I actually feel kind off sorry for Melissa Lee. Her tongue-tied memory loss on TV3 last night has probably happened to every MP – it has certainly happened to me and everyone I’ve spoken to about it.
Yes Melissa has repeatedly buckled under pressure but my question is where is her support? On the item last night we saw John Carter walking across the road with her but during her painful interview he could be seen way off on the other side of the street yakking with, I think, Jacqui Dean. Jonathan Coleman is supposed to be her minder but where was he and how much effort is he putting in to making sure Melissa is well briefed?
No doubt senior National MPs will distance themselves from Melissa but they really have to blame themselves for her inadequacies as well.
John Carter was yakking to The STAR auckland central MP Nikki Kaye! ;p
Iain,
I think it goes to show what a difficult sell the supercity is going to be. The issues are very complex and emotions are running high. Even people who have a good understanding of local/regional government are having difficulty explaining how it is going to operate.
I doubt she will be the last public figure to become confused.
It was Jacqui Dean (http://www.national.org.nz/MP.aspx?Id=49) not Nikki Kaye (http://www.national.org.nz/MP.aspx?Id=48442).
Nikki Kaye, Jacqui Dean, whoever, what does it matter, they are all clones of each other
I agree that Lee was unfairly targetted last night by Duncan Garner’s decision to run footage of her repeatedly failing to string sentences together. It was cruel and uncalled for. But it does make you wonder, why are Nat senior MPs not giving her more support? Shearer seems to be well supported.
Hang on Iain, the woman is a twenty year TV veteran, she is the hand picked Key nominee, we don’t need too much of the class of 2008 solidarity, don’t feel too sorry for her. Of course she should be getting better support but the best support would have been an intensive but fair and open selection process which might have made her ability or lack thereof more obvious.
If she has spent much of her time up until now as a presenter, she was probably able to rely on a teleprompter or scripts most of the time, and/or on an earpiece with a programme director talking to her.
I don’t think experience as an interviewer or presenter would necessarily translate into being able act as an interviewee very well. Perhaps that is a factor here – not just inadequate support from her party. I’m sure a few people would agree with me that thinking on one’s feet is a skill that requires some time to master.
Mr Mallard wrote:
“Of course she should be getting better support but the best support would have been an intensive but fair and open selection process”
Like, for example, the Labour Party selection process, where it appears Mr Shearer lost the floor vote and was selected anyway on the strength of Mr Goff’s nod?
Tim Ellis
“Like, for example, the Labour Party selection process, where it appears Mr Shearer lost the floor vote and was selected anyway on the strength of Mr Goff’s nod?”
You really are a walking advertorial for your employers.
If you were an academic you would realise just saying something over and over (without a credible source for reference) doesn’t make it a fact. Your actions remind me of that reprobate David Irving, he got caught out in the end (aswell)
Oh Tim Ellis,
Just because you say it over and over again doesn’t make it any more true.
But, presuming that your thin shred of evidence actually turns out to be 100% true, don’t you think it would have been a story by now, because the media want a close race, and Shearer’s momentum is now getting harder to stop, so even if it was a reported truth, noone would care, except the nitpicker parade that you are trying so hard to lead!
Even if you are right, it still won’t matter. But hey, I have better things to do then point out your inadequacies.
Abbie and Simon, I’m going by the claim made by a commenter at the Standard who says he was at the selection meeting. It was confirmed by Mr Prentice that the commenter was probably at the meeting.
The claim that the commenter made, that Mr Shearer did not win the floor vote, hasn’t been denied to my knowledge.
I feel very sorry for Melissa Lee. Hung out to dry by her own party, picked on by a pack of individual pricks and a media that has not quite registered that Helen is no longer their boss.
It seems pretty apparent to me that Labour’s attacks on Lee, led by Mr Goff and Mr Mallard, have backfired and have created a backlash of sympathy for Lee. It wouldn’t surprise me if this is showing up in Labour’s polling, which would explain why Labour has started expressing sympathy and have gone quiet on further personal attacks against her.
The tirade of abuse at yesterday’s AUSA meeting labelling her a racist is just gutter politics. As I read it, Labour seems to be having concerns about how well it can control its more rabid activists.
Tim, Labour have barely needed to attack Lee, between her ineptitude and a media she seems to have pissed off with a haughty and arrogant attitude it has not been necessary and even if it has been going on it has been lost in the furore caused by Lee herself.
Although I agree that the TV3 article went too far – it was not informative or illustrative. Just lazy and arrogant media.
Maynard J,
Labour have been leading a full frontal attack on Lee. Look at the NZOn Air claims of “corruption”. Farrar highlights the involvement of Mr Mallard and Mr Goff in Parliament on this at http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2009/05/nz_on_air_clears_lee.html#comments
Mr Mallard has made allegations that Ms Lee used taxpayer’s money to promote the National Party and that there was a conflict of interest that wasn’t declared on this blog. Those claims have been cleared by NZ On Air.
Writers at the Standard have labelled Ms Lee’s activities “corruption”.
Labour Party activists holding signs have chanted “pay it back!” and yelled “Corruption!” at meet the candidates meetings.
On the Grassroots Labour website, members are encouraged to make as much as possible of the TV3 story about the allegations that Mr Mallard and Mr Goff made about Ms Lee.
I think it’s clear, Maynard J, that Labour have done their best to attack Ms Lee at every opportunity and haven’t let the facts get in the way.