Death on PM's watch

This via NZPA, courtesy TGIF Edition:

MEMBER OF PM'S ALPINE PARTY DIES
CLARK-3RD-LEAD 327 words
Aug 14th 2008 10:58pm
Wellington, Aug 14 NZPA - A mountain guide in Prime Minister Helen Clark's alpine party has died near Lake Tekapo in the central South Island today. Police tonight confirmed the dead man was Gottlieb Otto Braun-Elwert, aged 59. Miss Clark is understood to have been involved in resuscitation efforts on him late this afternoon. Mr Braun-Elwert suffered what is believed to be a heart attack, Inspector Dave Gaskin, area commander for Mid-South Canterbury police said tonight. Miss Clark and Dr Davis were reported to be safe in a hut in a remote part of the Lake Tekapo region. Miss Clark's spokesman said there was no danger to Miss Clark or members of the party. Mr Braun-Elwert had an alpine recreation business based at Lake Tekapo and Miss Clark and her husband Peter Davis, keen mountain climbers and skiing enthusiasts, were regular clients of his. Search and Rescue volunteers have reached the hut in the Two Thumbs range in the South Canterbury back country and are preparing to evacuate the party, Mr Gaskin said. "Due to atrocious weather conditions a helicopter which was dispatched from Christchurch has been unable to reach the location," Mr Gaskin said. Mr Braun-Elwert, who had a degree in nuclear physics, immigrated to New Zealand in 1978. As well as taking Miss Clark and Dr Davis cross-country skiing several times, he guided them climbing in New Zealand and in South America. NZPA WGT gt

Comments

[stan]

WTF is up with the thread title: "death on PM's watch"?

[Rick]

Oh dear. The blogs round the traps have been squealing themselves horse over whether and when the pro Helen spin would begin on this matter, and unfortunatly, it has.

"PM reveals harowing ..." blah blah blah What valiant effort! What self sacrifice!

Yep it's all about the PM now, not the man who died. First chopper that arrived, the PM and Davis left the scene. Captain and officers first - especially now they have media engagements!

[cha]

HORSE!.
btw Rick, I see spelling isn't your strong point but a little remedial help with the reading may improve things.

[peter]

Stan

"Death on PM's watch" is the kind of headline that comes easily for Ian.

It was not her watch at all.

The guide died on his own watch. The distinguished explorers then had to do their best.

It would be interesting to find out what they were all doing there in such atrocious conditions, but again I would have thought this experienced guide would have been able to make the call if conditions were hazardous.

[Rick]

Ah yes, Cha, I see you've popped back out of Helen's butthole. Do you use CFL bulbs up there or is the warm clinging ignorance of the place something you prefer not to spoil in any way?

[Rick]

...and hot on the heels of cha, we have peter: A man within a man, if you will.

[lyndon]

peter - you misunderstand

The headline merely alludes. to the way someone died while Helen Clark was - let's see her try to deny it - PM.

/sarcasm ends

[baxta]

It might have been safer for her if she had spent her unofficial vacation at an Auckland Beach resort...Though maybe she had a hidden agenda and was sounding out the scientist on the prospect of building a nuclear power plant.

[ian]

Despite the speculation of the left, there wasn't a sinister intent in the phrasing of the headline. The facts of the story I posted under it make it very clear Clark was trying to save the man. It was meant only in the sense that it must have been extremely personal and extremely harrowing.

My condolences go out to Braun-Elwert's family, and Helen Clark and Peter Davis. It isn't a time to be making political capital.

To those who would say Clark will misuse this...No. This guy was a close friend, he died on their trip. Give the PM some leeway on this.

I would have clarified this sooner but have been travelling part of the day and am just preparing to email out TGIF, so haven' had a chance.

[dad4justice]

What's the big deal as Mountains are dangerous playgrounds?

God bless his soul.

[belt]

"Despite the speculation of the left, there wasn't a sinister intent in the phrasing of the headline. The facts of the story I posted under it make it very clear Clark was trying to save the man. It was meant only in the sense that it must have been extremely personal and extremely harrowing."

Well, for the record, I am from the right, and I found the headline in poor judgement.

Ever since the Peter Davis in LA witch hunt, you have had less of my respect. (Had it yielded results, this could have been different).

My concern remains that the journalist and the editor/publisher being the same person requires a huge amount of self restraint not to go for the easy money or the cheap shot.

My judgement: the blog headline is not in line with your subsequent explanation.

I'll be the amongst the first to cheer when Ms Clark becomes political history. But that doesn't mean we have to drop our standards to achieve it.

[Shane Ponting]

Yeah I really struggle to see it from your perspective belt. The headline is literal - where's the point of critique in that?

[JJ]

and how strange that her 'husband-who-is not-really-her-husband' (well if you subscribe to the Ian-Blowhard line) was on holiday with her! what *are* we to make of that?

[dad4justice]

belt would try and critique a fly on his bread. He talks of LA witch hunts, which does indicate a liking for a broomstick for transportation? Zoom.

Hi peter.

[peter]

Belt .. your post makes sense and is in good taste.

Ian comes across as a burnt out journalist who has lost his better judgement of previous years.

Lets keep it appropriate. How would any one of us have coped in similar circumstances?

[dad4justice]

"Ian comes across as a burnt out journalist"

Well I think Ian is a refreshing and courageous journalist peter.

[peter]

But Daddy, unlike top class journalists, Ian has lost his sense of balance. Is it personal grudge? Is it an obsession with loopy biblical irrelevancies - actually these seem to be fading thank god. Is it just a cynical pitch for a market segment? Who knows?

But his latest effort was clearly a cheap shot at our distinguished and dignified prime minister. Belt agrees. This says more about Ian that it says about Helen Clark.

Once the insult has been levelled, there is really no way back Ian. Your spluttered message of condolence convinces noone.

While you are right to say that this is no time to be making political capital, your clear inference is that any other time you would be seeking to do just that.

You may be the first to cheer when Helen Clark is political history, and in her time of mourning, you are not hesitating to remind her of that are you?

I was going to say that I would celebrate when you became journalistic history, but then I realised that is already your status.

This latest cheap shot is just the latest in a long line of gaffes.

[peter]

Other commentators are noting similarly

http://fundypost.blogspot.com/2008/08/brief-lives.html

http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/31/printer_6342.php

[dad4justice]

But peter, Tim Barnett told me at a Suicide for Men conference that Helen Clark is gay, so your assumption that she is "distinguished and dignified" person is codswallop,because in my books she is a manipulating liar and a disgraceful two faced bitch and deserves everything coming her way.
What a lying sick cow she is.What an insult to poofters.
Why link homosexual websites you strange freak?

[peter]

Daddy

You like many other extreme right wing Christian fundamentalists are obsessed with sexual orientation.

What we should be discussing is her role as prime minister - that is our business, the other is not.

She certainly stacks up well when compared with Ian or yourself.

Especially after Ian's latest cheap shot.