Jacinda dismisses Iain Lees-Galloway as Minister #nzpol

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Iain Lees-Galloway has been involved in a consensual relationship with a staff member in one of his agencies. The relationship has opened the Minister up to claims of favouritism and the power imbalance as the Minister in charge of work place and safety was not one the Prime Minister could tolerate.

He has returned to his family and will not stand again as an MP.

The PM was clear to draw a line this wasn’t a moral judgment but an ethical one, taking into account his role and the power imbalance. This is important because if every politician is about to be sacked for having an affair, we won’t have many left in Parliament.

Jacinda has kept her intersectionist activist base happy by tacitly acknowledging their values without sounding puritanical to the middle voters.

On a political level it could be the push real meaningful worker rights policy gets with former Union Boss Andrew Little taking over the portfolio.

In terms of Judith’s handling, note how Jacinda passed the information directly to the Leader of the Opposition and left it at that, where as Judith tells the media that she has sent information through after she magically gets asked the question from Duncan Garner this morning.

Jacinda showed leadership, Judith played politics.

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66 COMMENTS

  1. Load of nonsense. I’m no fan of Collins but she was asked a DIRECT question about whether she know about allegations surrounding a Labour minister. Would you preferred that she had lied and said that she didn’t? But don’t let the facts get in the way of your BS.

    • Wondering, just wondering, how Garner knew to ask such a question way out of left field?
      Perhaps he was primed to ask it? If so, politics, and dirty ones at that.
      But oh so in character for Collins.

      • Tony Veitch,

        Your question about Garner remarkably knowing to ask that question is extremely relevant. It highlights yet again our alleged media working in tandem with National.

        • Exactly @Jacindafan and, right on cue, Barry Soper who is the chief marketing agent for the National Party has to have yet another pathetic little dig at Jacinda Ardern questioning whether she is in touch with her party because she said she was unaware of the rumour even though, according to soapbox Soper, the rumour has been doing the rounds for months.
          https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12350115

          Hey Barry Soper, is this all you can come up with? Maybe the rumour was circulating for months but probably only among the lowest level of rumour muck-rakers in parliament – the ones you hang around with.

          Jacindafan – to further address your very relevant comment about the media working in tandem with the National Party I’m picking that about a week out from the election 99% of the opinion pieces in the NZ Herald will be in support of Collins and her National Party – saying things like how well she/they have done since the upheavals and scandals and how sound their policies are.

      • Tony it’s all about who controls the CUESCREEN that sends messages to the anchor such as Duncan Garjner to read from. Bet it’s National’s ‘dirty politics machine’ this take the heat off Judeth Collins.
        He obviously was dismayed after reading another dismissal of yet another politician as he was firing up his show early at the National Party mass, then this message comes out of the blue and it’s a Labour politician this time.

        I bet all politicians are wondering who’s next.

        Unbelievable.

    • its the smarmy look on her face that gives her BS away, such a hag of a woman. and dont fucking tell me that she didn’t have a quick word with Duncan absolute dirty politics and we can all see through those games.

    • Well, saying “I wouldn’t share it on AM news – I’d send it to the PM and let her speak to the press about it” would be more ethical than claiming you’re not playing politics with it while playing politics with it.

    • Duh. It was set up by Duncan/Collins. Does he ask this question every time he interviews a politician? Of course not. But the one time it pays dividends, there it is. Maybe think about what you just saw for a few seconds before commenting.

  2. An affair between two consenting adults, which ended several months ago, with no complaints being laid.

    If that is the new standard, how many people would still be in parliament? (Any at all?)

    What happened is as old as human beings have lived on planet earth…

    • Kheala – The PM stressed that this wasn’t about people shagging – in which case Parliament could provide fairly stiff competition for the bunny fields of Otago – it was about abuse of office and potentially compromised interest etc in his particular Ministerial job; if he’d been Minister of Autumn Leaves having an affair with a DOC staffer it would have likely been almost as bad.

      Men need training in these things – how to avoid occasions of sin – they’re their own worst enemy.

      • it was about abuse of office

        Yes. There’s to be a new Code of Conduct for NZ MPs, apparently.
        I wonder if it will be ready in time for the new lot who’ll be there after September.

    • I agree, however, I set the moral standard high, you either have them or you don’t. Galloway ‘s sacking was swift and decisive and the P.M. showed outstanding leadership. Galloway will not be missed and morally corrupt.

      • She has no choice in finally being ‘swift and decisive’, Judith had shown her the way.

        She should have swift and decisive when he gave a convicted drug trafficker residency (oh that’s right, we were to read between the lines weren’t we?) or one of MPs decided to thump one of her staff?

