Aussie is just not that into us any more, mate
without so much as a burp.
Take, for instance, the staggering lack of compassion displayed by Social Development Minister Anne Tolley who said her Government had to draw the line somewhere over benefits for cancer patients.
Their serious illness would not prevent them from being required to regularly produce medical certificates to prove they couldn’t work. From the lack of public outcry over this callous decision we can assume that even though many families have been, or will be affected by the blight of cancer, most New Zealanders, to employ the favourite expression of the prime minister are apparently ‘‘comfortable with that’’.
While there has been some anger voiced from our side about Kiwis who’ve already completed prison sentences in Australia having been re-arrested and taken away to detention centres before eventually being sent back to New Zealand, we have been told that our objections will fall on deaf ears.
John Key can ask visiting prime minister Malcolm Turnbull nicely, but the deportation of ‘bad egg’ Kiwis has gained traction with his electorate and the new PM will not be budged.
In a year of special significance to the Anzac alliance it is particularly galling that Kiwis living over the ditch have been stripped of their human rights and treated in such a cavalier manner.
Surely in the spirit of reciprocity Aussie style, we should stop paying Australians living in New Zealand single parent payments, student loans and unemployment benefits.
The little country needs to shove the boot into our big bully brother’s backside and give it right back at ya, mate.
Our Anzac bond is a humiliating one-way street as we continue to look at Australia with outdated sentimental fondness.
In return they see such nostalgic affection as a sign of weakness and can’t believe that we haven’t twigged to the cold hard fact that our bromance is long dead and in relationship terms, ‘He’s (as in Australia) just not that into you (NZ)’.
Our Anzac bond is a humiliating oneway street . . .