Jacinda Ardern

Every single time I heard this yesterday they used his name- not just BBC.
I fully support this clever woman's idea- wish there were more politicians like her. We should adopt this approach from now on. These maniacs get off on the fact they will be 'remembered' for a very long time. Take away their identity.

A Kiwi friend told me that when Donald Trump asked what support he could provide, Jacinda Ardern replied 'Sympathy and love for all Muslim communities'

I thought she spoke so well. Also noticed someone was signing her speech, I have never seen this done for any statement our prime minister has made.

Maryeliza, you really are pathetic, what a nasty comment. To begin with I support women’s rights, always have done, I was brought up that way. She’s young, where in my comment did I make reference to her age? Really, how pathetic. That she’s left of centre, I couldn’t give a toss about her politics frankly. How does she make our PM look? It’s really not relevant.

Free acquisition of guns in any country, in my humble opinion, is a aberration on that country and on humanity. I had no idea previously, of the appalling number of guns fairly freely available in New Zealand, and what I have now learnt has shocked me.

The gun laws in America are appalling too, but Trump, Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush (senior), Reagan, Carter, Ford etc etc have dismally failed to act, with the result that there have been many mass shootings.

How about Europe? Where did the guns come from that were used in the Paris attacks?

Don’t assume anything about me Maryeliza. Your comments would be taken more seriously if you sounded less aggressive. Your posts on Gransnet always sound arrogant. Do you behave in the same way towards people in real life or is this behaviour reserved for those of us on Gransnet? It’s easy to be rude online isn’t it?

Her parents must be so proud of her.

All New Zealand is proud of her, even people in opposing political parties are reluctantly agreeing that she's doing a great job.

My grandson saw her in the local supermarket with her Mum and asked his own mother if he could go talk to her and did. She was lovely with him, asked him lots of questions and introduced her mother.

When I heard this story I said, 'But didn't she have security with her?'
'No' said my daughter-in-law, 'just her Mum.'

My son said, 'Only in New Zealand.'
I'm sad to think that might change.

I remember once being 'accosted' on a train by a man who wandered up and asked me what I was reading. I told him but was a little brusque as I would be with any nosy strange man.

The excitement of other passengers alerted me to something amiss and they told me it was Jim Bolger, the then Prime Minister. I had no idea.

What I don't understand is that when our children, and adults, play games on line they appear to be mostly violent and based on who can shoot to kill and win. If this is 90% of what they experience, no wonder they kill in real life also. This also applies to the growing knife crime. Why does it seem that it's only me that makes this connection? Consider what previous generations read, exploring, etc.

maddy you criticised her for not doing something sooner about gun control. That was utterly ridiculous. Full stop.

And do tell maddy when exactly in the last 18 months should she have done something and why?

She didn’t get the gun laws right did she?

Come on maddy what did you mean by this post? What didn’t she get right and when should she have got it right and why? Attacking me doesn’t take away from your unfounded criticism of her whatever you might think.

Maryeliza, you do not need to write the words ‘full stop’, it is enough just to use a full stop.

In my humble opinion Maryeliza, any politician who fails to act on gun laws which allow fairly free access to guns, especially in today’s climate of mass shootings, is closing his/her eyes to a potential disaster. The evidence is freely available all over the world, Dunblane, Paris, multiple shootings in America, and now New Zealand. Our politicians have a duty to act, before disaster, not afterwards. They let us all down.

If you don’t like being attacked Maryeliza, stop attacking others.

What I said is true, maryeliza54. When that young girl tourist was murdered recently her reaction was one of shock. How could such a thing happen in New Zealand? She needs to wake up and face reality.

Jacinda is a leader pity we don’t have a PM whose the same.

maddy your post is so illogical as to defy all reason. JA is behaving impeccably over the CC massacre and is leading her country and government in a way that can only make us in the UK almost speechless with admiration. To criticise her for not having a crystal ball is setting a standard that is ludicrous. I’ve nothing further to say. Full stop.

My understanding is that New Zealand has a strong gun lobby and it would have been difficult for Jacinda Arden to change laws before this atrocity. www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/tighter-arms-control-in-new-zealand-has-history-of-being-blocked-1.3830716

I agree Maxdecatt, I can never understand why the beeb sends newsreaders to report disasters etc on the spot. They rarely get to interview anyone, the pictures/films we would get anyway, and as you say, why so many need to go I don’t understand. The tv licence is going up in April and the beeb have been throwing out alternatives to the free licence for over 75s as they “can’t afford it”. I can see why.

To get back to the original post, sorry I digressed, I think JA came across very well and it seems the new law will be implemented next month. I wish we got on so quickly here. She seems a kind, sympathetic leader.

^ JA is behaving impeccably over the CC massacre^

How else could she behave?

What a strange thing to say.
Trump is clueless as to how to react, because he lacks empathy, always, but other than him, at times of tragedy, most politicians and leaders behave appropriately and say what needs to be said.

The horror of Lee Rigsby's slaughter, the Grenfell Towers disaster and other tragedies have had our politicians doing what had to be done and saying what had to be said, in an appropriate manner.

Why Ardern's response is used as a vehicle to knock UK ministers is beyond me. I see left wingers are out in force criticising May and others.

Political one-upmanship attempted via a human tragedy - that's not nice.

fran021. Not sure about your comment regarding what previous generations read or did, my brother's childhood comics glorified war and guns and killing Germans. Blows your theory out of the water!

Maryeliza, thank you for your comments. The fact that I disagree with them is of course, my prerogative. I am not speechless with admiration, to be honest, as with any politician. JA has acted pretty much in line with all politicians after a disaster or tragedy, she has met with the victims, attended vigils/memorials, no doubt lit a candle or two, and she has expressed sympathetic words to the nation/world. She has said that there will be new laws in New Zealand to ban many types of weapons. Her behaviour is exactly as I would have expected.

I do not worship at the shrine of any politician, nor do I hate any politician, as sometimes seems apparent from some posts about politicians from some Gransnetters.

I’m pleased JA is going to enact laws to ban many types of guns in New Zealand. I’m pleased that we in Britain banned certain types of weapons after Dunblane. I’m saddened that America seems unable to do this, whoever is in power. But I do not think JA is worthy of being lauded for her recent actions, she has behaved exactly as any other politician would have behaved, with the exception of those in America. I’m sorry to disappoint you Maryeliza, but that is my view.

Exactly Day6.

Have you forgotten Hungerford Dunblane and Cumbria.

I fully agree with the praise being given to Jacinda Ardern for the way she has conducted herself during this tragedy, in particular in not naming the gunman. However, cynic that I am, I would think governing a country with a population of less than 5 million must be easier for her than some other PM roles.

vicky that’s not the point that is being made but the ability to lead and respond - that’s not dependent on the size of the country but on the size of your heart and maturity.

I admire NZ Prime Minister, why arent there more world leaders like her.
Thought and sympathy to the people of NZ.