Kerre Woodham: Slipping Parliamentary standards are a reflection of us

Well, what a to-do. The image of Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters slumped in the House, head in his hands, summed it up really. Brooke van Velden dropped the C-bomb in the house, quoting a Stuff article whose author used the word in criticising the government's decision to amend the pay equity legislation. The coalition's female MPs are angry that Labour MPs, particularly the female MPs, have not condemned the journalist’s use of the word, which was used as a derogatory in the article.  

Judith Collins, head of the Privileges Committee, was on with Mike Hosking this morning, ostensibly to talk about the suspension of three Te Pati Māori MPs for their haka in the House, but during the chat she deplored the decline of standards in the House.  

“There's a lack of civility now and it's not acceptable, and I feel that the comments of the print journalist in the Sunday Star Times this last Sunday was one of the lowest points I think I've seen in 23 years. That and what happened on the 14th of November in Parliament. It's just the sort of behaviour towards each other that is despicable. So I'd say to Brooke, you know I wouldn't use the word myself, but I did feel that she at least stood up for herself and for all the rest of us, and I am waiting for someone of the left persuasion in our Parliament, one MP, just one, to come out and say it's not okay to attack people just because you don't agree with what they do.” 

I think she'll be waiting a while. Karen Chhour has been consistently attacked by Labour MPs and Te Pati Māori MPs, really for just for being a Māori woman who has the temerity to be an ACT Party MP. And to be fair, when Jacinda Ardern and her preschool daughter were receiving violent threats —violent sexual threats, some of them very real and credible threats— there wasn't a universal condemnation of the abuse from National and ACT. Certainly Judith Collins, when she was the opposition leader, said she did not want to see Jacinda Ardern threatened when she visited Auckland in 2021 after the three-month lockdown. She said I don't want to see anything happen to the Prime Minister or have her threatened in any way. I think it's not good for our democracy and also it is not right for people to do that to each other, which is true, and good on her for saying that. But at the same time, it's hardly a universal, strident condemnation of the threats that the Prime Minister of the time was getting.  

We were discussing this before the show, one of our colleagues said politicians need to be better otherwise people will just give up. They'll look at the carry on, they'll read the stories and think I'm not going to vote. I argued that there are House of Representatives – they are us, to borrow a phrase. Abuse of MPs on every level increased in 2022, 98% of them reported receiving some kind of harassment. Women were considerably more likely to face abuse on most counts than male politicians. Abuse increased across 11 of the 12 different mediums, with social media overtaking emails, faxes and letters as the most prominent. That came from us. That's men and women, normally erstwhile, law-abiding, God-fearing people who suddenly became more strident.  

It was a result of societal factors, of lockdowns, of decisions made that had an enormous impact on people's lives and livelihoods and families. And there will be people who will never forget what happened. It can't be undone. But that all resulted in extremes, in the use of language and the vehemence of our opinions and our tribalism. I had a public Facebook page for years. I think in the in the seven or eight years I had it before Covid, I blocked two people. Once Covid started, I just got rid of it because it's why would you be a sitting duck? When I first heard about the death threats against Jacinda Ardern, I thought, well, who hasn't had them? You know that is not normal. That's no

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the carrywood of morning's podcast from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Head b Well, what are to do? The image of
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters slumped in the house head
in his hands, summed it up? Really, Brook van Walden
had dropped the sea bomb in the House, quoting a
staff article whose author used the word in criticizing the

(00:30):
government's decision to amend the pay equity legislation. The coalition's
female MPs are angry that Labor MPs, particularly the female MPs,
have not condemned the journalist's use of the word, which
was used as a derogatory in the article. Judith Collins,
head of the Privileges Committee, was on with Mike Hosking

(00:51):
this morning ostensibly to talk about the suspension of three
Tapatti Mauldi MPs for their hucker in the House, but
during the chat she deplored the decline of standards in
the House.