    • So kheala, you’re alright with the minister of “ workplace Relations “ having an affair with a staff member. The new standard is the old standard. What would your comment be if it was a National caucus member instead. Let me guess, a dishonest culture is being exposed maybe.

        • That Nat Minister was also, believe it or not, a White Ribbon ambassador. White Ribbon aims to eliminate violence against women. Supporters wear a white ribbon to show that they do not condone this type of behaviour.

          According to its website the annual White Ribbon Day celebrates men willing to show leadership and commitment to promoting safe, healthy relationships within families and encourages men to challenge each other on attitudes and behaviour that are abusive. From ODT

      • Jays – agree with both you and Kheala but at the risk of being called a hypocrite because of my comments about Falloon in an earlier post, I think the issue here is more one of perception, i.e. the perceived power imbalance in the relationship between Lees-Galloway and the woman he was having the affair with even though it was consensual.

        The bigger more obvious point though is that what Lees-Galloway did does not come anywhere near what Falloon did – sending unwanted and unsolicited gross images to various women. Without excusing it because I feel sorry for his wife but at least Lees-Galloway’s affair with the other woman was consensual as between the two of them and this is where Kheala is spot on with what she said.

    • Ah…? However @ Kheala, [it] was potentially a matter of a conflict of political interests that’s the issue. Not of moralities.
      Ian Lees-Galloway was doomed at the first kiss, and that was his business.
      Professionally, he should have gone straight to Adern and sought her council. And Adern, I think, would have sacked him in no doubt the nicest possible way.
      collins, however, would have, without a doubt, sought out ways to exploit a sensitive situation by taking advantage of a most natural, albeit morally dubious thing to further her own House of Cards-esque political agendas. I bet her eyebrows are still tingling at this revelation.
      That, I think, is the most acute defining political characteristic between the Right and the Left.
      The Right exploit while the Left manage.
      I think James Lovelock would be proud of Prime Minister Jacinda Adern.
      The Guardian.
      ‘James Lovelock: ‘The biosphere and I are both in the last 1% of our lives’ … ‘
      https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/18/james-lovelock-the-biosphere-and-i-are-both-in-the-last-1-per-cent-of-our-lives
      A very old friend, in both meanings of the word ‘old’ and who was an inspiration to me as a young man said to me once. ” An erect penis and a wet vagina have no conscience.”
      I met him when I was in my early twenties as he was heading to oblivion, as do we all bye and bye. He died in his 90’s. He guided up Aoraki/Mount Cook from the Franz Joseph in the 1930’s, he was a businessperson, a broadcaster, he was headmaster at a prestigious school and successfully banished corporal punishment in schools and he was loved by his kids and revered by me.
      So I assumed he knew what he was talking about and have tried to always keep that in mind.
      One’s penis isn’t always a mans best friend, Ian Lees-Galloway.
      Elected politicians? Just a quick word to all of you.
      We’re paying you to behave in a manner that’s beffitting our trust in you.
      We pay you very, very well to morally behave ABOVE we, the hoi polloi.
      Your pay scale represents how we can reasonably expect you to behave in a manner that doesn’t reflect on us badly while you do your best by us, as we pay you to do.
      You’re NOT voted, by us, in to parliament then well paid, again by us, to please yourselves. You’re there to please us so do your fucking jobs!

  3. PM played it as well as she could, and acted with speed. How long were the Nats sitting on that bit of office gossip one wonders? Affairs are part of life, not a sackable offence many would say, but definitely not a good idea when there is an obvious power imbalance between the participants.

    Mrs Collins showed anyone that may have forgotten, exactly what she is made of–malicious “pay it back double”…
    And red eyed Dunky showed again what a despicable tory ‘mouth for hire’ he is by posing the patsy question!

    It is positive that Andrew Little has taken on Workplace Relations, but not much time left in Parliamentary session now. Lees Galloway was not a great Minister, appeared like Carmel Sepuloni to be vulnerable to capture by his ministerial staff.

  4. “This is important because if every politician is about to be sacked for having an affair, we won’t have many left in Parliament.”

    Interesting she says this. I wonder if Chris Tremain agrees.

  5. Oh dear, oh dear. There will be many (as you say MB), parliamentarians keeping a very low profile at the moment. Parliament is well known by those who have had anything to do with those corridors-of-power , as a bit of a bonk-fest palace – and that very much includes journos working there, not only the pollies. Say ‘Christmas parties at Parliament and the Speaker’s Chair’ too loudly and there will be smirks all round.
    Reminds me of a few quotes I hear, unsurprisingly, in my youthful Sunday School days:

    ‘You reap what you sow.’

    ‘Let him/her who is without sin cast the first stone.’

  6. Used to be an unwritten rule that you didn’t out MP’s over extramarital affairs, observed by opposition parties and press alike. This looks like a petty revenge hit job.

