Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Metiria's Problem

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  • Hebe,

    But this was a topic Turei opened as a political act and it’s on her that there is more to it than she told us at first. If you’re going to confess, even for the purpose of opening an important debate, you’d best not be selective about the messy bits.

    That's it. It's a dog's breakfast and a crying shame that it has been handled so badly. I understand and empathise with opening up the conversation, however the way has been done will inflict massive damage on the Green Party's prospects in this election.

    What an awful mess.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    The point made by several people that exactly this sort of intense scrutiny into her personal life is exactly the same as what WINZ submits beneficiaries continues to be the point that just keeps on giving .... this latest stoush came about because someone used the old electoral roll information to try prove who she was sleeping with 20 years ago ... which was nobody's business 20 years ago and is nobody's business now

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Paul Campbell,

    this latest stoush came about because someone used the old electoral roll information to try prove who she was sleeping with 20 years ago … which was nobody’s business 20 years ago and is nobody’s business now

    It's a topic she opened. And as soon as there was talk that there might be more to it than she said, a journalist was always going to look and see. Political speech gets questioned in democracies.

    And I say that with every sympathy for the issues she raised.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Alan Perrott,

    Inappropriate, too soon, etc, but I don't think I've been this engaged with NZ politics for donkey's. Not when there's second by second updates from Trumpistan to contend with.
    Go us.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report Reply

  • kiwiwolf,

    I am left wondering who no one is looking so deeply into Bennets murky past. Or am I?

    Whangaparaoa • Since Sep 2014 • 30 posts Report Reply

  • Bill Bennett,

    Like you, I'm sympathetic about the issue and I agree with the general points you make above. I'd like to add another:

    Not being aware of the storm this confession set off and its consequences shows a remarkable lack of political judgement from someone hoping to seek high office.

    Of course, there are plenty of people on both sides of the house and even at the top of the political ladder who are just as guilty of this. But to risk an own goal of this magnitude at the start of an election campaign is remarkable.

    From what I've seen on social media, Green supporters are rallying around, you'd expect that. But if this issue drags on and Turei becomes a liability, she may need to give up more than the possibility of serving as a minister.

    Auckland • Since Apr 2012 • 11 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    because she'd falsely registered that address as hers so she could vote for her friend in an election

    This was stupid. It was stupid to do it, but everybody does stupid things. But to admit it? She could have said anything else, simply a failure to remember why she did it - hell I couldn't tell you why I did 90% of the things I did at that age. Nobody would have really questioned it.

    But voter fraud? Even fraud to cast a throwaway vote? Unless you actually were trying to make some political statement in which case you'd have made a thing about it back then.

    I just can't understand why she would throw away all the political capital she just built up by admitting that.

    Unless of course she's playing some amazingly clever political game.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    This was stupid. It was stupid to do it, but everybody does stupid things. But to admit it? She could have said anything else, simply a failure to remember why she did it – hell I couldn’t tell you why I did 90% of the things I did at that age. Nobody would have really questioned it.

    Because the address was the home address of the father of her child, further complicating her benefit disclosure. If she'd said nothing, the obvious assumption would have been that she was living with her child's father while claiming the DPB.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • julie may, in reply to kiwiwolf,

    People are afraid to speak out against Bennett as her Pitbull tactics are well-known.
    Apparently those who know about her past have been told to keep quite.
    Where are investigative journalists when you need them?

    Wellington • Since Aug 2017 • 3 posts Report Reply

  • julie may,

    If Turei has a PR advisor I hope she's fired them already.

    Wellington • Since Aug 2017 • 3 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to julie may,

    People are afraid to speak out against Bennett as her Pitbull tactics are well-known.
    Apparently those who know about her past have been told to keep quite.
    Where are investigative journalists when you need them?

    One upshot of Turei's confession was that it provided a pretext for going with a Tony Wall investigation into Bennett's circumstances that had stalled (in part, I gather, because of an injunction of some kind).

    So that was published, and it certainly leaves some questions unanswered.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sam M, in reply to Hebe,

    however the way has been done will inflict massive damage on the Green Party's prospects in this election.

    And with it the entire Left

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 72 posts Report Reply

  • keeaa, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    Because she's an honest person first and a politician second. Some people apparently can't understand that.

    Since Nov 2014 • 19 posts Report Reply

  • keeaa,

    Well, this certainly is separating the Labour supporters from the Greens supporters.

    Since Nov 2014 • 19 posts Report Reply

  • Rosemary McDonald, in reply to julie may,

    If Turei has a PR advisor I hope she’s fired them already.

