As this week’s train wreck has unfolded, we have seen morals mixed with hypocrisy and thirst for control at a level unseen in the NZ political sphere for quite some time. Like many of us, I have been somewhat uncomfortably glued to the Interwebs, watching as lies, lies, more lies, and counter-lies are thrown back and forwards. I feel like I died and woke up in Daily Mail (UK tabloid) land. Pinch me!!
What’s scary is the growing list of political players involved in this mess. It seems such underhanded behaviour is a lifestyle for them. And my-oh-my do they run for the hills faster than a mouse chased by a cat when their lies start unravelling, slaughtering each other as they go.
As per usual the dichotomy blame game is in full swing. The Left did this. The Right did that. Making everything about which side is perfect and holy and which side has the biggest secrets and the least discretion has never worked for me. So many political bloggers and commentators put all their effort into making their side good and the other evil. The problem with this endless war is the truth is there are people like the characters in this saga in every ideology. They all have their narcissists, their philanderers, their gossipers, their extremists and their manipulators. It’s a people problem, not an ideology problem.
As long as your focus is on your community, not your wallet and power & control, I think you deserve to have a crack at leading it – whether you’re left, right, or somewhere in between. Your ideology could be very different from mine, but you have my respect if you are there for the right reasons. These people are not. They are obsessed with destruction and unafraid to steamroller anyone in their way to gain control.
In this case, the victims are Len Brown’s wife and children, Bevan Chuang – who has clearly been used as a naive puppet on a string by sociopathic men, and most importantly, Aucklanders, who for the last week have been manipulated round and round in circles – not by Len – who fessed up and is determined to get on with his job. No – they are being played by individuals whose interests in life are revenge, derision, polarisation, destruction, division and power. All in the name of outing the ‘truth’. Heh. Truth. No, no, we aren’t trying to take him down. Oh wait, yes we are. What? No of course we aren’t! Yes, obviously! No – how dare you?!
Wha??!!!!
Yes, Len let his lust conquer his brain at times. Yes, Bevan boosted his ego. Yes, Len campaigned to some extent on his ‘family values’ and his faith. Yes, Aucklanders do have a legitimate right to be disappointed. But c’mon. Perspective.
The latest survey on cheating in NZ, had our infidelity rate at 36%. Yep – over 1/3 of us have cheated on our romantic partners. Don’t try and fool yourself that everyone you know is faithful. It could be your pastor, your brother, your child’s teacher, your mechanic, your best friend, your lawyer, your supervisor, even you. Does that make it ok? No – it is disappointing. But does a moral decision in their personal life make them professionally incompetent? Unless it was criminal in some way – no.
Len Brown is not the first public figure in NZ to cheat on his wife. And he won’t be the last. Look at David Lange – he might have been a bit of a ratbag, but he was committed to improving our country, and he deserved the trust people continued to place in him as PM. I really do think the same of Len. He may be a bit of a ratbag, but he is dedicated to the people of Auckland. Unless he is lying about expenses, he should stay.
Imagine if he resigned.
That would mean that the winners of this heavily manufactured battle would be an ever growing network of selfish, vengeful, lying, hypocritical, cowardly, harassing, power-hungry, stalking, emotionally abusive, threatening, suicide-inducing (Google Debbie Gerbich & Stephen Cook), narcissistic people with no boundaries.
No thanks!
Yes but how many of the 36% cheat on their partner who has cancer- such people like that like Len a scum and have no heart
I just can’t join the dots to see your conclusion that Len Brown still has the mandate to lead the supercity.
It’s not the affair it’s the duplicity and the hypocrisy.
I hopeses he goes down like a clown.
But I wish the best for his wife and kiddos. And Bevan Chuang is really only arguably guilty of immaturity and a lack of conviction.
I agree. Len has been a hypocrite, and he has been hiding personal secrets.
What I’m pointing out is – those who manufactured this entire mess are far greater hypocrites, who have shown themselves to be very duplicitous. They are lying and conniving on such a large scale that letting them win this saga would be disastrous for Auckland. Basically gives them the mandate to continue their sociopathic behaviour.
So we should pick the lesser of the hypocrites? They’re still hypocrites and liars, Auckland deserves better, New Zealand deserves better. We’re also missing the fact that there were a heap of candidates who are not involved in this rage inducing saga, perhaps its time to let them have a chance, to break with the political status quo.
The only person who “manufactured this” is Len Brown.
Had he been able to keep his dick in his pants, then none of this would have happened.
If he can’t reason that having an affair is a bad idea, then he shouldn’t be mayor, because he is obviously stupid.
I agree with most of your thoughts but one. bevan chuang used brown just as much as he used her. so could people please stop talking about her as if she is an innocent martyr. she is not. she slept with a man she knew was married to further her social standing/career. in the past there was a word for women like her. And it was not “innocent victim”.
