Tolley upsets Youth Parliamentarian

Written By: - Date published: 1:26 pm, July 18th, 2019 - 55 comments
Categories: Parliament - Tags:

Youth Parliament is currently sitting.  This is a yearly event where young passionate people selected by individual MPs get the chance to visit Parliament and take part in debates and select committee meetings and get a taste of how the country’s house of representatives operates.  For one particular youth MP the visit was not something she may wish to remember.

From Boris Jancic at the Herald:

A teen was reduced to tears after her speech about a friend’s suicide during a Youth Parliament debate was interrupted by senior National MP Anne Tolley.

Lily Dorrance, 17, was talking about mental health and describing her loss in Parliament’s debating chamber yesterday when Tolley, presiding as chair, rebuked her for reading from notes.

“It was such a sensitive topic and it came from my heart,” Dorrance told the Herald last night. “And she was trying to tell me because I was reading it it wasn’t coming from my heart.

“When she interrupted me it was awful … As soon as I sat down I burst into tears and had to leave … It was just humiliating.”

Here is the video.

And here is video of how she treated a new National MP in the house about the same issue.

Tolley has since apologised.  But dang these are young people way outside their comfort zone.

Parliament can be a bear pit and a festering cess pit of back stabbing and unmet personal ambition.  But it does not have to be this way all of the time.

55 comments on “Tolley upsets Youth Parliamentarian ”

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  1. Enough is Enough 1
    18 July 2019 at 1:40 pm

    Why is this news?

    Tolley inadvertently upset her and apologised for it.

    • michelle 1.1
      18 July 2019 at 2:07 pm

      stop making excuses for her bad behaviour for a very senior politician this is not acceptable she is not suited to sit in that chair kick her out now

    • Anne 1.2
      18 July 2019 at 3:22 pm

      That is the way it came across to me too EiE.

      Mind you, I think Anne Tolley was being unfair about the fact the young lady was reading her speech. The Parliamentary Debating chamber is daunting enough for new MPs let alone a teenage girl. But I do believe Tolley was just trying to gently explain to the girl what is normal procedure. She would have been far better to have let it pass and I expect she will in future.

      • Dukeofurl 1.2.1
        19 July 2019 at 10:08 am

        Its issometimes allowed for Mps to read from their notes.

        It used to be not allowed but that changed some time back

        Speakers Rulings

        Reading speeches 5 Where possible, members should not read speeches. However, no member, other than the Speaker, may interrupt a member who is speaking to suggest a breach of this convention, and the Speaker may allow speeches to be read in some circumstances. Such circumstances may relate to the technical nature of the material under discussion, or the relative experience of the member concerned.

        https://www.parliament.nz/media/4500/speakers-rulings-2017-final-pdf-version.pdf

        Page 46

        • Muttonbird 1.2.1.1
          19 July 2019 at 10:14 am

          Wow. I guess Tolley doesn't know shit after all.

          This is at odds with VV supporting her as a good speaker.

        • Sacha 1.2.1.2
          19 July 2019 at 10:18 am

          Youth Parliament has different standing orders. Participants were instructed to prepare speeches.

    • mauī 1.3
      18 July 2019 at 9:59 pm

      Watch the first general debate speech, Tolley almost had the Youth Parliament in open revolt laying down her draconian rules.

      • Muttonbird 1.3.1
        18 July 2019 at 11:03 pm

        Sounds like they were all a bit shocked at her behaviour.

        Nice work on trying to encourage the next generation, idiot. That she realised her mistake afterward adds to the fact she had no idea what she was doing.

        Get off the stage, Tolley.

      • Grantoc 1.3.2
        19 July 2019 at 11:04 am

        They're not her rules. They're set by whoever is responsible for arranging youth parliaments. Tolley is not that person.

        • Muttonbird 1.3.2.1
          19 July 2019 at 11:13 am

          And she got it wrong. Admitted as such.

          Tolley misinterpreted the rules and doubled down when challenged. I've seen this on the kids' sport fields. Gung-ho dads making a mistake and threatening the boys who question it.

        • mauī 1.3.2.2
          19 July 2019 at 11:21 am

          Comment 8.1 – They were asked by those organizing youth parliament to have pre-written speeches for reading in Parliament months prior.

    • gsays 1.4
      19 July 2019 at 2:14 pm

      Why is this news?

      Parliament and the National party have enquiries concerning bullying. There is two ticks.

      The deputy speaker was not prepared enough to know the youth were operating under a different set of rules. Another tick.