    Has someone raised the idea that perhaps Turei was tipped off that enemies were going to spill the beans about her 'past', and she chose/was advised to 'confess' and try and extract a bit of political mileage in the process?

    Dark, dirty politics.

    Personally, as much as I am able to 'like' any politician....Turei is one of the more personable and believable ones. I sincerely hope the wound is not too deep...she still presents as green...rather than the paler shade adopted by many of her party colleagues.

    Waikato, or on the road • Since Apr 2014 • 1346 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Bennett's circumstances

    Wonder if she was even registered to vote at the time of allegations about living arrangements? Otherwise hard to get useful evidence without cooperation.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Nick Russell,

    Labour must be fuming. Right now, this looks like the greatest act of Green sabotage on Labour since the Seeds of Distrust fiasco in 2002. Just when National was pondering how on earth they were going to attack Jacinda Ardern without looking like bullies, Metiria has given them a nice big stick and invited them to go for it.

    Go read Kiwiblog if you don't believe me. They think Christmas just arrived.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 129 posts Report Reply

  • Sam M,

    Unrelated to Turei, but I have long thought and agreed with the following

    This is, of course, something that may be shifted along with the technologies that don’t forget. It may well be that right now on Snapchat some future Prime Minister is doing or saying something that would be disqualifying for a political career in 2017. Perhaps we’ll all become more forgiving in the future.

    I think as a species, we will have to become more forgiving of each others' foibles as they are played out more in public. I don't think human nature will change and I don't think technology is going anywhere, so the only viable alternative seems to me to be that we all just accept that young (and not so young) people do stupid stuff and it ends up on the internet and should be ignored.

    The sooner we get there the better. Of course, this is different to the main topic of today's discussion!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 72 posts Report Reply

  • julie may, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,

    Yes, I think that's very likely.
    Still, it wasn't a wise move to open herself up like that-especially right before an election- and her poor judgement in doing so is far worse than her indiscretions 20+ years ago, in my opinion.

    Wellington • Since Aug 2017 • 3 posts Report Reply

  • Sam M,

    Hmph, autocorrect. Turei!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 72 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Sam M,

    friendly elves :)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Todd, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    But voter fraud? Even fraud to cast a throwaway vote?

    Yes, this is one aspect of Metiria Turei’s story that doesn’t quite ring true.

    In 1993, she received 121 votes as the McGillicuddy Serious candidate in New Lynn. Her friend, one K Julian (MCGS), in Mt Albert, in respect of whom she purportedly committed electoral fraud in order to vote for, received 195 votes. Why would you go to such trouble to vote for your friend, in favour of voting for yourself in another electorate?

    I just hope she wasn’t actually living with / under the same roof as, the father of her daughter at the Mt Albert address at that time. If she was, she may have to resign from parliament prior to the election.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2013 • 125 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Because the address was the home address of the father of her child, further complicating her benefit disclosure. If she'd said nothing, the obvious assumption would have been that she was living with her child's father while claiming the DPB.

    I guess there must be a different timeline, but I just figured she forgot to change her address on the roll and then just voted in Mt Albert because hell it didn't make a difference.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Todd, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    …, but I just figured she forgot to change her address on the roll and then just voted in Mt Albert because hell it didn’t make a difference."

    Yes, a perfectly likely explanation. I hope that’s all it was.

    I understand they broke up pretty soon after she got pregnant / gave birth.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2013 • 125 posts Report Reply

  • Mikaere Curtis,

    That’s a crying shame, because she has so much to offer politically and personally.

    I totally agree, of all the Green MPs Metiria would make the best minister IMO.

    I've known Metiria since 1993 and before she had her baby and have the utmost respect for her and her political prowess. She took a bold and risky political decision to put herself in harm's way in order to reposition the (lack of) debate around the plight of some of the most vulnerable in our society.

    Was it worth the risk ? I depends how things turn out. One way of looking at the situation is that the Green's boost to 15% in recent polling partially came at the expense of Labour, and therefore contributed to Little's resignation and the nascent Jacindamania.

    If Labour and the Greens can build on the current momentum to realise a Labour/Green government then I would posit it could not have happened without Metiria's bold move (and, subsequently, Jacinda's good performance as a new leader).

    At which point I would like Jacinda to recognise Metiria's commitment and talent and give her a second chance by selecting her as Minister of Social Development.

    Tamaki Makaurau • Since Nov 2006 • 528 posts Report Reply

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