[ad_1]
Ardern is likely to kick Collins for such dissent within the National Party when they remove their gloves tonight at The Press leaders’ debate.
That’s not where the problems end for National: Deputy Party Leader Gerry Brownlee has unreservedly apologized after a journalist went berserk for asking him a question about health policy.
Brownlee objected to being asked a question about an occupational health ad, as it did not directly relate to her portfolios.
Newshub had arranged the interview to take place last Tuesday. The media team of the National Party was alerted to the possible topics of the interview. A Wellington staff member did the interview on behalf of our political team.
Brownlee lashed out because he wasn’t in politics.
“Is it Anna Bracewell Worrall? Yeah. She should know better than asking this. Your people give me shit. They’re fucking lazy,” Brownlee said.
Blunt jokes, even rudeness, can be expected from political enemies, and there are some MPs to be expected against the media: Winston Peters comes to the fore.
But as Gerry Brownlee shows, it is spreading.
David Seymour accused a Newshub producer of not understanding a question about the results from minority party leaders, saying, “To be perfectly honest, I don’t think you understand the question you’re asking.”
Seymour believes that for the most part he has behaved appropriately.
“I have done my best to behave myself at all times, but nobody is perfect,” he told Newhsub.
Nowadays, most of the party leaders have imposed a moratorium on rudeness: easy guys, just easy.
“I think people get irritable on the campaign trail because they get tired, but I don’t think that’s an excuse for rudeness,” Green co-leader James Shaw said.
Ardern said it is the MPs’ job to “be the face of the party,” and Collins said, “I think it’s always better not to be rude myself.”
The two main party leaders had very different days before their confrontation in the south. Jacinda Ardern met the good folks of Lyttelton, possibly everyone; she was surrounded by crowds, while Collins continued to implement policies.
And both leaders have made a call on the strategy of the debate tonight.
“I’m going to bring Judith, be myself,” Collins said.
“I think it’s a really solid trade,” Ardern said.
Which, according to the debate of the leaders of Newshub last week, will be mega
