John Key’s ponytail pulling incident pales into insignificance compared to this government’s trail of bullying and sexual assault incidents. We’ve never seen anything like it.
Bear in mind this prime minister purports to have a high level of intolerance toward impropriety because her reputation hangs, not on facts, but solely on her credibility; which is currently in shreds, after the latest allegations of multiple sexual assaults by a Labour party member.
Addressing the United Nations a year ago Ardern held up kindness, not once, not twice, but three times as a desirable human trait and a universal value. Kindness is what made the world sit up and take notice of Ardern after Christchurch, but the victims of the numerous Labour party assault allegations have seen scant evidence of it. But I’m sure they’ve read about and seen Ardern’s compassion on TV.
Disturbing reports of alleged sexual assaults at the Labour Youth camp in February 2018 swiftly emerged but it took months before the Labour party leader made the public admission that the behaviour would not be tolerated. The alleged culprit faced four charges of sexual assault and the Labour Party faces a lack of credibility because of their mishandling of the complaints. The PM said in August last year, “We need to do things differently”. Either Ardern is a slow learner, or she says one thing in public but does another in private.
Meka Whaitiri was stood down in August last year for an investigation to be carried out on whether she bullied a staff member. It was alleged she had shouted at and manhandled a member of her staff three days earlier and, although the prime minister batted away further bullying allegations, it didn’t take long before she fired Whaitiri stating “I no longer have confidence in Meka Whaitiri as a Minister.” Message received, PM, bullies will not be tolerated – or could it just be that a poorly performing minister gets bumped at the first opportunity?
Parliament had sufficient disquiet on the subject of bullying and harassment that it held a review into the treatment of parliamentary staff. Given the generally low calibre of list MPs, the outcome was entirely predictable. Empower an idiot; abuses will follow.
Staff have reported a known minority of MPs who engage in “inappropriate behaviours on a regular basis” and were described as “various shades of s….”.
Some had “low people-management experience, poor self awareness and a big sense of entitlement”.
Stuff
You don’t say. But Trevor Mallard felt the need to drive his point home and morphed into a bully when he elevated an allegation of sexual harassment to rape status. The parliamentary employee at the centre of the allegation was understandably distraught.
“The accusation of rape has put me in a very dark place.”A colleague at the centre of a complaint against him three years earlier had come forward again after complainants were urged to do so by the Speaker.”
At no time was I spoken to by the review’s head, Debbie Francis, which I thought I would have been, considering an alleged incident had been investigated and was found to be without merit,” he said.
“It’s ironic that the review was about bullying and harassment. I feel I’ve been bullied out of Parliament and harassed within it, particularly by the Speaker’s claim.”
A Newspaper
Could things get any worse? Yes, they could, and they did, when one brave victim took her story to the media. Without her revelation, the latest sexual assault allegations would still be hidden under the Labour Party rug.
Ardern’s promise after the Labour Youth Camp incidents was found to be false when a cover-up of very serious allegations was revealed. There was no independent review of the allegations; nor does it appear that the victims were advised by the Labour party to go to the police. Despite heads rolling, the Labour party is tainted by their desire to preserve their political profile over kindness and justice for the youthful victims of their members.
“Complainants whose allegations of improper behaviour were dismissed by the Labour Party have been granted an independent appeal, along with funding for legal advice.
[…] It followed Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s comments this afternoon that there should be an independent expert to look into serious complaints against the party.
Seven formal complaints were laid with the party and up to 12 people made general complaints about a Labour staffer who works in the parliamentary precinct.”
TheBFD
Could things get any worse?