One politician who isn't an exception, in terms of looking after himself that is, is the straight as a die David Seymour, ACT's leader. What you see is what you get.
And that's what teenage schoolkids got when they have contacted Seymour on social media over the years.
He's politely responded to them saying he's always behaved online as he is in person, courteous, responsive and polite.
But the fact that he even engaged with the kids has some sections of the media in high dudgeon, how could a middle aged politician reply to a questions from schoolgirls, some as young as 14?
The answer is simple, they asked him a question but then, so did schoolboys, which to the ghouls seems to be less offensive.
The media outlets, which unfortunately included Newshub, in its final few days of life, ran a breathless report suggesting Seymour making contact with schoolgirls back in 2016 was in some way sleazy.
The content of the messages wasn't inappropriate, so what's the point of the story?
Well after eight years the anonymous mother of a then 14-year-old is now calling for guidelines around how politicians communicate with young people on social media.
A former Epsom Girls Grammar student said she too was a 14 year old when she started messaging Seymour on Snapchat. The television piece showed young people crowded around phone cheering that Seymour actually replied.
Clearly it was seen as something of a badge of honour to get a politician to reply, all harmless fun, most of us would think.
But not that anonymous mum who's complained so long after the contact saying the fact that a much older politician was direct messaging them at all was bizarre.
A former Auckland Grammar Student was quoted saying he messaged Seymour when he was 15. He said, at the time, it was hilarious.
He remembers being thankful and going around the school, feeling like a big deal, showing everyone that the ACT leader had replied to him.
Like all the others he said messages from Seymour were never inappropriate.
It seems to me like a political hit job which hopefully will backfire on all of those who have brought into it. Although we will never know because they've hidden behind the cloak of anonymity.
The reason for stirring the pot so long after the event is only for them to know.
If there was any grooming done, which of course there wasn't in that sense, it would have been to encourage the young to take an interest in politics.
It was never Seymour who initiated the contact. He was on Snapchat because his party used to spend election campaign money with the site.
And what if it was a female politician replying to questions from schoolkids? You would likely have never have heard a squeak.
Apparently Jacinda Ardern did it all the time!
Barry Soper is a New Zealand political journalist, and has been featured regularly on radio and television since the 1970s. Currently, Soper's main role is political editor at Newstalk ZB, a radio network in New Zealand.
7 comments:
The flood of messages will now end the practice anyway. If not rabidly racist pro maori, corresponding with Waititi and accomplices may may not be advisable.
Lets not forget the fact that the interview of the Epsom Girls Grammar student contained her admitting at 15 to her and her friends doing Vodka shots.....
.....maybe Mummy might have been a better parent dealing with that real issue of underage drinking than 8 years later of a few snapchats....
Sometimes I wonder about middle class(less) New Zealand mothers.....
Yet these same people, screeching about how wrong and dangerous it is for immature teenagers to be contacted by politicians, are demanding these same teenagers are mature enough to vote.
Thankfully common sense seems to have prevailed on this one. I have seen many online comments on this from people who are very opposed to Seymours politics but fully acknowledge this story is overblown and not a real issue. I have seen very few comments from people that see this as a scandal worth paying attention to.
Typical leftist beat-up.
The original story was a hit job on Seymour by Marc Daalder of Newsroom. I was disturbed to see Newshub take it up so enthusiastically. As you say, a non-story, but run to suggest it was sleaze by Seymour.
Are these the same ball brains that think that it's O.K. for real life pantomime dames to read stories to 5 year olds in a library?
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