Speaker 3 (01:01):
There's a lack of civility now and it's not acceptable
and I feel that, you know the comments of the
print journalist in the Sunday Star Times this last Sunday
was one of the lowest points I think I've seen
in twenty three years. That and what happened on the
fourteenth of November in parliament. It's just the sort of

(01:26):
behavior towards each other that is despicable. So I'd say
to Brooke, you know, I wouldn't use the word myself,
but I did feel that she at least stood up
for herself and for all the rest of us. And
I am waiting for someone of the left persuasion in
our parliament, one MP, just one to come out and

(01:48):
say it's not okay to attack people just because you
don't agree with what they do.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
I think she'll be waiting a while. Karen Shaw has
been consistently attacked by Labor MPs and Tipati Maori MPs
really just for being a Mary woman who has the
temerity to be an Act Party MP and to be fair.
When Jasindra A Durne and her preschool daughter were receiving
violent threats, violent sexual threats, some of them very real

(02:19):
and credible threats, there wasn't a universal condemnation of the
abuse from National and ACT. Certainly, Judith Collins, when she
was the Opposition leader, said she did not want to
see Jasindra A durned threatened when she visited Auckland in
twenty twenty one, after the three month lockdown, she said,
I don't want to see anything happen to the Prime

(02:40):
Minister or have her threatened in any way. I think
it's not good for our democracy. And also it is
not right for people to do that to each other,
which is true and good on her for saying that,
but at the same time, it's hardly a universal strident
condemnation of the threats that the Prime Minister of the

(03:00):
time was getting. We were discussing this before the show.
One of our leg said, politicians need to be better.
Otherwise people will just give up. They'll look at the
carry on, They'll read the stories and think I'm not
going to vote. I argued that there are House of Representatives.

(03:21):
They are us to borrow a phrase. Abuse of MPs
on every level in twenty twenty two increased ninety eight
percent of them reported receiving some kind of harassment. Women
were considerably more likely to face abuse on most counts
than male politicians. Abuse increased across eleven of the twelve

(03:45):
different mediums, with social media overtaking emails, facts and letters
as the most prominent that came from us. That's men
and women normally erstwhile law abiding, look god fearing people

(04:06):
who suddenly became more strident. You know, it was a
result of factors, of societal factors, of lockdowns, of decisions
made that had an enormous impact on people's lives and
livelihoods and families. And there will be people who will
never forget what happened. It can't be undone, but that

(04:33):
all resulted and extremes in the use of language and
the vehemence of our opinions and our tribalism. I had
a public Facebook page for years, I think in the
seven or eight years I had it before before COVID.
I blocked two people. Once COVID started, I just got

(04:55):
rid of it because it's why would you be a
sitting duck when you know I first heard about the
death threats against Jacinda Adoun, I thought, well, hasn't had them?

Speaker 1 (05:07):
You know?

Speaker 2 (05:07):
That is not normal, That's not a normal response. Yeah,
the days of socratic discourse are long gone. So does
that mean we have to give up My colleague gust
that we have no expectations of our MPs. No, But
I think before we ask anything of our MPs, we
look at ourselves. I was thinking about that this morning.

(05:30):
Can I call out the Principal's Federation representative and say,
before you start looking at the government, how about you
call out the poor parents who send their kids to
school unable to hold a pen, not toilet trained. Whose
fault is that? That is the parents? Can I say that? Absolutely?

Speaker 3 (05:48):
I can.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
Should I mimic her voice while I'm saying that, no,
I shouldn't Talkbacks are robust forum. It's a bit like parliament.
People get het up. We're allowed to have opinions. We
should have differ a opinions. But before I'm going to

(06:10):
ask anything of our MPs, before I ask anything of
my fellow journalists, I'll have a look in the mirror
and check myself out.

Speaker 1 (06:19):
For more from Kerry Wooden Mornings, listen live to News
Talks a B from nine am weekdays, or follow the
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