MP regrets criticising Jackson

Labour MP Poto Williams has said she is sorry for the way she went about criticising Willie Jackson and accepted his apology for Roast Busters is sincere, but has stopped short of endorsing him as as a Labour candidate.

Willie Jackson
Willie Jackson

Poto Williams
Poto Williams

Ms Williams said that in hindsight, raising her concerns about Mr Jackson in a public statement had caused distress to her party and colleagues and for that she was sorry.

"I do regret that, but I am extremely passionate about family violence. It is a personal issue for me and sometimes when you are really passionate about these things, your judgement is a little off,'' she told One News.

Ms Williams said she had met Mr Jackson on Wednesday night to discuss the concerns she had raised about his interview with "Amy'' over the Roast Busters scandal three years ago. The scandal centred on a group of young men who claimed to have got young girls drunk before having sex with them.

Ms Williams, Labour's sexual and domestic violence spokeswoman, said she could not support him unless he apologised.

She did not go so far as to endorse or support Mr Jackson as a Labour candidate, but had asked to meet him and they had a "robust and honest conversation''.

She said she acknowledged the work on domestic violence by the Manukau Urban Maori Authority which Mr Jackson led.

Mr Jackson said he expected to show her the work that Muma did on domestic violence soon.

"Having met Poto, I ... can see that she really feels this particular issue. Obviously, it could have happened a bit better - I would have met with her any time.''

He dealt with the issue of domestic violence every day and would continue to do so.

Labour leader Andrew Little still backs Mr Jackson but has been trying to dampen down the backlash since he announced he had asked Mr Jackson to join Labour.

Some Labour members and MPs are frustrated that his promise of a high list spot for Mr Jackson goes against the drive for Labour to get more women into Parliament.

Mr Little has warned his caucus not to air their concerns publicly, saying Ms Williams had raised the issue with him but he was surprised she also did so publicly - against caucus rules. 

Comments

about time she did ....

The 'Roastbusters' case remains unresolved, in the annals of NZ crime. Some media describe the victims as young women. They were, in fact, children. Which leaves one word to describe the young men.

prove the case

I don't have to 'prove' cases. That's part of the verifiable facts of the Roast Busters case as established by police investigation.

It is accepted that 13 year olds are children.