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Guest post - Date published:
5:18 pm, March 24th, 2009 - 15 comments
Categories: john key -
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A Standard reader emails:
Today at the beginning of question time a minute silence was observed for Mary Bachelor former MP for Avon who died recently.
John Key spent part of the minute running through his notes.
Disgraceful.
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A Standard commenter comments:
“Today a ‘Standard reader’, desperate for something, no matter how small, about which to lambast John Key, fired off an email positively bristling with indigation over Key’s apparent disrespect to former Avon MP Mary Batchelor.
But such is our correspondent’s own deep and abiding respect for Ms Batchelor that s/he couldn’t even spell the deceased MP’s name correctly.
Disgraceful.”
Fair enough, but in mitigation the Standard reader wasn’t supposed to be observing a minute’s silence and isn’t the Prime Minister.
Considering the sheer tonnage of smelling salts required; and the number of windows that needed to be opened; and the general rushing for the feinting couches over things like Helen Clark wearing trousers to meet the Queen, or not praying enough before dinner; I think that this bit of actual disrespect on the part of the PM at least deserves a mention.
I thought the criticism was actually restrained, and avoided the obvious partisan aspect that would no doubt have been played up if Helen had shown such a level of respect toward a deceased National male MP.
But I know you are above all of that Rex, which can also be seen as a conceit, if not carefully handled. Which you usually do. 😉
I’m never short of conceit PB 😉
But in this case it’s more the ex-subeditor in me… I’m trained to smack people on the back of the hand with a ruler when they don’t check the names in their stories because (unlike literals and typos) one can never be sure…
It’s that same instinct that leads me to wonder how one uses a “feinting couch”? Presumably one parries with the sideboard and then feints with the couch? 😛 LOL
Hahahaha – excellent ‘toon. Love it.
hah. Yeah I totally meant to do that, it’s like a fainting couch but insincere and only used for faux outrage, in an attempt at misdirection. Yeah that’s the ticket. Also known as a feignting couch.
Hear Hear Pascal’s Bookie.
Good ridance – 1 less Labour voter.
ooh you’re so daring.
Johnty Rhodes’ disregard for the life and family of Mary Batchelor is obscene.
JR’s comments never contribute anything but narrow minded bile, and in my opinion The Standard could do without him.
That’s uncalled for Johnty.
Johnty you’re pathetic.
I actually thought it was disrespectful myself. Disgraceful no but certainly lack of respect.
Look, guys, a moment’s silence is just a no-talk-fest, not a no-do-fest.
^^++
QoT 🙂
QoT: Lol.