She's needling me, Miss"

Interesting Maddyfour I knew NZ had a very small population but didn’t realise how small.

A PM saying ‘Be kind’ is also bizarre, it’s a position of leadership not a knitting circle.

Allira

No-one is nasty
We are not all alike.

But understand biological fact

Being accused of being ‘nasty’ seems a common theme on this forum if anyone dares to disagree and it’s taken personally.
Beyond bizarre.

It’s very easy to wax lyrical about a political leader in a country that is twelve thousand miles away, takes a minimum of 24 hours to travel to, and who has no direct effect on your life, particularly if that leader has politics that you agree with. There’s nothing that can beat the real life experience of travelling there, and talking to the the real people who live there. That way, you learn much.

👏👏👏

My daughter lives in NZ and we visit her and talk to other people whilst we’re there. It’s correct that Jacinda Ardern is not so well thought of in NZ, hence the change of government in the last election. She resigned a while before the election; she probably realised that the winds of change were blowing. She certainly didn’t help the economy with her over prescriptive lockdown, and many people are not happy about that.

If you’ve not visited NZ, it’s absolutely huge, with a tiny population. For comparison Auckland has a population of just over a million and a half, whilst London has nearly ten million. Wellington, the capital city of NZ, has a population of only a little over 200,000 thousand. The lockdown in NZ was only able to be so strict because of the comparatively isolated position of the country. However the benefits or otherwise of lockdowns are a subject that could make a thread of its own, because anyway, lockdown did not appear to be the only cause of discontent with her government, according to people we have spoken to.

It’s very easy to wax lyrical about a political leader in a country that is twelve thousand miles away, takes a minimum of 24 hours to travel to, and who has no direct effect on your life, particularly if that leader has politics that you agree with. There’s nothing that can beat the real life experience of travelling there, and talking to the the real people who live there. That way, you learn much.

Rosie: "You do realise that the vast majority of transwomen never undergo any surgery, most are far too attached to their penises?There have been less than 9000 GRC issued in the UK ."

Rosie, I respect your right to your feelings and opinions but just wanted to comment on a possible factual confusion. The GRC is granted to trans people regardless of surgical status (they only have to have lived as the other gender for 2 years), and many people who have had gender surgery do not apply for the GRC so the statistics of these two situations are not actually linked. Typically people apply for a GRC if they want to marry as the other gender (ie be Husband rather than Wife) or if they have a burning desire to get their birth certificate changed. The majority of trans people don't need these things so GRC numbers will never give an idea of actual number of transgender people.

In any community or organisation sadly there will be some rotten apples as they say, but the majority of us are as responsible, caring and law-abiding as any normal member of society

SaraC

From David - Not for long, she became very unpopular, if she hadn’t resigned she would have been voted out.

I’m currently living in NZ. Jacinta Adhern resigned because she was receiving not just personal death threats but also really vicious threats regarding her small daughter. It all just got too much for her - she was exhausted. I think the way she was treated was appalling. Definitely outside, malignant, dark web players in all this. I’m so sorry she’s gone and think it wonderful that she managed to leave with such dignity. Her parting words were ‘Be Kind’. Perhaps we could all remember that?

Yes, it was appalling, I agree.

Disagree politically by all means but that is quite evil.

I think she's a despicable woman who seemed to enjoy having complete control over people a bit too much

MrsFlowers

JA was an intelligent and graceful leader. She led NZ through significant difficulties, including a massacre, huge wild fires and a volcanic eruption. She was unpopular amongst conspiracy theorists and racists. She made good decisions for NZ around COVID - she was very clear and consistent. It’s entirely wrong that she “tanked the economy”. The current lot of clowns are doing that. I’m very glad that her significance has been recognised.

Totally agree with you Mrs. Flowers.

I have come to loathe be kind as a slogan. What it generally means is please stop what you are saying as I dont agree with it.

From David - Not for long, she became very unpopular, if she hadn’t resigned she would have been voted out.

I’m currently living in NZ. Jacinta Adhern resigned because she was receiving not just personal death threats but also really vicious threats regarding her small daughter. It all just got too much for her - she was exhausted. I think the way she was treated was appalling. Definitely outside, malignant, dark web players in all this. I’m so sorry she’s gone and think it wonderful that she managed to leave with such dignity. Her parting words were ‘Be Kind’. Perhaps we could all remember that?

grandtanteJE65

Rosie51

Isn't she another woman who doesn't know what a woman is? Backed the transgender Laurel Hubbard because it was easier than backing biological women. A surprising stance for someone who has been pregnant and gone through giving birth, but heyho if it makes you popular......

Why such contempt of transgender people? And of those who accept them?

Can we not just accept that people do not make the decision to change sex, either surgically or legally without serious heart-searchings?

I am not trying to be nasty, I would genuinely like to know why so many who contribute to this forum cannot just accept that we are not all alike, nor should be,

Where's the contempt of transgender people? My contempt is of males who have enjoyed the physical advantages of a male puberty who, for example, decide they 'feel like' women so should now compete in female sports. The physical advantage of a male puberty, muscle mass, bone density, heart and lung capacity, height etc is not undone by a bit of testosterone suppression. Women are not just handicapped men!!!!!

Of course we're all different, but no mammal whether human or animal has ever changed sex, it's a biological impossibility. Live however you wish, dress however makes you comfortable, but your born biological sex is set in stone.

I don't understand why you are willing to accept that TIM. that is trans identified males, who rape women with their penises should be referred to as she/her in court by their victims and then sentenced to a female prison. Why do you think that female nurses who have objected to a 'transwoman' in their changing room should be be reallocated to a former cupboard so that the penis intact transwoman can avail himself of the 'womens' changing room? The same TW who has declared 'she' hopes to impregnate 'her' girlfriend' with 'her' sperm.
You do realise that the vast majority of transwomen never undergo any surgery, most are far too attached to their penises?There have been less than 9000 GRC issued in the UK .

You really think it's fair that any male who declares they 'feel like a woman' can enter female sports and take prizes and records from biological females? That trans identified men take 'woman of the year' awards? That trans identified men take sponsorships or other sex specified awards from biological females?
Does it never enter your consciousness that there is no outcry from men that biological women are taking their sporting awards, 'man of the year' awards, places on committees etc? Of course not, no man ever has to give way to a transman. Transgender idiology is a mens rights focus.

Do you have a smidgeon of sympathy for tjose USA females who have lost college sponsorship and places to males who suddenly discovered their 'inner woman'?

I could give you many, many more examples but I suspect you're not really wanting to know how this ideology affects real women.

No-one is nasty
We are not all alike.

But understand biological fact

I am not trying to be nasty, I would genuinely like to know why so many who contribute to this forum cannot just accept that we are not all alike, nor should be,

But we are not all alike.

Why are people so nasty towards those who know that you can’t change sex?

Why are they so nasty towards those who believe that even change of gender, should not be used to harm those people remain the sex and gender they were born with, even if changing gender is a heart-rending choice?

Can we not just accept that people do not make the decision to change sex, either surgically or legally without serious heart-searchings?

It is impossible to change sex, only to change gender.

nanna8

She deserves it, she was a really good PM and I wish we had someone like her here.

I completely agree.