Pussy Pass for Judith Collins
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?
hmmm a wife supporting her husband’s business endeavours; fancy that. Personally, I don’t see an issue here.
Comment by Bruce S — Sat 19th April 2014 @ 8:09 pm
Just for you Bruce we’ll establish the corrupt politicians fund so that you can donate to their cause and relieve the tax payer of that burden.
That of course doesn’t resolve the issue of unfair competitive advantage and the use of authority for personal gain.
As usual, why is a female extended a degree of leniency that would not be afforded a male – it’s a dangerous precedent when such unrestrained freedom inviting the fact is extended to the halls of power rather than being seen after the fact as we see in our court rooms.
Comment by Downunder — Sun 20th April 2014 @ 8:39 am
Hi Downunder; no need to establish anything there on my behalf; by your account they’ll just dip into taxpayer funds anyway? I don’t vote so I really don’t care what politicians do. Just seems to be a storm in a milk glass to me and hardly worth the press or air time.
Comment by Bruce S — Sun 20th April 2014 @ 9:29 am
@Bruce – it is the opposite side of the same coin we so often complain about here.
Take for example in our court rooms, lenient sentences given to women for violence against men. This doesn’t discourage those actions, in some cases it incites further violence because women realise they will not be punished for their actions.
In the above cases it is a lack of accountability. Women politicians doing whatever they please and then refusing to account because they think they can get away with it.
The difference in the two cases mentioned above is that Miller was required to account per the parliamentary rule book and she refused and where the hell Cameron’s head went to even consider supporting such behaviour is beyond me – was he screwing her in his spare time?
Whereas Collins is blatantly abusing the level of honourable behaviour expected of ministers – I won’t account because there is no rule that says I have to, and you can all get stuffed.
What I see coming next is a call for a ‘Collins’ Clause’ in our parliamentary rules that would require disclosure in such circumstances.
Key in this case has acted just as badly as Cameron but in a different way; he’s treated Collins’ behaviour in a childlike manner – it’s forgivable because she is a woman – and it is not.
Did you listen to the interview? Collins lines up who she thinks is a soft touch reporter and then at the end pulls the sympathy card and resorts to verbal tears.
Holy Hell. Who is this woman, that thinks she can manipulate parliament for her own ends and then the media as well and expect it all to run away like water off a duck’s back?
If any of our women MP’s had any self respect they’d be up in arms railing at Collins’ behaviour and Key’s for that matter for the implications it has for them as women in parliament.
Comment by Downunder — Sun 20th April 2014 @ 10:19 am
It looks like John Key is going down the same path as David Cameron.
This mornings interview Judith Collins and the Salem Witch Hunt
And in what sounded like a totally sleep deprived John Key mumbling his way through an interview and avoiding supporting his minister.
From Radio NZ Story and Interviews.
Comment by Downunder — Tue 22nd April 2014 @ 9:58 am
Judith Collins, brave crusher of teenagers’ cars, no-nonsense accountability for those who break the rules… Oops, except herself.
Her position deserves challenge: “I’m just a poor misunderstood woman who popped in on my way to the airport simply to catch up socially with some close friends (who actually lived quite a long way from there and just happened to be hosting an unnamed customs official) and now I’m being unjustly harassed by the petty, aggressive male-type culture in our parliament (women of course never play politics or seek to discredit their parliamentary adversaries)”. However, her sacking or demotion may jeopardize the survival of her modest changes to family law that removed the Bristol clauses and aimed to reduce the involvement of Courts and lawyers in separations. We’re faced with a tough dilemma.
Comment by Man X Norton — Tue 22nd April 2014 @ 10:56 am
She is a beneficiary of Key’s lenient approach to his MPs and she certainly tries to play the poor me card but it’s encouraging that she isn’t getting away with it as you might expect. That’s a good thing – if she tries to get a pussy pass but isn’t given one it may discourage others from trying.
What I find galling is the way she has treated others in the past – remember her leading the smear campaign against David Benson-Pope and calling him a pervert in parliament? – and she then tries to pretend to be a poor hard done by woman who is upset by the effect on her family. Yeah right. Chickens coming home to roost and about time.
Comment by Daniel — Tue 22nd April 2014 @ 11:23 am
This poll last week by the Herald had nearly 1000 comments/responses – 760 to 229 in favour of Collins’ resignation.
This morning in the Radio New Zealand interview Key said New Zealanders don’t care about this.
Is he misreading the public like Cameron did or just doesn’t give a damn?
Comment by Downunder — Tue 22nd April 2014 @ 3:33 pm
Let’s celebrate Suffrage Day.
I’m 125% over this bullshit already.
Comment by Evan Myers — Wed 19th September 2018 @ 7:44 am
@6
Comment by Downunder — Wed 19th September 2018 @ 7:49 am
Maybe even a tougher dilemma after this year’s insufferable day.
Comment by Downunder — Wed 19th September 2018 @ 8:18 pm
Throw in a couple of superstars and we have the makings of BLIND FAITH…BEN ELTON
Comment by mama — Thu 20th September 2018 @ 8:06 am