Kerre Woodham: It'd be a game-changer if a politician actually spoke their mind

On occasion, I do wonder why people listen to talkback. How is it that format can attract so many listeners?

But I think, after myself listening to a lot of politicians in the past few weeks, it's because when we are talking, you and me, we're actually talking. We're trying to communicate. We're trying to get a point across. We're trying to make a statement.

We're trying to get people to understand our point of view or we're reinforcing a point of view. We're not obfuscating. We're not stonewalling or uttering platitudes because we don't have any answers. If we don't know, we (you and me) say so.  I don't know. Or if we're wrong, we're like ‘I'm really sorry I was wrong. I got that wrong.’

If we're passionate about a topic, then we will speak our minds and you will hear it.  

It'd be a game-changer if a politician actually spoke their mind. I don't know if you heard the interview with the Prime Minister yesterday?  

Very nice man. Held his line, but absolutely nothing in terms of concrete answers. There was a lot of acknowledgement but nothing in terms of solutions.

I acknowledge the cost of living is hurting New Zealand families. I acknowledge the pain felt by victims of crime. I acknowledge that there's been a spike in retail crime. I acknowledge small businesses are doing it tough.

There's a lot of empathy, no answers.  

And it was like that this morning with the Police Minister taking a leaf out of her boss's book. Ginny Andersen's acknowledgments tumbled out of her mouth when she was drilled about the assaults on police.  

While you have people who choose not to participate, who choose to live on the outside of society and to, and happily do so, they have no truck with abiding by the rules, then you cannot police by consent. It's a flawed policy.

You cannot have police going to work and getting assaulted. More than 1000 attacks during 2022. Toughen up the laws. Start giving the police a bit more authority so they can command respect not and ask for it.

Honestly, the dissatisfaction that has come through from the police and the families of police through the text machine, through emails and through a few phone calls has been extraordinary. I've never seen the like of it, and I don't blame them one little bit.

And again, it's people who want to be able to do their jobs well, like the teachers, like the nurses and doctors, like the police.

They've got the skills, they've got the ability, they've got the desire to serve the New Zealand community and conditions make it impossible for them to do their best.

Anti-social people who have absolutely no interest in participating in the community make their jobs hell; in the classroom, in the hospitals, on the streets.

This whole idea that these people are poor oppressed victims of their own dysfunctional families and living in a society where nobody cares about them is flawed. People do care but it has to be a two way street.

You have to want to be part of a community.

You have to access the services that exist. If they're not the right ones, ask for the right ones. There's never been a time where your voice will be more clearly heard.  

I don't need empathy from my politicians.

I don't need you to acknowledge my pain, my hurt, my distress. You campaigned and you got the job to do something about it. So let's see some results.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.