Agree. This story goes beyond Len Brown and his sexual improprieties.
So we deal with at least two questions. Len Brown and the men and women who plotted out this ugly little bit of electoral character assassination. The latter prompts motive, means and opportunity. Looks bad for the runner-up. The right appears to be proficient with the dalliance of money, jobs and opportunities. And ah, the opportunities. The only defence is “Damn you. Do your worst!”
Yes there is much more to this. Perhaps like the European and unlike our Pacific moralistic friends to the north-east New Zealanders will distinguish between the cheap, sensationalist, tawdry and the real issues.
Thank you Rachael Goldsmith for pointing this out. Long live common sense.
Not forgetting Cameron Slater’s own infidelity
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10813552
really? I’m shocked he could get anyone to sleep with him.
Post of the year Rachael – you sum up this sorry saga perfectly, particularly where you state:
“As long as your focus is on your community, not your wallet and power & control, I think you deserve to have a crack at leading it – whether you’re left, right, or somewhere in between. Your ideology could be very different from mine, but you have my respect if you are there for the right reasons. These people are not. They are obsessed with destruction and unafraid to steamroller anyone in their way to gain control”…..
“Yep – over 1/3 of us have cheated on our romantic partners. Don’t try and fool yourself that everyone you know is faithful. It could be your pastor, your brother, your child’s teacher, your mechanic, your best friend, your lawyer, your supervisor, even you. Does that make it ok? No – it is disappointing. But does a moral decision in their personal life make them professionally incompetent? Unless it was criminal in some way – no”
The problem with expressing such wisdom of course is that it simply falls deaf ears when it comes to morons. Especially narcissistic ones.
:en has proven to be a hypocrite by his own standards, his own values, but as others have pointed out, this merely makes him an ineffective spouse & father not necessarily mayor as to date has done nothing illegal. Or nothing that can be proven anyway.
It will be interesting to see what comes out of the inquiry.
I read a survey where someone was quoted as saying, if Len lied to his wife, then he is likely to lie to voters to. Which made me think, what a dumb rational. Lots of National politicians have lately proved it is quite easy to be faithful to your partner and still lie to the voting public.
“The latest survey on cheating in NZ, had our infidelity rate at 36%. Yep – over 1/3 of us have cheated on our romantic partners. Don’t try and fool yourself that everyone you know is faithful. It could be your pastor, your brother, your child’s teacher, your mechanic, your best friend, your lawyer, your supervisor, even you.”
Count me out, as I have certainly not belonged to that group, but you are right, it is quite widespread, but also is often just a once off, or a short affair. New Zealanders rate amongst the higher ranking societies in this field.
But as for Len and the whole drama, gossip, accusations, I will now wait and see what the inquiries or investigations will bring about, before I make my final judgment.
The biggest concern is about details re hotel use, whether “freebies” were offered (possibly paid back later in some ways), what happened in the job refereeing process and how Len’s poor judgment can be explained.
I am disappointed with Len Brown, did not vote for him the last time, and personally do not trust him on a number of issues.
The biggest losers now look set to be Luigi Wewege, Palino, Chaung, and to some degree (in the long run) hopefully also Cam “Whaleoil” and Cook.
Thanks Rachael. That is by far the best commentary on this affair that I have read on this blog. I think Lenny Boy is a terrible mayor – a class collaborating half-Tory in liberal’s clothing, but what I truly think about Slater and Cook is unprintable.
As for Len’s wife – let’s all just stop being outraged on her behalf, please. None of us have any idea what has happened inside the Brown family, and that’s as much of an idea as we need to have.
Lets cut to the chase and summarise Lens ‘crimes’:
1. Deceiving voters, by campaigning on family values and religious faith, showing hypocrisy (Thou shalt not commit adultery is one of the 10 commandments).
2. Conflict of interest in helping his girlfriend get a job (currently subject to an internal enquiry, which should have been independent)
3. Rooting on council property (a sackable offence for any other employee, showing disrespect for the law and the operation of another double standard)
4. Possible misuse of ratepayers money for hotels, presents etc. (yet to be determined)
5. Leaving himself open to the threat of blackmail and thereby risking the undermining of the democratic process (in this case the alleged threat came from a political rival but could just as well have come from other vested interests such as business, property developers etc.)
6. Undermining the institution of the office of mayor (a charge levelled at both Nixon and Clinton with respect to the presidency)
7. Making Auckland an international laughing stock
Adding these up the question should be ‘If the election were held next week would Len be elected?’
What I dont understand is that we have a public accusation of a conspiracy to blackmail. As blackmail is a criminal offence, is not conspiracy to blackmail also an offence? And if so should there not be a criminal investigation, given that a conspiracy would have constituted an attempt to undermine the democratic process? And why was a key member of the alleged conspiracy allowed to leave the country?
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