Francesca Rudkin: Are we too hard on politicians?

This week I found myself wondering if we’re too hard on politicians? Is there enough support for those who choose to go into public service? And why do we forget they’re human too?  

When we see some of politics’ most passionate, talented, hard-working participants, some touted as potential leaders, hit mental health road bumps which often derail their careers, you’ve got to wonder if it’s worth it.   

This time last year our then Prime Minister called a press conference and announced she didn’t have enough energy in the tank to do the job well and was resigning. She wanted to spend more time with her family.  

It was a shock, but not surprising. It had been a brutal, unprecedented 5 years at the top for Ardern, and would have taken a toll on any leader.   

This January we have another surprising resignation of a high-profile politician, for quite different reasons. In the case of Greens MP Golriz Ghahraman it was due to allegations of shoplifting, for which she has now been charged.  

Ghahraman did not offer an excuse —and rightly so, as there’s no excuse for illegal behaviour— but she did try and offer an explanation. An extreme stress response to her work and unrecognised trauma contributed to her irrational behaviour – basically, it was down to her mental health.  

As I know from hosting Summer Mornings this week, some of you feel empathy for Ghahraman, appreciate her hard work, and wish her the best in dealing with her issues. Some of you believe that mental health is just a convenient excuse.  

I think it’s both. We need to differentiate between a person’s mental health crisis, which deserves our compassion, and their actions, which can be inexcusable. It is possible to hold both thoughts at the same time. 

What we don’t want though is for the mental health ‘excuse’ to become an easy PR solution to a problem, because it’s really important people —from all walks of life— share their stories to destigmatise mental health issues. 

What intrigued me this week was when Ghahraman’s Green Party colleagues and former members of Parliament spoke out about the stress, violent and sexual threats, and the challenges of being a politician, but especially a female politician.  

Abuse has always been a part of being a politician. Talk to any politician and they will tell you about some of the crazy abuse they have received over the years, but you get the sense from those in the business now that it’s worse.  

Why do people feel they have the right to abuse and threaten politicians?  

If you don’t like their policies, don’t vote for them. There is never any rationale or excuse for sexual or violent threats. We must differentiate between the person and the politics, and at the same time offer better support for those who decide to enter public service.  

This needs to come from both the party and Parliamentary Services. The last thing we want is for our politicians to become unreachable and untouchable due to a fear of the public, or for good, capable people to decide to avoid public service altogether.   

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