The situation surrounding New Zealand Justice Minister Judith Collins and her use of a ministerial warrant and taxpayer funds to further her husband’s business interests in China has been boiling along for some time now and as late as last week Prime Minister John Key was still supporting his minister in the face of rising opposition and continued media pressure.

Collins’ involvement in the Oravida Scandal was discussed here in a previous post on New Zealand Women and The Glass Floor

I think we are seeing a disturbing development in the behaviour of female politicians and their expectations about how they should be treated differently.

This concept of a pussy pass for female ministers struck in England as recently as last week with British Prime Minister David Cameron trying to turn a blind eye to the offending of one of his female ministers, Maria Miller, disclosed here by the Daily Telegraph.

The Telegraph disclosed last weekend that Mrs Miller will have to repay up to £5,000 and apologise for failing to fully co-operate with an investigation into her expenses by MPs on the Standards Committee.

What is of interest here is exactly the same pattern of behaviour – I can do what I want and ‘no you can’t hold me accountable because I am a woman’.

The Prime Minister gave his support with Mrs Miller (a minister) looking likely to come under intense pressure to resign

It appears that the media have no choice but to become ruthless and relentless in the pursuit of female ministers who fail in their responsibilities. As can be seen here both these women expected to play their own set of cards and have willingly accepted the misguided chivalry of their male Prime Ministers.

Collins has been particularly manipulative in an attempt to use the media, shown in this Radiolive interview with Lloyd Burr (Introduction by Duncan Garner).

This sort of behaviour can only give politicians an even worse reputation than they already have, and further it will do nothing for our faith in women holding positions of authority. It will also lead to allegations that the media is giving females politicians a hard time – but that is not the media’s fault – the fault lies with leaders who will not take responsibility for unacceptable behaviour in their ranks, because of gender.

Will this turn bad for our current Prime Minister, John Key? Yes, I think so, and here is why.

British Prime Minister David Cameron is now red faced and at a loss to explain why he supported his ex minister (Maria Miller Resigns) who had been caught not only with her hand in the till, but misleading the Prime Minister and a committee inquiry.

David Cameron today admitted he had learned the hard way that public anger over MPs’ expenses is still ‘raw’, after Maria Miller finally quit as Culture Secretary.

The Prime Minister struggled to explain why he clung on to Mrs Miller for almost a week after she was ordered to repay £5,800 in over-claimed expenses and apologise to the Commons.

John Key has already made this an impossible situation for himself, when after failing to hold Collins to account he glibly told New Zealand:

“Well I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes if there was repeat of it”

What?

That simply raises conjecture that Collins has something over our Prime Minister and he’s too frightened to do his job. Don’t do it again is the way you treat a child, who can be excused for not knowing better.

Collins cannot be excused in this case and our Prime Minister (useless he is hamstrung by his own mistakes) like David Cameron has shown weakness, embarrassed himself and brought our parliament into disrepute.

If there is anything slightly redeeming for David Cameron it did eventually come from Maria Miller after her resignation:

Maria Miller today quit the Cabinet, insisting she takes ‘full responsibility’ for her resignation which she hoped would end the damage being caused to the government…

Is this what we are waiting for; Judith Collins to give up her expectations of a pussy pass – for Collins to act with the integrity of a minister, to ‘take responsibility’ for her actions and for the damage she has caused thus far?