Bridges caught out by own bullshit

Written By: - Date published: 9:23 pm, June 18th, 2013 - 30 comments
Categories: class war, workers' rights - Tags: ,

Simon Bridges’ loose relationship with the truth has got him in trouble just a few weeks into his first big test as Minister of Labour. It started last week when he got caught off guard by an innocuous question from Darien Fenton about what advice he had taken about whether his new employment law breached International  Labour Organisation conventions

This was his answer (you really have to watch the video to appreciate just how creepy the wee fella is):

in a couple of weeks I am going with my new “bestie” Helen Kelly to the ILO in Geneva and we will be able to ask it then what it thinks.

So there you go – he’s going to ask the ILO in person.

Except he’s not. In fact he’s over at the ILO right now and he’s refusing to ask them for advice on his proposed changes to employment law? Why? Because they’d tell him exactly how backwards and internationally unlawful they are.

His problem is that now he’s put him self in a politically untenable position and his off the cuff bullshit looks like an attempt to mislead parliament rather than answer a pretty basic question. And he’s been called on it.

It’s not so much the lying that’s surprising as how badly he’s managed it. What an amateur.

30 comments on “Bridges caught out by own bullshit ”

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  1. Lanthanide 1
    18 June 2013 at 9:49 pm

    Is Bridges a dick? Yes. Does Darien Fenton seem like someone who can’t take a joke? Yes.

    Rather than accusing him of misleading parliament (which he did), she should just make fun of how pathetic he is and leave it at that.

    • Jim Davis 1.1
      18 June 2013 at 9:52 pm

      To be fair, lying liars do need to be called on the lies they tell.

      • Lanthanide 1.1.1
        18 June 2013 at 10:03 pm

        To be fair, Labour need to pick up their polling numbers if they really want to be assured of winning the next election. Focussing on things like this, that the public would obviously see as someone making a joke, doesn’t really win them any friends and gives plenty of ammunition to National supporters to say that Labour are pretty and pathetic.

        • Jim Davis 1.1.1.1
          18 June 2013 at 10:10 pm

          I think it’s one of the many things that shows a Minister is a lying liar and undermines his credibility. It’s not the sort of thing that’s going to win an election, very few things by themselves are, but it’s worth remarking on.

        • Georgy 1.1.1.2
          18 June 2013 at 11:07 pm

          Gosh lanthanide, you’re a fun guy.

    • quartz 1.2
      18 June 2013 at 9:58 pm

      A joke? Minister’s attend question time to answer questions. They don’t get off the hook by making jokes. If he didn’t want his “joke” to be considered the answer to the question then he should have answered the question.

      Bridges is pushing through employment law that will wreck peoples’ lives. The proper response of opposition is to take that seriously and to hold him to account. Not “make fun of how pathetic he is”.

      • Lanthanide 1.2.1
        18 June 2013 at 10:01 pm

        Assuming the quote in bold is accurate, he didn’t actually say that he would ask them, just that he’d be able to.

        • Tim 1.2.1.1
          18 June 2013 at 10:13 pm

          I think he said “WE’LL be able to” – i.e. both Bridges and his new “Bestie”.

          • Lanthanide 1.2.1.1.1
            19 June 2013 at 9:28 am

            Yes, they’ll be able to. Again, not saying that he will. The key is that he said “be able”.

            • handle 1.2.1.1.1.1
              19 June 2013 at 11:51 am

              Slippery politician is slippery. The ‘joke’ is on us.

            • Alanz 1.2.1.1.1.2
              19 June 2013 at 2:28 pm

              “be able” is such a wonderful phrase to say at anytime even if the intention or decision is “will not be doing so”

              There is much that the current lot on the government benches would be able to do, but will not.

              Would love to hear more Nat ministers’ bullshit faux pedantry being outed.

            • tracey 1.2.1.1.1.3
              20 June 2013 at 5:10 am

              Confirming he didnt answer the question. Lets just shut down question time and open a new comedy club in wellington. Call it behive

        • Nordy 1.2.1.2
          18 June 2013 at 11:36 pm

          Read the question and the answer again. He was trying to be clever but failed.