  7. Labour took a pawn – National replied with a bishop. Call it a shot across the bows for those idiots in the Prime Minister’s office that thought they could play dirty politics to distract Judith’s great first week and get away with it. There is more dirt to come and just remember who started it.

    Remember never wrestle with pig in dirt, you both get dirty and the pig loves it.

    • You clearly think that sending objectional images to women who dont want them is not as bad as two consenting adults having an affair. You need to seriously need to examine your values.
      This piece of dirt was brought to life by some scandal monger tory who needs to learn to keep their nose out of other peoples business.

      • I would hold fire until you know the full story – me thinks there is more to play out with regards to what went on

        • I’m hearing, now the door has been opened about affairs in Parliament, everyone should be afraid, maybe except Judith or Gerry…although?

          • Facts are slowly leaking despite best efforts. I have to admit on second glance they seem to paint a picture of a classic affair not of a power imbalance or undue pressure being applied. This might change however it appears a sacrifice on the political altar of woke.

            If that is the case then I agree there will be some very nervous individuals on both sides of the fence. A very flimsy threshold…..

    • “Judith’s great first week”

      Frank forever the comedian. Oh and the National party spell pawn…porn!

  8. I don’t understand this.
    Sure he had an affair but it doesn’t affect his performance as a minister.
    He should have been sacked aaaaaages ago for general incompetence but this seems like a massive overreaction.

    • Many a good manager has been fired for an affair with a member of staff especially when the manager is married. It shows he or she is untrustworthy and not very smart. Imaging what power this knowledge would give someone to keep it quite.
      In the case of this Minister I am sure Jacinda jumped at the oppetunity to get ride of this underperformer.
      I bet there will be a few other MPs checking their phones and emails as the fight is getting ugly which is not good for NZ Inc at this time of impending crises.

  9. Of course it’s politics, but so was the last one that JA (crosses self) just did- only the naive or politically blinkered don’t see it-somehow the media knew more details on that than the opposition. How strange.

    So it looks like the gloves are off and it’s got dirty. A rubbish way to do politics but here we are and zero sympathy for any of them except their families.
    There must be more to ILG getting the boot than just an affair at work which is rumored to be pretty common.

  10. …who was he having an affair with?! ( NZer or foreigner?)

    ….really depends on whether the affair was compromising his professional position as a Labour Minister of NZ Government and his duties as a Minister

    … the former Auckland Labour Party Mayor was having a consensual affair with someone not too salubrious and most unbecoming as to where it was conducted…it compromised his position as Auckland Mayor

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11140517

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9331664/The-mayor-the-love-rat-and-nudity

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9359036/Wewege-denies-relationship-with-Chuang

  11. Didn’t John Key say he used to hear about things like this and just keep the info tucked away in a draw somewhere in case he might need it one day? The implication was that it was an insurance policy so that people wouldn’t release any dirt on him.

    Most MPs don’t want to get into a dirty tit for tat situation and hold back on this sort of stuff but not Judith Collins – one week in the job and she’s gone nuclear!

    She either doesn’t care about the tacit agreement to not do the dirty in each other, is using the Falloon thing as an excuse to play hardball, or is so paranoid that she truly thinks Labour was playing dirty politics by telling her what they had been told about Falloon and is getting her revenge.

    She’s a very disturbed individual and shouldn’t be anywhere near the leavers of power.

  12. Judith just could not resist her bitchy destructive default instinct to get revenge. She should have let it pass, but she couldn’t help herself and this is why, I assume, she was never seen as leadership material. She even leaked it to the media. Oh well, the Nats are off the wagon insofar as dirty politics goes. I am guessing this little gem was in the “drawer of dirt”.

    Trouble is, an affair, although hurtful for the others spouse etc, does not hold a candle to sicko’s sending porn unsolicited to young women, which is criminal. Office romances are not. Or leaking sick peoples details for political gain.

    So the genie is out of the bottle and one I imagine a few Nat MP’s will be wishing it was not. Please resign forthwith any National MP or ex-Nat Minister who played away from home. Go on now darlings, be principled. Your leader awaits.

      • Collins is an idiot. Her uncontrollable spite for no reason based on the sicko Falloons indiscretions led to her throwing mud everywhere not for one second realizing it damages National, politicians in general and parliament.

        Picture anyone who she considered had crossed her as PM once she had some real power. Think Trump, like we need another like him.

        She is quite simply not up to leading this country. Her personality is horrenously immature, always corrosive and far from unifying.

  13. With the Judipath unintentionally setting the bar so high for behaviour, I expect the rest of the Nashnull Caucus to be gone by lunchtime!
    Indeed, applying these same standards, the Natz sociopathic leader herself should resign immediately.

    Another spectacular backfire as the Nats embarrassing “election campaign” continues to flounder.

