Show some decorum, David

Written By: - Date published: 12:49 pm, October 4th, 2009 - 19 comments
Categories: dpf - Tags:

It was inevitable that Farrar would do this, although I really hoped he wouldn’t. His post criticising Chris Carter for being in Samoa is a shameless attempt to make political capital off tragedy.

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, Winne Laban headed to Samoa to assist her family there. Carter went as her support person, the two are close I understand. He did not go there to be Labour Foreign Affairs spokesperson. Once there, Laban and Carter offered any assistance they could be to the Samoan Government and the New Zealand High Commission. They have reported back confidentially to Murray McCully on the situation to assist the Government.

This has not been disaster tourism by Carter, it began as a genuine effort to help first his friend and then the people in need they have encountered. He and Laban have sought to be of any assistance they can. Contrary to Farrar’s claim, they have not tried to politicise the issue or criticise the government. They are there helping.

Farrar gleefully quotes the Herald on Sunday:

“Chris Carter slyly attempting to make political capital out of the disaster by telling the Government how it should respond was slightly distasteful”

The Herald on Sunday is wrong and it too is trying to score petty political points in a tragedy. Read Carter and Laban’s twitter thread. Where is the criticism of National? The only thing that could possibly be read that way is Carter’s comment that it’s a pity there’s no room on RNZAF flights to bring in volunteers to help the clean-up. What the Twitter thread actually shows two people in positions of responsibility, trying to help people in need however they can. And any attempt to second-guess them is just politicking.

Immediately after the tragedy struck Samoa, the authors of The Standard agreed we would not try to play petty politics with the disaster. We might stand over Key’s shoulder ready to criticise every mis-step when he’s in New York and we might examine Bill’s dealings in minute detail but that approach would be completely inappropriate in this situation.

The two times this site has referred to the Government’s response in Samoa have been complimentary and encouraging, not critical. We know that the New Zealand government, including its elected officials, do genuinely want to help Samoa as best they can. There has been none of the neglect that we saw in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that would be legitimate basis for criticism. Any criticism would be nitpicking and arise from a crass desire to score political points.

I am utterly appalled that Farrar has sunk to that level. Appalled but not surprised.

The Standard will not be following suit.

19 comments on “Show some decorum, David ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Sam 1
    4 October 2009 at 1:13 pm

    Can’t say I’m all that surprised really…

    Could be a response to I/S criticising Key though?

  2. ghostwhowalksnz 2
    4 October 2009 at 2:12 pm

    The oily cetacean has climbed in as well.

  3. outofbed 3
    4 October 2009 at 2:39 pm

    Just popped over to the sewer to see the thread
    I can’t understand why Farrar fosters this level of bile
    Its seems representatives from all that is wrong with NZ, society heads over to that blog to comment.
    It is literally sickening a homophobic misogynist racist xenophobic hatefest

    • the sprout 3.1
      4 October 2009 at 2:49 pm

      i can only assume the need arises from a lack of talent and a desperate need to distract from the reality of this administration’s incompetence and intentions 🙁

      • Tigger 3.1.1
        4 October 2009 at 10:08 pm

        Exactly – it’s a distraction. The attacks began the moment Carter began to blog the situation on Red Alert. The reason – the Nats were slow off the ball and Key took days to return from his holiday. This was a pre-emptive attack to prove the point that he shouldn’t have come back any sooner and that no one official should have gone to Samoa any earlier than Key did. They’re trying to paint Key’s ‘disaster tourism’ off in the best possible light.

    • illuminatedtiger 3.2
      5 October 2009 at 8:44 am

      While this stuff is the par over at the sewer he only ever seems to do something this OTP once or twice a month (without fail). He’s like New Zealands period!

  4. gobsmacked 4
    4 October 2009 at 2:55 pm

    Two media comments on this. One is journalism, the other is not. Facts or faeces, take your pick.

    1) NZ Herald political diary, Saturday:

    “Carter is not only foreign affairs spokesman but has had recent personal associations with Samoa. After last year’s election loss he and colleague Darren Hughes took former Prime Minister Helen Clark away for a break in Samoa, staying at the Sinalei Reef Resort run by Tui Annandale, who died in the tsunami and was buried on Thursday.”

    2) Larry Williams, Newstalk ZB, Friday:

    “Carter should pack up his handbag and go home.”

  5. Anne 5
    4 October 2009 at 4:02 pm

    I, too am disgusted at the use of a terrible tragedy to make blatantly nasty attacks
    on Chris Carter when all the facts concerning his and Winnie Laban’s presence in Samoa have been publicly available from the start. I think most people will recognise that Winnie Laban and Chris Carter are vastly superior individuals to those who have seen fit to attack Could The Standard list the email addresses of the guilty parties (including Larry Williams) so that readers can tell them directly what they think of them and demand apologies – not that there will be any of course. Perhaps it isn’t appropriate, but no harm in asking.

  6. simon 6
    4 October 2009 at 4:21 pm

    here’s Larry’s email address

    larry@newstalkzb.co.nz

  7. Anne 7
    4 October 2009 at 4:29 pm

    Thanks simon.

    The low life red-neck will be hearing from me.

  8. roger nome 8
    4 October 2009 at 5:52 pm

    poom! poom! poom! and David “the corpulent cowboy” Farrar goes down guns blazing! What a short fight that was ….

  9. Westminster 9
    4 October 2009 at 8:07 pm

    I thought I/S was on the money about Key. Disaster tourism. Having to chaperone Key around demanded time, people and money that Samoa can ill-afford. He added no value being there. Samoa is a sovereign nation. I can’t see why our PM needed to make an official “inspection”. Having said that, and without any hypocrisy, I think what Winnie and Chris did was great. They went to help as people connected to Samoa in one way or other. Hell, if I had rellies and friends up there, I think I would go to help too. But there’s a World of difference between what Key did and what Winnie and Chris did. That Farrar can’t or won’t see that is an indictment on his character. I had a brief [slightly chucks up in his mouth] visit to that Kiwiblog story and found it deeply repellant. Lot’s of latent (and not so latent) homophobia and general nastiness. Man, sometimes I think I am getting old and conservative and then I visit a place like Kiwiblog and it reminds me why I can NEVER be a Tory. Even if I could stomach the policies; the company you have to keep. Loathesome!

  10. RedLogix 10
    4 October 2009 at 9:08 pm

    On another thread I sincerely questioned what seemed to me the lackidasical response to that point in time. At the same time I was pretty clear that I wasn’t out to score any petty political points, I just wanted some prompt and effective done.

    That’s the criteria here.. nothing else matters.

  11. illuminatedtiger 11
    4 October 2009 at 11:11 pm

    Farrar must think it’s a crime for anyone to steal the wind from his dear leader.

  12. Tim Ellis 12
    5 October 2009 at 1:32 am

    The Standard is a machine. It doesn’t have a single opinion. Individual writers have their own individual views and they are free to say what they think.

    Except when Eddie decides otherwise.

    [lprent: It was a discussion that went on the background e-mails between quite a number of the various authors. Eddie was just saying what the general opinion was after that discussion.

    Obviously you are incapable of actually reading a post. Perhaps you should make an effort to do so rather than just spinning up another bullshit line. ]

    • Zetetic 12.1
      5 October 2009 at 9:12 am

      You got it in one, Tim. Going to have a cry about it?

    • Maynard J 12.2
      5 October 2009 at 10:08 am

      Er, Eddie said they all agreed, so in this instance it is not Eddie deciding but them all agreeing. That is a pathetic comment, Tim.

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