It’s a ridiculous story that exposes the media’s double standards and the fashion industry’s selective support. If the media wants to regain the public’s trust, they’d do well to stop obsessing over what female politicians wear and start focusing on what they do.
With New Zealand’s books in dire straits, every dollar counts. The government should conduct a full audit of the HRC’s spending and identify projects that fail to deliver real health benefits.
This budget move should serve as a warning shot to every media outlet suckling at the government’s teat. You’re on notice: do your damn job. Report the facts, not your feelings.
The heckler wasn’t just some random punter exercising his rights. He’s a vociferous DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) spokesman for Tonkin + Taylor, a company that prides itself on ‘inclusivity’ and professionalism, especially when dealing with Government clients like KiwiRail.
Here we are, six months into this farce, with no end in sight. National’s dithering, Labour is hand-wringing and Te Pāti Māori’s still strutting around like they own the place. If this is what passes for leadership in 2025, God help us all.
In the end, van Velden’s word wasn’t the scandal. The real scandal is a left so intellectually bankrupt they’d rather debate diction than policy. They’ve lost the plot and, thanks to van Velden’s deft move, everyone can see it.
This is classic Edwards: cherry-picking facts to fit a narrative while ignoring the messy reality of policy-making and the equally potent influence of his preferred lobbyists.
The pay equity debate didn’t sink because of one word. It sank because the left have nothing else to offer. And you, Ian Taylor, are too busy polishing their shoes to see it.
The lesson here? If the legacy media wants to sling slurs and gendered insults, they’d better be ready for the blowback. And if they’re going to cry foul when someone like van Velden fights back, they might want to take a long, hard, look in the mirror.
