I'm astounded that what National MP Maggie Barry said in Parliament the other day has exploded in this way.
Is Maggie Barry being set upon because of her very strong views against euthanasia?
This has the whiff of a determined character assassination about it.
Related link: Barry mocked for childless snipe ~ NZ Herald
National MP Maggie Barry's suggestion that a childless Jacinda Ardern can't speak with authority on child laws has been ridiculed on social media.
On Wednesday, in a debate on extending paid parental leave to six months, Ms Barry asked the Labour MP, "How many kids do you have?" and later added: "Don't be so precious, petal."
The comments were mocked on social media, with Twitter users applying Ms Barry's logic to other areas - including whether only the former TV gardening host could talk with authority on an invasion by triffids.
Is Maggie Barry being set upon because of her very strong views against euthanasia?
This has the whiff of a determined character assassination about it.
Related link: Barry mocked for childless snipe ~ NZ Herald
Like I said on Kiwiblog, I thought some of the comments from Labour were vile, it's interesting which one caught pubic, sorry media attention.
ReplyDeleteYou said: "This has the whiff of a determined character assassination about it."
ReplyDeleteNah, just well-deserved mockery for a silly statement which any MP could have made.
Then the illogic of her implication provoked a laff on Twitter ... and so many journos (ahem) are on Twitter it was translated into a 'news story'.
Little fuss over 'no big thang'.
Tomorrow's fish & chip paper.
- P
Hi Peter,
ReplyDeleteI just don't think it was a silly statement. Youngish women without children (and who have never looked after any) tend to be the worst know it alls, in my experience.
Hmmm, are most of those journos on Twitter, youngish women without children?
Scrubone,
ReplyDeleteI've not seen what the Labour comments were, but I presume it must be like blog commenting, where most things are seen to be fair game - until we get to the sacred cows.
Well, they made the suggestion that National didn't care about children.
ReplyDeleteOn second thoughts, that's really something we've come to expect so probably a bit of an overreaction.
I must admit that I've seen Ardern on TV a couple of times and she disgusted me on both occasions. I've never been able to see this alleged "beauty" people keep describing her as, I guess I find the inner ugliness overwhelms it.
So Peter, I assume you're not saying that the character assassination was done on a whim, for a laugh?
ReplyDeleteBecause that sounds a bit sadistic.
HI - no, I don't see any 'character assassination' but 'disgusted' scrubone's comment about 'inner ugliness' comes close. Jeez.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering what clubroom I've stumbled into. What on earth was so precious about what Maggie Barry said?
It was just a put-down of the sort that is spat across the debating chamber almost every session ... the ugly, braying, boarding school type barracking that sours political debate in the Westminster system.
Jeering at your political opposition to 'put them off' is the real 'ugliness'. in my opinion. And certainly not confined to National or Labour.
But 'us and them' thinking is everywhere, I guess.
- P
Jeering at your political opposition to 'put them off' is the real 'ugliness'. in my opinion. And certainly not confined to National or Labour.
ReplyDeleteThe media are as much to blame trying to inflame and extend such ugliness. The SST Editorial reducing the argument against Gay Marriage as either religious zealotry, or bigotry, for example.
Peter,
ReplyDeleteThere was nothing precious in what Maggie Barry said. Nor was there anything offensive or worthy of mockery, either. To me, it was a fairly benign comment that should not have attracted the notice of most people beyond just the type of thing that is general, parliamentary sparring.
And yet, it created a fire-storm!
We are not National supporters here, btw.
I wrote a post about it because of the media reaction that to what seemed to me was an innocuous comment, made by a woman who is a mother against a woman who is not. I have some sympathy for that position, because I do think even incredibly intelligent women are somewhat clueless when it comes to parenting and children until they've experienced it for themselves. I certainly was!
Lucia, you have openly displayed prejudice amongst a certain perceived outgroup in your comments above. You are entitled to your opinion, but is the stereotyping necessary?
ReplyDeleteLucia, you have openly displayed prejudice amongst a certain perceived outgroup in your comments above. You are entitled to your opinion, but is the stereotyping necessary?
ReplyDeleteHi Favid,
ReplyDeleteErr... "certain perceived outgroup"??
You are going to have to be far more specific as to what your problem with my comments is.