labour's police spokeswoman, Ginny Andersen, claims Police Minister Mark Mitchell was “paid to kill people” and has asked him whether he kept a “tally of how many you shot” while providing private military services in Iraq.
Mitchell said Andersen's comments were “outrageous” and she should apologise. Andersen refused.
Actually his job was to protect people from killers. I blogged previously on some of what Mitchell did, and how many people he kept alive.
The fact Andersen won't apologise reflects far more on her than Mitchell. If I was Chris Hipkins, I would advise her to apologise.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.
11 comments:
How fortunate we are to have such a Minister of Police after the sad inadequacy of Ginny Anderson. Thanks for telling us this.
Anderson's vile, slightly deranged performance this morning shouldn't surprise anyone. She has form with allegations about bullying and shady financials around her electorate office setup. But this morning really set a new low not just for her, but for the Labour Party as well.
If Hipkins wasn't so weak and disengaged he'd either force her to apologise or ask for her resignation.
Any apology from that MP would be just as meaningless as any other utterance from her, as demonstrated by her performance as a minister. If Hipkins had the cojones he would call for her resignation.
Minister Mitchells tremendous work as a police officer in New Zealand is widely known. He was awarded the Police Gold Merit Award for bravery and dedication to duty. His work during the Iraq war was so highly regarded that he was invited to brief General David Petraeus one of the highest ranking US Generals in that war.
Ginny Anderson prior to her elevation within the Labour Party was little more than a minimally qualified drone in various Government jobs.
The difference in calibre of the two people is obviously enormous. To use a military term, Ginny Anderson is not the dirt of Mark Mitchell's boots.
Not to know of Mr Mitchell's outstanding record brands Ginny Anderson as a fool. Which we all knew anyway. She should hang her head in total shame and embarrassment. This is absolute gutter politics.
Will she apologise ? Highly unlikely. What she should do is resign. But that's also highly unlikely. Being in the NZ Labour Party means never having to admit you were wrong. Or take personal responsibility for failure. And that's the very ethos they have created within much of New Zealand society.
Like all her associates that totally disgrace themselves she will hang on to the bitter end. This is the best gig she's ever likely to get. Just think of Clair Currin, David Clark, Ian Lees-Galloway, Stuart Nash, Michael Wood, Kiri Allan.
Anyone I've forgotten ?
I heard in dismay on the morning news of how yesterday a German father and son touring New Zealand on motorbikes had one of their bikes stolen near Wairoa. They spotted it driving up and down the main street and followed it back to the thief's home were they were horribly intimidated by the occupants, gang members. The police eventually attended and reclaimed the motorbike, which is $6000 worse off, but are unwilling to press charges. Go figure. Well done Ginny, that's your legacy as Minister of Police.
Thank heavens Mark Mitchells got the job now.
David, David - you are asking MP's for the Labour Party to 'apologise'?
What you should do is reflect on the abilities of Ginny Anderson when she held the Portfolio - Minister of Police, and whilst being that Minister - listing what she>
1/- achieved, that created positive outcomes
2/- did to reduce the ram-raids, anywhere
3/- did to reduce fire arms incidents
4/- did to reduce rad fatalities
5/- improve Police vs Public relationships with the 'failing public empathy
for the Police'.
By chance I am currently reading Rory Stewart's biography 'Politics on the Edge', and fortuitously today I reached the page where, commenting on what he had learned from veterans during his various jobs, he writes 'The head of my personal security detail, a New Zealand Police Officer, had shown that taking over the heavy machine gun on the roof, when the Sadrists were flinging in mortars was compatible with modesty and good humour.'. No doubt he was referring to Mark Mitchell. Ms. Anderson should do some research and then, in person and publicly, apologise verbally to Mr Mitchell rather than via cowardly text message or email.
IMO her comments summed up the previous government. Complaining about nothing and pulling down decent people. It showed an incredible lack of understanding about how the real world works.
She owes him a genuine public apology.
What sticks in my mind is Anderson saying the Gun Register is better than sliced bread and an effective tool to identify who has guns in NZ. Shooting off her mouth ( excuse the pun) about something she knew nothing about. Once again she has made a fool of herself. Another who has been promoted well beyond her station in life and trying to mix it with the “big boys”.
She needs to resign. Her rant was unhinged.
She condemns the strong that protect societies from woke softies like her. Mark was protecting humanitarian supplies. Ginny whines that these people need the supplies, but apparently the fairies deliver it.
Could Mitchell have her charged with slander ?
She wouldn't have the protection of Parliament.
My word, which sewer do the left manage to keep finding their toxic trash members from?
The quality of the left is well below average. These sub par human beings keep shooting themselves in the foot and it must be so demoralizing for their leader, who himself is a below average leader who just has to keep putting out fires from his crappy team.
There seems to be a plethora of these average people, I think and i hope, it must turn more people away from the left.
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