WAATEA NEWS COLUMN: Chris Bishop drinking in public vs Tory Whanau drinking in public

ByMartyn Bradbury

There is a remarkable double standard at play with the Chris Bishop rant at Stan Walker’s performance at the NZ Music Awards vs Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau.

Both have been involved in public drinking incidents, yet the criticism for Tory was all encompassing where as Chris Bishop gets defended by the new Deputy Prime Minister.

Chris Bishop was reportedly with beer in hand at an official function where he was watching the Stan Walker event and started aggressively ranting against the performance, so much so that beloved musical icon, Don McGlashin, had to turn to him and say, ‘stop being a dick”.

Tory Whanau was at a private function in the capacity of being herself and got lippy at an uppity staff member at a pub and it was immediate calls for her resignation from her political enemies.

Tory had to admit to a drinking problem and quit alcohol.

To date all Chris Bishop has done is claim he shouldn’t have been so loud in his angry bottle in hand rant at one of NZs great artists at the annual function honouring them.

Personally I find it amazing that such a free speech champion like Chris Bishop can suddenly decray Stan Walker using his free speech.

Isn’t it funny how many of these right wing free speech champions aren’t actually free speech champions at all?

The hypocrisy is as crushing as the double standard.

The response to Tory Whanau being drunk in her private capacity at a bar and having an argument with a staff member was to eviscerate her and demand immediate resignation.

Bishop is attending as a Minister, bottle in hand, at the Music Awards and becomes so aggressive in his attacks on Stan Walker’s performance that another musician has to step in and reprimand him and he gets defended by the new Deputy PM?

We saw this exact same double standard in Parliament when Debbie’s Haka breaches the rules and is suddenly the end of Western Civilisation requiring a 3 weeks banishment vs Brooke Van Velden breaking the rules by uttering the ‘C Word’ in Parliament and nothing happens.

There seems to be very different rules for white people.

 

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21 Comments

  1. simple really .One is a white male and a from a party that condones violence .The other a brown woman .Brown people and women are the main targets of this coc .How dear a brown woman become a mayor of the capital of NZ then add insult to injury by having a drink .But what a hero the white prick is because he gets pissed and becomes a right fucken arsehole at an awards ceremony .

  2. This shows that the Right are far more effective at weaponizing social media than the Left are.

    2. Or that the Left still have some decency and compassion and know that humans make mistakes and don’t need to be exploited because of it. Some on the Left anyway as toxic people seem to exist everywhere.

  3. The problem is the Bishflap wasn’t free to have that speech. Ministers of the crown are rightly held to a high standard of behavior, this torrid exchange was in direct contravention of the cabinet manual and ought to attract at least censure but will not as our prime minister is “comfortable” with everything.

  4. It’s hard to tell from media reports whether he had drunk too much. McGlashan says he ranted, but that describes half the people on this blog. Having said that, there does seem to be a double standard that the mayor shouldn’t drink in public but a minister can. This isn’t the first National minister who has “opened up” after a drink. Perhaps Luxon should ban ministers from drinking at official events. It looks bad and ultimately ruined the evening no doubt.

    1. Yep its ok for white male national party ministers to get pissed on the job and become complete fucking shit heads .Maybe should raise that in her new health and safety ,KILL A WORKER A DAY ,legislation .

  6. People on here saying Bishop allowed to express his opinion. Fair enough.
    Seymour says ACT champions free speech. Also fair enough.

    Bit confusing then that Matthew Hooton expresses his opinion, says Don Brash is a racist, gives evidence for this in Orewa Speech, and Brash says this is insulting, demands an apology, receives apology, demands more contrite apology, threatens legal action.

    So Bishop allowed to express his opinion but Hooton not so?

    Maybe Stan Walker should consult Brash’s lawyer? See if insulting Maori is worth taking Bishie to court?

    Some may be old enough to remember when National’s George Gair called activist Tom Newnham an agent of international communism at a public meeting. Tom took exception – no evidence provided.
    Tom took Gair to court over this and Gair claimed he had parliamentary privilege and could not be convicted for libel( I am a member of parliament and allowed to insult people – so there).

    Judge took the view that people at public functions are private citizens and can not claim parliamentary privilege. Court found for Tom Newnham and George Gair had to pay damages.
    George very grumpy.

    Not to worry though, Rob’s mob sat in urgency and rammed law through that stated if MP found to have libeled someone taxpayers money will be used to pay their penalty( probably still applies).

    Happened a long time ago. Still it proves the Leopard does not change its spots, the Tories their hypocrisy.

  7. It certainly does show up the hypocrisy and double standards National MPs and the mainstream NZ media has towards others especially Females.
    Remember the constant unrelenting attacks by the mainstream NZ media on female Labour MPs eg Kiri Allen; probably at the behest of National. Because whilst the media were attacking Kiri there was NOT a Peep of concern from the leader of National or ANY of the MPs in that hypocritical party.
    Remember how much Jacinda was attacked and demoralised/demonised by the media.
    National will never condemn one of THEIR OWN. But they certainly do come across as hating Females eg Tory Whanau and ARE Race Baiting as well.
    During the Muldoon government there would be drinking binges by Muldoon and his cronies on I believe on Friday nights. One particular Muldoon drinking crony was at a business meeting for managers and business owners in the timber industry. My father’s boss owned a timber company and was at that meeting. In a state of total drunkeness the National MP told everyone within earshot that a certain timber company in NZ would Not get contracts from the government because they did not donate to National.
    For Bishop to Fail so Abysmally to Apologise shows himself up as Arrogant. He has NO RESPECT of Others who Are NOT WHITE or RICH.

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