Sigh – Ricardo Menéndez March does a Golriz – sigh
I was only last week trying to defend Ricardo Menéndez March’s Covid holiday…
This issue of him leaving NZ to visit sick family however teetered on the edge of legitimate criticism and just spiteful bullshit.
Leaving the country during a pandemic to nurse sick family is a personal decision and even if it contravened offical advice not to fly, it is a personal choice the rest of us should respect. Where it got questionable was the leaning on officials when trying to book into MIQ and the entire issue of him bringing his partner back through MIQ with him, however his work with AAAP before he became a Green candidate is too important to allow him to be crucified.
It is more important than ever that voices promoting the rights of beneficiaries are heard in Parliament and it is essential he gets back to that work.
…but then we find this out…
Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March tried not once, but twice, to get emergency spot in MIQ
Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March tried not once, but twice, to get an emergency spot in managed isolation, the first time as a “critical public or health service” and the second time as “required for national security”.
…why the Christ didn’t they tell everyone he had made two separate attempts to use his ‘don’t you know who I am’ status to muscle his way back into the country?
I wrote last week…
It seems he is very similar to Golriz in that 90% of the criticism thrown at both of them is garbage.
…but this changing story and new details element is actually far more like the 10% other criticisms of Golriz when the Greens kept telling everyone she was a defender of International Human Rights when she was really defending war criminals.
The Greens need to urgently get ahead of this story now, is there anything else that might come out because one more new detail he hasn’t told us will be damaging.
Sigh.
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It’s the Greens. Its about them.
Honestly this a par for the course for the holier than thou party.
Propensity for the behaviour in question should raise alarm bells as to how Menendez might use political power and status in the longer term as his career progresses.
In his defence, the Quarantine booking system was fairly primitive having a few holes in it that people were exploiting (people making multiple bookings, etc, making it harder for everybody).
I’m aware of one developer who left after a couple of days because he couldn’t believe the incompetence and stupidity of the managers involved. Especially since there relatively easy ways of fixing it. Given it was the Ministry for Everything, I wasn’t surprised.
That’s not much of a defence. If you’re a politician and you see a flaw in the system you should address it, not exploit it.
Yep, well it’s the best I could do Your Honour at short notice.
I’m desperately trying to find the best in them, and increasingly it’s becoming a hard ask.
There are one or two others – Omers, McNulty’s and all that I hope don’t become too tainted with their experiences (in that space, going forward). Too bloody late for a lot of them.
But I’ve just happened on Gerry waffling on the Parliament channel. Things could actually get worse, and sure as shit they will if Labour and the Greens don’t get their acts together – if not in the next cycle,, then the one after.
Oh Hark – now here’s Golriz
This guy really irritates me, he has a “Do as I say, not as I do” attitude. He is incredibly arrogant, I would never travel to Mexico, take up more than my share of their Covid resources, and run down the people of the country at the same time.
Politicians of all stripes still get this stuff wrong–personal details and behaviour–and it matters because THEY are out to get you. Anything and everything near enough, is searchable, discoverable, and will be made public. “Don’t you know who I am?!!” type displays will be on phone feeds and front pages.
I defend Golriz because she gets such awful violent, misogynist abuse, and like her contribution. Her crime was not being a defence lawyer with unsavoury clients, but trying to keep it hidden. Be upfront and say–so what?–even Nazis post WWII were entitled to a defence, it is essential in maintaining a Justice system people will support. Plus the Greens and every party should vet every candidate and their CVs before letting them near selection.
I wanted to support Riccardo too for coming from AAAP, the first MP since Sue Bradford to advocate properly for beneficiaries, but he will have to work hard to overcome this one. Like the David Clarke’s (who?) bike ride, and Ian Lees Galloway’s bonking, some incidents are no return trips for politicians.