  14. National Party Standard bearer Barry Soper calls it as he sees it. Utu by judith. Bigger story is Duncan Garner. Tova will be on the case begging Garner for the goss? Did someone whisper in his ear? More to come? Hope so. I imagine quite a few people will be considering their futures if this is the way of the land.

  15. Today Crusher Collins fangs finally came out on display in Parliament.

    She was always going to be an aggressive player like a cat waiting to pounce upon a mouse or bird.

    Judith Collins personality is like a python snake that will slowly curl around her pray and strangle you.

    Yes tomorrow our parliament will be a battleground as everyone today was fired up.

  16. JA: She’s dangerous. We need something to burst her infrastructure bubble.
    KD: Well we could change the narrative and attack her on tourism and find out what her plans are. Hell, I could with a few ideas LOL!
    JA: Close the door on your way out Kelvin!
    (KD leaves but a shadowy person comes in and stands in a dimly lit corner where his face is not revealed)
    JA: What to do…what to do.
    Mysterious Person (MP): Hu Hum.
    JA: Whose there?
    MP1: Don’t fret Grasshopper. The Master has a solution. You will receive an e-mail shortly, the contents of which will completely destroy another one of their gang and the conversation will definitely change.Nude pictures in cellphones sent unsolicited to young women and all that sort of stuff. Another scalp is assured.
    JA: Yew! Are you talking about Falloon?
    MP1: Shh! You don’t know anything until you get the bloody email. Do you understand?
    JA: Yes. But, won’t I be implicated?
    MP1: Oh your naivety still lingers even though I have schooled you all this time. I would never let you be implicated my Queen. Just pass the damn email to Judith. I’ll have one our media ask her a question and she will reveal you simply did your duty and confidentially passed her the information as you got it.Matter for the National Party and all that sort of stuff.
    JA: Ok, but what if….
    MP1: Enough! Dont screw this up like you nearly did with CGT. Now I’m off to dinner with a couple of my friends that went to Antarctica recently and another old mate.
    (MP1 leaves and closes door. JA sits alone and trembling in the dim light of the PMs office as she ponders what she is about to do. Kindness is not an option. This is dirty politics. Some days later another National parliamentarian is escorted off the premises).

    (Its late at night and the Leader of the opposition is sitting in her office pondering the Falloon fallout. Out it fell and was texted to God knows who.)
    (a scuffling noise from the closet)
    JC: Whose there?
    (in the dim light a tall man steps forward).
    Tall Man (TM): Ah, dont attack me Judith it’s just me. I left my MAGA hat behind and just knew I’d left it in one of these boxes. Anyway, what are you doing here so late?
    JC: Plotting revenge if you must know.
    TM: Haha. Oh, your so good at that…how can I help?
    JC: By closing the fucking door on your way out!
    (the door closes. The closet door opens and another mysterious person steps forward)
    JC: Why are there so many fucking skeletons in my closet tonight!
    MP2: Settle down Crusher. Despite your fucking book, you need me more than ever. Here’s an e-mail that outs that fucking two timing useless turd ILG. Duncan will ask you a patsy. All you have to do is say yes and then watch the fireworks. But dont screw this up Jude like you did with Orivada or I have you busted back to the bench faster than you can say Ponygate. Ok, can’t hang around, I have dinner date with an old mate and some freinds of his that wne to Antarctica.
    (The MP2 leaves)
    JC paces up and down her office alone in the dim light as she ponders what she is about to do. Kindness is maybe an option.

    JC: Not fucking likely!

    (A few hours later Labour parliamentarian body is escorted off the premises).

    (Back in the PM’s Office there is a knock on the door)

    JA: Come! (sternly!)

    (The visitor enters and is a little scared at what he sees. The PM is standing with a bloodied broad sword in one hand and a severed head of an immigration Minister in the other.

    KD: Oh hi Boss. (trying to act as though nothing untoward has happened)
    KD: Arhhh…we had a bit of chip round for Iann and a thought maybe you wanted to put in little donation eh? I know it was political expediency but I mean it was a little harsh him losing his head over a shag in the office you know. I mean there but for the grace of god go you and I eh? LOL. Well, not you of course but me (sees the sword move) well not me I mean people like me …well not even like me really…

    JC: Kelvin, whats that on your shoulders?

    KD: what? My face? My head?

    JC: Not any more.

    • Jokester, Copyright it, quick! (Just adding a small c. and the date or something when you post might do it.)

      TV’s a desert! New stuff desperately needed.
      Now that Discovery Channel has taken over from Media Works (I think?) … things should be getting better.

    • Sorry, last lines should read the correct initials.

      JA: Kelvin, whats that on your shoulders?

      KD: what? My face? My head?

      JA: Not any more.

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