Susan Devoy makes ‘train crash’ speech
Dame Susan Devoy’s latest public appearance has been described as a “train crash in slow motion” by a woman who attended a charity event where the new race relations commissioner was a guest speaker.
When asked about the nature of her work by the MC, Dame Susan responded with the line “same s…, different day”, Ms Tyrrell said.
Another disgruntled guest said Dame Susan had described her Wellington staff as “difficult”, before making an off-colour joke about men with sausages in their pockets.
Oh she’s priceless isn’t she? As if this and her terrible performance on The Vote weren’t bad enough, the oddest manifestation of Devoy trying to justify her appointment as the Race Relations Commissioner is this bizarre ‘oh woe is me’ routine she has taken upon herself in every interview to date.
It’s almost as if she is trying to play the victim when she wails about how tough getting a $200k job she is horrifically under skilled for has been. For her.
Her. Her. Her.
Her language is the language of someone who feels the criticism against her is somehow unfair, as if she understands race discrimination because as a pakeha, she’s had a rough time legitimizing her position as the race relations commissioner.
That’s the audacity of her tone.
It’s the sanctimonious whining of a person intellectually out of their depth.
Susan Devoy is the NZ lite version of Sarah Palin, minus the charm, moose hunting and panoramic views of Russia. She is a Race Relations Commissioner for white NZers who already have a very beige view of race relations to begin with.
That’s a tad harsh isn’t it Martyn? On second thoughts, no, no – it’s not harsh enough. Dame Devoy is going to ride this out as long as it benefits her, however, I believe that if she is given the option to relinquish her position early but keep her hefty (unjustified) salary – she’ll be out of there like a shot.
Only thing I’ve heard come outta her mouth are variations on “poor me,” “stop saying things about me that are true,” and “you all suck.”
None of this is at all surprising. I went off her back in 2003 when she resigned as a patron of the Cystic Fibrosis Association because her views of genetics conflicted with the association’s support for research into gene therapy and a possible cure. How else does one cure a genetic disease if not genetically? It took her two and a half years to click onto this CF genetic connection. To save face it was down played at the time and she was full of excuses then too but Frankenstein-Food and medical genetic research are not even the same thing – not even the same ballpark. An intellectually enquiring mind would have made that distinction without much trouble. Why she continues to get herself involved into roles she is unsuitable for is a curious case study.
Susan Devoy is a bully with very thin skin. Anyone remember when she called her fellow ADHB members obese in an editorial for a fitness mag?
Her comments about ‘play the ball not the man’ are disingenuous – people *have* been playing the ‘ball’ by calling her out on *things she has said in public,* but this is somehow unfair simply because it makes her look bad.
“Same s…, different day” – $200k isn’t s**t though is it Devoy?
A clear exhibition of her utter contempt for the job, a display we’ve been accustomed to since the announcement of her appointment. How can those who claim the opposition to her appointment is politically motivated, when from early on there were the insults hurled by Judith Collins; Annette Sykes “a stupid person”, and attempting to scare everyone with the “far left” bogeyman. It isn’t surprising that minorities and those who value the importance of the role aren’t confident in Devoy’s appointment.
Recently Devoy has announced that she believes racism is an issue in this country, with the possibility of this being mere lip service, what are her beliefs on racism? After all there are two schools of thought on the issue of racism in this country; those who experience or witness the far reaching effects of racism on minorities; and those who believe in the idea of “Maori privilege” as well as multiculturalism while finding its expression in society disconcerting.
According to Devoy’s previous columns; Waitangi Day is “marred by political shenanigans” and doesn’t reflect multiculturalism, while burqas are “disconcerting”.
Emotional Susan Devoy hits out at ‘unfair’ critics (27/04/13)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10880104
Devoy was the keynote speaker at the Ethnic People’s Advisory Panel’s conference on racism and discrimination at the Auckland University of Technology today and has reportedly choked up during a speech.
Near the end of her speech Dame Susan became emotional, as she explained her hope that her four sons will be able to tell their children their mother made a difference, Newstalk ZB reporter Annabel Reid said.
The emotional response that suggests critics should be ashamed of themselves, aside. I’m not sure I wish to see this country experience that “difference” given the controversies surrounding this whole saga.
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