  2. michelle 2
    18 July 2019 at 1:59 pm

    tolley is nothing but a bully people like her should not be in parliament she is showing she is past it or was she having a man o pause moment, she is just one nasty piece of work and she is abusing her power the old bag i wouldn't let her talk to my daughter like that especially when we look at he subject suicide she should not be there get rid of her

    • New view 2.1
      18 July 2019 at 7:47 pm

      She most likely wouldn’t want to talk to your daughter. The incident was unfortunate but Ill think you’ll find that Ann Tolley was trying to give this young lady a genuine experience of what she might expect while addressing Parliament. We know that wouldn’t suit you Machelle but then you most likely wouldn’t survive there either. No doubt the young lady expected a sympathetic hearing from Tolley but real life’s not like that. We live in a tough ruthless real world not the PC bull shit world that most people experience on social media or addressing their class at school. I think you’ll find that Ann Tolley has done this girl a big favour. She’ll either never do anything like that again or she’ll come back strong and maybe become a politician that really counts. And as for your man o pause comment. What’s that about. Not too many men involved with this one.

      • michelle 2.1.1
        19 July 2019 at 8:20 am

        new view stop talking a load of bullshit this is our future generation and we should be empowering them and giving them the confidence they need to succeed but instead we have old bags like her in parliament abusing her power she looked like she was having a minties moment picking on a young girl basically. Dont talk to me about toughness people like me were born tough but i wasn't brought up to treat people like that we have to be tough to put up with shit that comes out of people like you who talk a load of kaka and to put up with all the racist bullshit in our own country.

        • New view 2.1.1.1
          19 July 2019 at 9:39 am

          You are sounding like the old bag to me Michelle. Big tough words but no backbone. Anne Tolley new she had been a bit tough considering the subject matter and apologised, but the idea of that forum is to teach the politicians of the future what they will be dealing with. You are not going to sell a subject like that by reading from notes. The young lady won’t make that mistake again. She had something important to say but it’s how you say it. You seem to have a giant chip on your shoulder. I can’t remember race being part of the conversation.

          • michelle 2.1.1.1.1
            19 July 2019 at 11:31 am

            you sound like a national politician or one of their bum boys

            • Muttonbird 2.1.1.1.1.1
              19 July 2019 at 11:35 am

              I always laugh at usernames like 'New view'.

              Invariably they are not new, but old and tired.

            • New view 2.1.1.1.1.2
              19 July 2019 at 1:35 pm

              Not all National politicians are male Michelle. You seem to have a problem with males, hence the male o pause comment in your previous comment. You’re entitled to your opinion but when you disagree with someone it doesn’t take long for the nasty remarks to surface. I’m not a politician but am male. I have a wife and two kids and have a couple of grandchildren so am not a bum boy as you put it. Take the chip off your shoulder and enjoy life a bit.

              • michelle …
                19 July 2019 at 1:46 pm

                new view you are a bit patronising i don't mind being called an old bag but I am the same age as judeath and tolley but thanks to my good Maori genes i don't have as many wrinkles as them and i have been brought up to share and be kind to people especially visitors. I like many of our Maori people are on a crusade for change we have had enough and i have just started to speak out and i can talk about life experiences you would not be able to relate to.

          • mauī 2.1.1.1.2
            19 July 2019 at 11:35 am

            Now you mention it… the speaker could barely pronounce Maori student names either. Strange from someone apparently representing the east coast. Either she just doesn't care, is still living in the 1950s or it was another powerplay.

  3. veutoviper 3
    18 July 2019 at 2:20 pm

    mickeysavage

    I don't know whether you are aware but there has been some discussion on this over on Open Mike today at 6. Having had some involvement in a couple of Youth Parliaments in the past, I have commented there at quite some length, but the comments here so far are such that I am not inclined to comment further.

    [Being a pedant, however, – the Youth Parliament is not currently sitting as per your first sentence. It finished yesterday.]

    • mickysavage 3.1
      18 July 2019 at 4:00 pm

      Thanks VV I just had a read. I think your points are well made. Tolley could be accused of being very clumsy and insensitive I guess but it is still a bad look.

      I am pleased that they decided to declare a climate emergency. Young people get it.

      • McFlock 3.1.1
        18 July 2019 at 6:28 pm

        Yeah it's all a bit of an overreaction. She was a bit clumsy and patronising at a really inopportune time, but I'm not sure it deserves much in the way of attention.

        But then maybe that's just a perception of everything looking much less stupid these days due to the twitterer in chief. Broke my "fuck this is awful" filter.

  4. Chris T 4
    18 July 2019 at 2:29 pm

    If that is all it takes to get a teenager crying these days (and Tolley apologised for some reason), NZ is turning slightly fragile.

    • I feel love 4.1
      18 July 2019 at 3:26 pm

      "it's PC gone mad!!!" – Christ, some people do go a bit soft over suicide don't they? So only "slightly fragile" as opposed to "full frontal hard core mad max battletruck fragile"?

      I understand what @veuto is saying but I also think this teen could have been cut a bit of slack, it really does show Tolley as an insensitive and put of touch bully with a severe lack of empathy, but hey, right wingers and parliamentarians seem to get off on that.

      • Muttonbird 4.1.1
        18 July 2019 at 4:01 pm

        Yep, they all need to toughen up!

        A bit of bullying never hurt anyone.

