Gotta say Alf hopes the book is thrown at the Greenpeace tossers who staged the day-long protest yesterday over what they say is government inaction on climate change.
Even better, let’s throw a library of books at them because this should inflict greater hurt.
The tiresome foursome are believed to have used scaffolding at the rear of Parliament to get onto the building, then make their way to the ledge which overlooks the forecourt.
Alf didn’t pay much attention to their antics, but it seems they placed solar panels there and unfurled a benner with a photo of the Prime Minister, John Key, and the words “cut pollution, create jobs – yeah, nah”.
Not all MPs were too dismayed but according to Radio NZ:
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the fact protesters could reach the roof was a real worry.
“I suppose they demonstrate that our security is totally inadequate. This is for a different cause, an environmental cause, but imagine if they were terrorists?
“We’ve just seen an example of how exposed we are.”
ACT leader David Seymour said the protesters were “arrogant and conceited”.
“The worst thing that could happen is that Parliament becomes more locked-down, more difficult for law-abiding people to access, because of the behaviour of these guys,” he said.
Labour MP Annette King said she was worried about the backlash for MPs.
Fair enough too.
“I fear that there will be an overreaction and next thing you know we will have to be swiping to go to the loo.”
And Alf’s colleague Steven Joyce said next time it might not be Greenpeace protesters.
“I think obviously they are going to have a security review as they should because while there is no particular difficulty with having some people hanging a sheet out the front… that would be a concern if it was somebody with a more malevolent intent.”
Greenpeace isn’t the only outfit to attract tossers, of course.
The Green Party has ’em too and co-leader James Shaw was more concerned that people were missing the point.
How you could miss the point when it comes to our safety and well-being escapes the Member for Eketahuna North.
But Shaw was able to do it:
“The main point here is that regardless of what the Government says it is doing around climate change…since this Government came to office, our emissions have risen 13 percent.”
Speaker of the House David Carter – good fellow – is better tuned in to things.
He said he was worried about the safety of staff and MPs.
“I am attempting to keep this parliament as open as possible for the public of New Zealand but the balance there is to also keep it safe and secure for parliamentarians and staff.
It was a delicate balance that had to be managed on daily basis, he said.
The result of the Greenpeace stunt looks likely to be a tipping of the balance in favour of the safety of staff and MPs and away from the ability of members of the public to see their MPs at work.
The public won’t thank the protesters for that.
Alf Grumble 