Jack Tame has claimed on Twitter that National party Deputy leader Paula Bennett refused to appear in a TV interview with Chloe Swarbrick on the cannabis referendum. He said that she agreed to be interviewed by Tame separately but refused to be interviewed alongside Swarbrick.
Is this the action of a future leader of the National party? If she is unable to handle a baby-faced 20 something Greenie how can she possibly handle the leadership of the National party?
Bennett has handed a platform to Chloe Swarbrick by refusing to debate. Has she forgotten that she’s a key member of the opposition?
This is the sort of high handed arrogance that keeps you in opposition.
It is abject cowardice to refuse to front.
To think that she has designs on leading National. If I was a caucus member I’d give very serious pause to entertaining that notion.
Paula Bennett has tried to justify her refusal to debate Chloe Swarbrick so she clearly is not familiar with the first Whaleoil rule of politics.
Explaining is losing.
Whaleoil rules of politics:
- If you are explaining, you are losing
- Utu is good, even necessary
- Never hug a corpse: it smells and you end up smelling like the corpse too
- Always know where the bodies are buried
- Don’t let mongrels get away with being mongrels
- Don’t mess with The Whale
- Never wrestle with pigs; two things are for certain if you do: you will get dirty and the pig will enjoy it
- Never ask a question if you don’t already know the answer
- Speak plain and speak simple
- Remember, I’m telling this story
- Never trust a politician if you aren’t close enough to them to hit them in the back of the head with a bit of 4 by 2
- Never trust a politician with a moustache or a hyphenated name
Judith Collins would have handled both Tame and Swarbrick with panache, but then she is leadership material. She has been honing her skills successfully on Twyford so Swarbrick with her lack of experience would be a walk in the park in comparison. In fact, Judith has shared an interview with Swarbrick before. I really don’t know what Paula Bennett is scared of.