          The clear inference was that he hasn’t asked (for advice) but will be able at the ILO so would be happy to – except he never intended to – a lie.

          To accept this is an OK response in QT is to ‘buy’ into the meme that parliament/politics aren’t important, it’s only the beltway etc – and people wonder why the voter turn out is so low……..

          • xtasy 1.2.1.2.1
            18 June 2013 at 11:58 pm

            I think part of the issue with dismal proceedings in the House is that Speaker figure, trying to show “authority”, but usually only towards one side. Bridges got off with not answering a question, like so many ministers these days do.

    • Arfamo 1.3
      18 June 2013 at 9:59 pm

      I kind of like him at the moment. He’s fun. There may be more entertainment to come from him yet.

      Is someone adding this to that list of National lies? Seems like a perfect contender.

      • felix 1.3.1
        19 June 2013 at 2:21 am

        You mean BLiP’s list? I think that’s just John Key’s lies.

        Jeez, imagine how long it would be if it had all the Nats’ lies.

  2. xtasy 2
    18 June 2013 at 11:55 pm

    Simon Bridges (“bridge” my a**”, I suppose) had apparently not asked for any advice before Darien Fenton asked that question in the House. Hence his answer. The answer is also not saying that he would ask the ILO, it can be understood as meaning, that since Helen Kelly is also going to be there, she can then ask the ILO about their views and advice.

    So in fact Bridges has left himself very exposed to being slammed for not getting any proper advice prior to presenting his great “reform” bill. That makes him look like a real dick now.

    It shows how unprofessional that young minister is. He is up himself, knows he can operate with some leeway under the wings of John Key, and he is prone to stuffing up.

    So Darien and Labour should cherish the next opportunity, after getting advice from Helen Kelly, and then hammer the pri*k!

    I call his conduct “bullshit”, but it cannot be said that he did say, he would himself ask the ILO.

    The game is still open, for Labour, if they know how to take advantage of this and play Bridges checkmate. One must hope, Labour will do the right thing, but I am not sure after the Sky City box episode at Eden Park.

    • Lanthanide 2.1
      19 June 2013 at 9:20 am

      Completely agree, xtasy.

    • tracey 2.2
      20 June 2013 at 5:12 am

      The body rots from the head down. Monkey see monkey do. They are all just taking their lead from the pm. Read blips list and you need never be surprised that the earnest young wanbabes are imitating…

  3. Michael 3
    19 June 2013 at 12:14 am

    Well done on this, Darien (and the PSA who also outed Bridges on this). Politicians and bureaucrats travel the world at our expense, on the cocktail circuit, lying and bullshitting about NZ’s commitment to international human rights law that they signed us up to. If they’re not going to honour the agreements they make, on our behalf, with the rest of the world, they’d better stay at home.

  4. felix 4
    19 June 2013 at 2:28 am

    “It’s not so much the lying that’s surprising as how badly he’s managed it. “

    Why are you surprised at that? The dude’s thick as all fuck.

    He could easily be replaced by a demented goat with a speech impediment. Just train it to bleat “I blaaaaaame Laaaaabaaaaaaaaar” and no-one would ever know.

  5. stpat 5
    19 June 2013 at 8:30 am

    He is trying too hard to be like Dear Leader and turn Parliament into his own stand up routine.
    Most questions John Key gets asked in Parliament are never answered but simply used for some allegedly humorous put down of the person or party asking. He shows such contempt for the whole process but gets away with it because inexplicably so many like him.

  6. Veutoviper 6
    19 June 2013 at 8:47 am

    He is a two-faced …. IMO. And why is he wasting taxpayers’ money by going to the ILO Conference in Geneva if he is now avoiding engagement on NZ employment law and his proposed changes?

    Here is Helen Kelly’s press release from Geneva

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1306/S00216/minister-refuses-ilo-advice.htm

    And here is the PSA’s view on his stance.

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1306/S00224/minister-of-labour-ducking-ilo-responsibilities.htm

  7. Winston Smith 7
    19 June 2013 at 9:25 am

    This is really scraping the bottom of the barrell…