        I didn't get where I am today without a bit of bullying!

        Bad-jelly the Witch will get them to stop sobbing over suicide, yes she will.

        They've just got to get over it…

        Honestly, what was the malignant Tolley thinking when she cut down the young lady who was delivering a personally painful speech about mental health.

        Was she even listening at all?

    • michelle 4.2
      18 July 2019 at 3:47 pm

      and so she should Chris she was nasty and did you see the way she spoke to the young women telling her to sit down like a dog she wouldn't get away with this talking to adults like this or maybe she does and that is why she continues to be a c…t

      • Chris T 4.2.1
        18 July 2019 at 4:03 pm

        She would do it to an adult.

        Speakers do it all the time.

        • Muttonbird 4.2.1.1
          18 July 2019 at 4:10 pm

          Tolley shouldn't be allowed near children.

        • mauī 4.2.1.2
          18 July 2019 at 4:15 pm

          Yep, looks like she does do it all the time. Silenced one young woman in Speech 1 and two more in Speech 8. And this is just one mornings work…. how odious.

          • Chris T 4.2.1.2.1
            18 July 2019 at 4:45 pm

            Mallard does it all the time

            It is the speakers job

            • Rapunzel 4.2.1.2.1.1
              18 July 2019 at 5:21 pm

              To Parliamentarians maybe but a young person in a "trial" situation talking about suicide I for one have no doubt that Mallard would have listened by using judgement as to whether it was quite the right time to push on about "rules". Tolley as the Opposition does now, and when they were last in govt, they like to appear to "hear" but they are not listening.

            • michelle 4.2.1.2.1.2
              19 July 2019 at 8:23 am

              does mallard do it to the youth that are there to talk about suicide

            • Sacha 4.2.1.2.1.3
              19 July 2019 at 8:32 am

              The Speaker's job is to apply the (correct) Standing Orders. No surprise that Tolley's reach exceeded her grasp yet again.

    • Cinny 4.3
      18 July 2019 at 6:25 pm

      The young girls friend committed suicide, our youth suicide rates are among the highest in the developed world.

      Geez chris, have a heart ffs. If we started listening to our teens instead of telling them what to do or accusing them of being 'sensitive' because one of their friends killed themselves, maybe it would lower our suicide rate.

    • Gabby 4.4
      19 July 2019 at 6:16 pm

      They're not all big n tough like your mum christy.

  5. Ken 5
    18 July 2019 at 3:42 pm

    Evil nasty woman.

  6. Morrissey 6
    18 July 2019 at 3:46 pm

    Horrible.

  7. marty mars 7
    18 July 2019 at 4:09 pm

    Yuck. While she was talking about the most awful subject too. Way to go trolly you disgrace – interrupting that young woman like a first class prickess. So embarrassed this happened but shows why our suicide rates are high – ears are painted on.

    • Muttonbird 7.1
      18 July 2019 at 4:11 pm

      Yup, I doubt she was listening. Probably felt that doing youth parliament was beneath her.

  8. Robert Guyton 8
    18 July 2019 at 7:24 pm

    I feel the anguish of the young would-be politicians, but felt Tolley's actions were appropriate. It was entertaining to hear the points of order made to challenge the Speaker and I enjoyed her responses and her tolerance for the situation. It would have been a tough one for any Speaker to handle; after all, those young people had voluntarily entered the Pit of Despair and will benefit greatly from not being soft-soaped, in my opinion.
    That said, I didn’t listen right through to the point being criticised but the general tenor was, I felt, reflective of life in the House.

  9. peterlepaysan 9
    19 July 2019 at 12:46 am

    Anne Tolley is a caring sensitive person immersed in the

    National party?

    I feel the need for a certain brand of beer coming on.

  10. tc 10
    19 July 2019 at 6:44 am

    Where’s private citizen Wayne on this classic display of national party arrogance and ineptitude ?

    She’s still waiting for the chancellor to come along in his helicopter.

  11. Jimmy 11
    19 July 2019 at 12:12 pm

    People always say Judith Collins is a tough 'hard as nails' woman.

    Personally, I have always been of the opinion, that Anne Tolley makes her seem like a pussycat.

  12. JustMe 12
    21 July 2019 at 11:01 am

    Isn't it rather ironic that National so depend on the written and readable word to get their opinions across to the general public and yet one of their very own MPs i.e one Anne Tolley chastises a young woman for reading from notes????!!!! Rather odd all that i.e National bullying a young woman for reading from notes but not a voice from them when it comes to the written word in say the NZ Herald which many of us know is the Mouthpiece of the NZ National Party???!!!!!!!1 It certainly comes across to me that the NZ National Party MPs are incapable of reading from the written notes when it suits them.
    I can only assume Anne Tolley cannot read properly and therefore she is taking out such a hindrance upon another i.e the 17 year old.
    This ‘holier than thou’ attitude by Tolley is complete indication that National do not merit being voted for at the upcoming general election.