Who do you think you’re fooling, Kate?

Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, August 28th, 2009 - 12 comments
Categories: national/act government, spin, Unions - Tags: ,

“I’m not going to resign” – Kate Wilkinson

It’s one of the truisms of politics that when you’re a minister and you say you’re not resigning, it’s only a matter of time until you are.

Kate Wilkinson’s behaviour has been almost universally disgraceful- the Kiwisaver debacle, her vitriol during the Shawn Tan affair, refusing the let the Fire at Will Bill go to select committee, killing the National Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Committee, the folate in bread debate, and her refusal to act on the report on her desk that recommends universal redundancy payments for all workers at the same time as thousands of Kiwis are losing their jobs.  

Her behaviour in this latest episode has been just as bad:

  • Refusing to keep a meeting the National Distribution Union’s executive in Auckland on the weird excuse that the EPMU, a different union, had undertaken strike action in the same city the previous day.
  • Then denying that this was the reason she cancelled the meeting.
  • Then blaming the confusion on her EA, saying the EA had it wrong when she told the NDU Wilkinson had consulted with her advisers and decided the political risk was too high.

wilkinson ndu lie screenshot

Each lie just makes it worse, Kate. ‘Fess up. Admit that you have repeatedly lied to the NDU, the House, the media, and the public. Then do what ministers must do when they have lied to the people of New Zealand.

You can end your statement with a similiar sentence to the one at the top of this post. Just minus one word.

12 comments on “Who do you think you’re fooling, Kate? ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Relic 1
    28 August 2009 at 8:07 am

    This is an appallingly low standard of behaviour from a minister meant to be looking after the nations workforce. Blowhard Brownlee has probably saved her this week, but she has to go on the basis of insensitivity, credibility and her so obvious lack of regard for workers apart from the unorganised, malleable, cheap variety.

  2. lprent 2
    28 August 2009 at 8:51 am

    Whatever way you cut it, it seems like political stupidity for a minister of labour to not take every opportunity to talk to unions when they are not involved in an active dispute. It builds credibility in the union movement for when they are.

    It’d be interesting to find out what ‘prior engagement’ she blew the union off for. That’d at least give a sense of the ministers priorities.

    Nice to see the masthead..

  3. Red Rosa 3
    28 August 2009 at 8:53 am

    Quite sad really, that a young woman with a promising career in front of her can behave like an embittered old Tory reactionary. Hard as nails, and slippery with it.

    The 1960s liberal, paternalistic section of the National Party – guys who had knocked around and knew hard times in the 1930s – has long gone. The wide boys and the hardliners run the show now. Plus a few interesting items like Ms W!

  4. Tim Ellis 4
    28 August 2009 at 9:28 am

    Eddie you’re swimming in hyperbole again.

    Kate Wilkinson’s behaviour has been almost universally disgraceful- the Kiwisaver debacle, her vitriol during the Shawn Tan affair, refusing the let the Fire at Will Bill go to select committee, killing the National Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Committee, the folate in bread debate, and her refusal to act on the report on her desk that recommends universal redundancy payments…

    That isn’t behaviour. Almost all the examples you cited are policy decisions that would have been backed by the National leadership. Your real issue is with the National Party’s policy and not Mrs Wilkinson.

    • Bright Red 4.1
      28 August 2009 at 10:12 am

      I think we can have an issue with both, Tim, and she’s the minister, she’s responsible for government policy and actions within her portfolio.

  5. Relic 5
    28 August 2009 at 10:56 am

    She also appears to be a scaredy puss, dodging the NDU executive, eek… nasty workers representatives. Tories generally find positive engagement vexing, preferring predetermination and bullying from a distance ala “Container Collins’ and the Corrections rep.

  6. BLiP 6
    28 August 2009 at 11:40 am

    Frightening how similar Folly Acid Kate is to the young Maggie Thatcher . . .

  7. outofbed 7
    28 August 2009 at 1:47 pm

    Frightening how similar Folly Acid Kate is to the young Maggie Thatcher

    Yes but the dementia has hit several years earlier

  8. the sprout 8
    28 August 2009 at 2:04 pm

    her greatest crime is that she’s an abject fool.

  9. Swampy 9
    29 August 2009 at 10:38 pm

    Storm in teacup. Doesn’t even get mentioned in the media. Just another opportunity for a union lackey to make a big song and dance out of a government minister over nothing.

    • BLiP 9.1
      29 August 2009 at 11:28 pm

      The voices in your head probably didn’t tell you, Swampy, but the story was all over the evening news on TV One and Three.

      • Pascal's bookie 9.1.1
        29 August 2009 at 11:36 pm

        I think ol’ swampy’s main aim is to try and fill the ‘recent comments’ list with his own handle.

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