Debate allegedly turns physical

Written By: - Date published: 11:35 am, October 25th, 2007 - 31 comments
Categories: labour - Tags:

The Press reports that Trevor Mallard allegedly slapped or hit Tau Henare after the National MP made references to Mallard’s personal life in the Debating Chamber. Henare yesterday wouldn’t say whether he had been struck or not.

The PM was reportedly unimpressed and commented “both men should look in the mirror”.

Apparently an apology was made and accepted. There’s no excuse for this kind of behaviour particularly from MPs. One might also think that from a political perspective it’s clearly unwise given the imminent Cabinet reshuffle.

UPDATE: Mallard’s statement to TV3 here (video) – “I’ve cocked up badly and I know that”.

31 comments on “Debate allegedly turns physical ”

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  1. Robert Owen 1
    25 October 2007 at 11:45 am

    Maybe Trev is tetchy cos his heard about the reshuffle

  2. Insolent Prick 2
    25 October 2007 at 11:48 am

    Maybe Trev’s long-term girlfriend of the past year and a half told him she thinks Tau is sexy. Or perhaps Trev’s ex-wife has just made a claim on the family home.

    By the way, do you guys know if Trev is living in a Ministerial house now that he’s left his wife?

  3. Robert Owen 3
    25 October 2007 at 11:52 am

    IP Who cares? It pays not to get into a dirty war
    For example Do you want to know what caused the break up of MR and Mrs Nick Smith ?
    Thought not

  4. Santa Claws 4
    25 October 2007 at 11:53 am

    Why allegedly then – looks pretty certain to me?

    “Sources confirmed to The Press that Mallard struck Henare after the National MP made references to his personal life in the Debating Chamber.”

    IP – I thought Trev’s relationship was a little more recent than that, or maybe he has several? Word is that he’s a busy boy at the weekends these days.

  6. Benodic 6
    25 October 2007 at 12:01 pm

    Santa I think you’re working from discredited information. Check out your mate at http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/?q=node/5119

  7. Santa Claws 7
    25 October 2007 at 12:04 pm

    So Spout, I assume you would have supported The Don if he had smacked Mallard a couple of years ago over the Dianne remark?

  8. Benodic 8
    25 October 2007 at 12:05 pm

    Santa, don’t be silly. Don can’t even climb into a motorbuggy without cracking a few bones. What makes you think he could actually throw a punch?

  9. Insolent Prick 9
    25 October 2007 at 12:09 pm

    I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick, Robert. I think Trevor was well justified in smacking out Tau. I’m appalled that Tau goaded Trevor about Trevor’s messy personal life.

    Trevor has been under enormous stress recently. Apart from juggling a wife and a mistress, he’s also overseen some very stressful cabinet portfolios that have been getting to him. It’s never nice when your personal life intrudes on your work. It’s easy to say that if Trevor hadn’t been shagging somebody other than his wife, he might have been more focussed on his job, but Trevor is human, after all.

    Just because Trevor is the biggest mud-slinger in Parliament isn’t a good reason to put him under yet even more stress by winding him up like that. I’m frankly surprised he even felt the need to apologise for thumping Tau. Tau deserved it.

    I also hope the PM is helping Trevor out at this difficult time for him, by making sure he has a ministerial house to cope with being chucked out of his family home by his wife.

  10. the sprout 10
    25 October 2007 at 12:09 pm

    true benodic. if don had thrown a punch it would’ve still been wrong, but it would’ve helped to throw off his Mr Burns image

  11. the sprout 11
    25 October 2007 at 12:17 pm

    it must be taxing for kiwibloggers to not have recourse to PC-gone-mad lesbian cabal ‘arguments’ for this one, what with trevor acting like a macho man and tau being the prissy schoolgirl.
    i predict a line of mock indignation with a bit of Locke’s hypocrisy angle.

  13. the sprout 13
    25 October 2007 at 12:29 pm

    so that’s tau in the boat i presume?

  14. Insolent Prick 14
    25 October 2007 at 12:30 pm

    Wrong, Sprout. I’ve already said twice that I think Trevor was justified in bashing Tau. It’s not nice to taunt a guy who’s been having an affair with another woman while still married. Just because Trevor indulges in that kind of behaviour isn’t good reason to goad Trevor when he’s going through such a stressful time.

    That coupled with a pending demotion after Trevor’s successive failures in his portfolios and a messy divorce would put Trevor under enormous pressure. It’s just not right for Tau to wind him up. Shame on Tau.

