One of the many rules of politics is to not involve your family. If you do this makes them a target and opens the floodgates for media to write about them.
The spouses of former New Zealand PM’s have always kept well out of the limelight and protected their children from it as well. When John Key’s children were put under the spotlight it was not because he or his wife put them there but because the rules for engagement previously followed by the media were ignored when he became PM.
PM Jacinda Ardern has not protected her daughter from the media. In fact, she has used her daughter to put out fluff pieces when she needed to distract from bad news.
Her fiance Clarke Gayford unlike the partners of former PMs has failed to stay in the background, often using social media to make political comments and like he did this week wading in to defend his little woman.
Clarke Gayford has lashed out at Sir John Key following his criticisms of the Government’s COVID-19 approach, accusing him of “name-slinging” and disinformation and suggesting none of his ideas are even new.
The fiancé of current Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern took aim at Sir John on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, after his column – published by several media outlets over the weekend – took issue with the Government’s conservative response to the pandemic.
Given that the media have painted him as the perfect Mummy Daddy and feminist this reveals that far from being a feminist he does not see the PM as a strong independent woman but a weak little female who needs her man to rush in to defend her.
Because our future and so many lives depend on it, and for selfish reasons I have a 3yr old who needs to see more of her mum. https://t.co/YfrnPRmRXt
— Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) September 28, 2021
She’s welcome to resign any time she wants…
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