That is precisely what we have seen politically this week when it comes to the behaviour of our politicians.
As if Leader of the House Chris Bishop’s ill-conceived and poorly controlled ramblings at the Aotearoa Music Awards about a Stan Walker performance featuring Toitū Te Tiriti banners and people waving tino rangatiratanga flags weren’t enough, the country had to endure even ghastlier behaviour in Parliament on Thursday.
The debate about whether to endorse the recommendation to suspend three Te Pāti Māori MPs really showed New Zealanders the worst of Parliament.
Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, and Rawiri Waititi have now been barred from the House for seven days, 21 days and 21 days respectively for performing a haka in Parliament during debate last November about the waste of time, energy and money that was the Act party’s contentious Treaty Principles Bill.
Their intimidatory behaviour towards Act MPs then was at the core of the complaints considered by the Privileges Committee. Despite efforts by Opposition parties to reduce the length of the recommended suspensions, the government on Thursday ratified the committee’s recommendations for punishments which, in the case of Ms Ngarewa-Packer and Mr Waititi, are the most severe ever handed down to MPs.
While there can be little doubt that the behaviour of the three MPs last November was threatening and failed to meet the standards of Parliament, the severity seems unnecessarily vindictive.
Interestingly, an RNZ poll of just over 1000 people, with a margin of error of 3.1 %, now shows that most respondents – 37% – think the punishment is “about right" while 36.2% consider it too harsh.
It is “too lenient" in the minds of 17.2% of those surveyed. Of Labour Party supporters, 8% believe it should have been tougher, as do 3.8% of Green Party followers and, surprisingly, 9% of Te Pāti Māori supporters.
The poll shows 54.2% of respondents either support the penalties or think they were too weak, a reflection of the government’s view.
While the impromptu haka by the three was seen by some as unacceptable and a breach of parliamentary protocol, it was Ms Ngarewa-Packer’s foolish mimicry of shooting Act MPs which was the worst and most intimidatory action that day.
The inciting incidents, the response and the reactions this week leave a stain on the reputation of Parliament. Some of the grandiloquence in the House on Thursday was vituperative and unwarranted.
NZ First leader Winston Peters went way too far when he likened Mr Waititi’s moko to scribbles, though he did apologise after the Speaker’s intervention. Mr Waititi also stepped over the line by bringing a noose into the House.
It was a bit rich for Mr Peters to tell RNZ it was a sad day in Parliament when he played a significant role in making it that.
Parliament is no place for shrinking violets. We have seen that time and time again. It has had more than its share of biffo and nastiness over the years, which never led to suspensions anywhere near the length of those rubberstamped this week.
Let us hope we don’t see the like of this miserable drama again.
Saw that coming
It was always going to be a case of “this town ain’t big enough for the both of us".
The implosion in recent days of United States President Donald Trump’s simpering friendship with Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has been both highly predictable and highly amusing.
Mr Musk has become increasingly caustic and is now calling for Mr Trump to be impeached. In turn, the president wants all Mr Musk’s government contracts to be cancelled.
When two such massive egos meet, there can only be one winner. Who that will ultimately be remains to be seen.
In the meantime, let’s be honest, the feud provides some much-needed light relief.
