But I would also find it really weird and over the top if it turns out that New Zealand First fires him as an MP for this.
I mean, that does seem to be a possibility here, right?
It's possible that Winston is just stalling for time. He's saying there's going to be a board meeting and so on, but nothing is being done before the election. Then, once the election is out of the way and all the high drama has died down, nothing will happen.
But it's also possible that Michael Laws is gone because Winston has said it is a live issue whether he remains a potential MP. Winston is clearly, as he put it, "mad to beat the band", or words to that effect.
It is weird because this is a party that has made a virtue of being controversial. They have racked up plenty of controversial comments in the past year alone, not least from their own leader, who told Lawrence Xu-Nan of the Green Party to "go home to China".
Now, there is only one other occasion where a New Zealand First MP has been immediately punished for saying something a bit naughty and that was Stuart Nash over the maternity leave comments.
What do these two incidents have in common? What Stuart Nash said and what Michael Laws has said?
Women.
The thing they have in common is women. And this is probably why New Zealand First is reacting the way it is.
Women are a problem, as I've told you before, for the coalition. All three coalition parties have lost the women's vote in a big way to Labour and the Greens, and probably to the Opportunity Party as well.
Maybe it's because of the pay equity issue. Maybe it's because women are often the ones managing household budgets and they know just how tough things are out there.
But the coalition, frankly, cannot afford to lose more women because women make decisions.
And if women are annoyed about something Michael Laws has said, they will go home to their husbands or partners and let them know exactly what they think about it.
So I think that is why Michael Laws is, at least in a performative sense, in trouble.
Whether it actually turns into a firing, well, we'll have to wait and see.
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and radio broadcaster who hosts Newstalk ZB's weekday Drive-Time Show – where this article was sourced.
5 comments:
Looks like HDPA has noticed how badly she misread the room in her article yesterday, and quickly taken steps to walk back her own position.
Or was it that she remembered she has daughters of her own?
Pretty weird, but anyway, I hope her neck is ok after this awful incident of self-induced whiplash.
Heather, that was profoundly eloquent and knowledgeable of you identifying that women are definitely part of NZ.
I like most men agree, cherish and love our girls.
ML is an elected member of NZ society numerous times and has top polled because he speaks with wisdom, and occasionally puckish humour that is part of our DNA in NZ.
If you didn't randomly select a paragraph , because others have raved on about his description of a staid school teacher type then your assumptions as a radio jock / media hound would be a nullity.
ML is married within a loving family , has huge respect politically for his efforts and is not a member of the Opportunity Party , but an opposing political force in NZ.
Just consider whether you would prefer ML or Lees Galloway and the Opportunity gang to make real decisions about your family.
I suspect they would lose more voters than gain them if they fired Michael.
Kayla Kingdon-Bebb is well able to look after herself.
Lees-Galloway of TOP has a chequered past.
Michael Woods called his fellow citizens "a river of filth"...probably worse than calling someone severe and schoolmarmish.
It was a bit silly to make these comments just before election day. Just not necessary. More importantly though for voters to consider should be Kayla Kingdon-Bebbs past left-wing leanings don't you think?
I am a woman and I would honestly rather have an old white man as my manager every time over many nasty, jealous quite psychopathic women managers I have had. Michael can't stand her because of her he puapua stance and was right to say what he did. Ok so it was a bit personal but she is evil in her intent
Its a shame you can't see that this is obviously a last minute, pre election hit job on Laws.
Of course he should not be fired.
Any woman so thinned skinned as to offended by his comments should not be in politics.
I'm disgusted by the public pile on our clearly left leaning media.
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