On the fourth of April on the Whaleoil Face of the day we told you that the National party staffer was neither emotional nor junior and now the MSM has finally caught up and has reported (in an opinion piece) what we already knew 5 days earlier.
OPINION: On March 15, our country’s worst terrorist attack occurred. Watching the news unfold was a National Party staffer with several years’ experience. He was horrified to learn that a slogan criticising the United Nations migration pact, which National also opposed, was emblazoned on a weapon used by the terrorist.[…]
[…] Apparently, the petition had been taken down, without his knowledge, by an “emotional junior staffer”. This term has caused considerable rancour among some National Party staff and MPs. The staffer is experienced, and one could argue that his state of mind in taking down the petition, rather than being emotional, was extremely rational and sensible.
Bridges also said that, while he didn’t necessarily agree with what the “junior staffer” had done, he wasn’t going to “be critical of it”.
So why is a charge of serious misconduct now being laid against the “emotional junior staffer” by Bridges’ chief of staff, Jamie Gray? If that’s Bridges “not being critical”, I’d hate to see him having a go.
The serious misconduct charge, which has made some National staffers and MPs “apoplectic”, does not relate to the unauthorised taking down of the petition, but apparently to the staffer being “dishonest” by allowing false information to be sent to MPs in their “speaking lines” on the Monday.
I find it incredible that Bridges’ office, after speaking to the staffer on Friday and being told the petition was still up, continued with the “petition was archived weeks ago” story. At best it’s a serious breakdown in communication. Or perhaps they knew what they were sending out was false and hoped it would hold, but then when they were proved wrong found an “emotional junior” scapegoat.
[…] this incident seems to be another case in which Bridges has not shown the leadership we would expect. He has allowed a loyal staffer to be thrown under the bus by his own office […]
A messy outcome to the affair ? now with a top lawyer involved, possible large payouts and more dirty National Party laundry being aired ? is the last thing National and its leader need right now […]
And rather than being “hands off” about the serious misconduct charge, he should have a quiet, unemotional word to his chief of staff and tell him to drop the whole thing.
The Dominion Post
Our sources tell us that the handling of this case is being used by Paula Bennett and Mark Mitchell to foment discord in
This has now resulted in the debacle yesterday on RNZ and in a lawsuit.
The staffer wasn?t emotional. The staffer is a senior.
Bridges and the current leadership team have shown a wanton disregard for the truth and they appear to be doing another Jami-Lee Ross on this staffer. Hence the lawsuit.
Bridges is the one who should be emotional right now, wondering how he?s going to pay his mortgage when his salary is cut in half ? since that was his stated reason (which he used to share with anyone he cared to joke with) for wanting the Leader of the Opposition job in the first place.