    I think Trevor should be rewarded with a holiday after his courageous actions in the House last night. A trip for two to Valencia would do him well. Trevor has very fond memories of that place.

  15. Santa Claws 15
    25 October 2007 at 12:49 pm

    IP – Valencia, yep, and maybe a crate of Heinekens to ‘drink’

    Ho ho ho!

  16. Benodic 16
    25 October 2007 at 1:36 pm

    Prick, do you actually have any evidence that Mallard was having an affair while married? Or are you relying on information from the discredited Whaleoil blog?

  17. Phil 17
    25 October 2007 at 1:46 pm

    This whole episode is carmic payback.

    ‘Duckman’ is a nasty fucker who never showed any respect to Nick Smith when he was suffering from a mental disorder, so I’m more than happy to see him get some comeuppance

  18. the sprout 18
    25 October 2007 at 1:57 pm

    i think it was henare who got his comeuppance

  19. Sam Dixon 19
    25 October 2007 at 1:57 pm

    Their private lives don’t matter unless they run on them – eg Don Brash’s ‘honest don’ angle, that’s why the affair mattered and utlimately broke him – all the time he was tlaking about his wife from Singapore he was cheating on her with a business woman who was also a National party funding coordinator, and his secretary. when that came public he had no crediblity left.

    Now, a number of MPs have had illicit trists over the years and you’re bound to have heard the rumours of who likes the rent boys, whose been cheating on their wives etc – that’s not relevant and shouldn’t be part of the political discourse unless their politics exposes them to the charge of hypocrisy as it did with the Don.

    And fair enough the same standard should apply to lying off Nick Smith’s mental problems – unless they impact on his ability to function at times – which they seem to some times. have you heard his interjections in the House? bizaare stuff at times.

  20. Insolent Prick 20
    25 October 2007 at 2:57 pm

    Wonderfully done, Sam. You’ve justified Mallard throwing mud at Don Brash over his marital issues, but objected to Mallard’s extra-marital infidelities reaching the public spotlight.

    It’s a pity for you that Saddam Hussein isn’t in power anymore, Sam. Otherwise you’d be in the running to replace Comical Ali as his spokesman.

  21. Robert Owen 21
    25 October 2007 at 3:21 pm

    Sam
    Don Brash’s ‘honest don’ angle, that’s why the affair mattered and ultimately broke him
    No what ultimately broke him was “The hollow man” being published
    which showed him to be lying toerag

  22. Santa Claws 22
    25 October 2007 at 4:00 pm

    Hey Sambo – Remember this?

    Hon Dr Nick Smith: Do you stand by the statement? Answer the question.

    Hon TREVOR MALLARD: Take your pills.

    Madam SPEAKER: Please just continue. Would the Minister please withdraw that comment and just answer the question.

    Hon TREVOR MALLARD: I withdraw.

  23. the sprout 23
    25 October 2007 at 4:31 pm

    anybody in that condition would need a reminder to keep taking their meds from time to time, surely you of all people know that santy?

  24. Santa Claws 24
    25 October 2007 at 4:44 pm

    Wot Spout, the condition of trying to get an honest, straight answer from a Labour cabinet minister?

  25. gobsmacked 25
    25 October 2007 at 4:57 pm

    Anything that gets Tau Henare on TV to remind the voters that he’s with National these days, can’t be all bad for Labour. Now if somebody could just thump Bob Clarkson …

  26. Benodic 26
    25 October 2007 at 4:59 pm

    You do have to wonder what National were thinking getting Tau Henare onboard. Are they really that desperate for brown faces?

  27. the sprout 27
    25 October 2007 at 5:13 pm

    tau is perfect for national, what’s known by real maori as a potatoe or bounty bar – brown on the outside but white in the middle

  28. illuminatedtiger 28
    25 October 2007 at 6:46 pm

    Good on Trevor! If someone made comments about my personal life I’d be pissed off too!

  29. Santa Claws 29
    25 October 2007 at 7:47 pm

    Well, it looks like Trev is the one who’ll need medication – for dog bites once Helen gets through with him. Lol

  30. Santa Claws 30
    25 October 2007 at 11:12 pm

    So, I see that Trev has coughed up a name – well done that man!

  31. Murray M 31
    27 October 2007 at 1:02 pm

    Robert – go on tell me, what did cause the break up of Dr and Mrs Smith?

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