The Herald this morning reports that a former National MP is under investigation for assault.
A former National MP allegedly punched another customer in the face as shocked tellers looked on at an inner-city Wellington bank after an argument over a parking space.
Wellington police yesterday confirmed receiving a complaint from a man alleging he had been assaulted by another man on Monday last week in Courtenay Place. They said the incident was still under investigation.
Westpac spokesman Chris Mirams said there was an incident in the bank’s Courtenay Place branch that day and said Westpac was co-operating with the police.
The Herald has spoken to the victim of the alleged assault who said the incident arose from a disputed car park outside the bank.
The man, who did not wish to be named, said he had parked his car in a space outside the bank which another motorist had been intending to use. Words were exchanged, and while he was retrieving items from his car the other motorist, who had by that stage parked his vehicle elsewhere, tried to shut the car door on his legs.
Although “it didn’t really hurt at all”, the man said they exchanged further words when both were in the bank a few moments later.
However once the motorist completed his transaction “he just turned around and gave me a good old whack … a swinging right arm across the face”, the man said.
I’m not sure when former MPs deserve the protection that members of the public get while their cases are being investigated – but the problem with this story is that dozens of former MPs are implicated. While it is unlikely that Simon Power or Simon Upton were involved they are in that group of male former Nat MPs. I didn’t mention Don McKinnon because the suspect was driving and Don seems to be driven these days 
The Herald should have named the suspect.
And if the suspect is on the Nat list John Key should get on the phone and tell him to do the decent thing.
Deleted : Offensive. Darien
If giving somebody a whack were ground for somebody not being in Parliament you would have had to resign long ago, Trevor.
Sounds like a ‘former national MP’ who is known to use legal threats against journalists – must be in the coffee- but has a history of court appearances.
I suppose the Herald wanted to avoid paying a ‘great settlement’
I suppose you also think all name suppression for offenders is equally “gutless”. I tend to agree that the media should name him, but on the flipside he has the right to a certain degree of privacy.
I hope, from the tone of this post, that you support banning name suppression for offenders in all assaults, rapes and murders so we can know who the “Former all-black” and “high profile comedian” etc, are – who also have committed these types of crimes.
@eye patch
So are you trivializing punching someone in the face or just trying to personalise an attack on Trevor because of the incident with Tau Henare?
Because:
a) punching a member of the public in the face over a parking space is actually pretty serious and I would suggest shows the ex-MP is not of sufficient good character to represent NZers;
b) it is common knowledge the Mallard/Henare scuffle followed something a lot more provocative; and
c) Trevor did the right thing and apologised immediately, eventually pleading guilty to the ridiculous private prosecution brought by a serial litigator/very damaged individual.
So inevitably this post will attract howling from the same small-minded Tory zealots, but the comparison is pretty limited.
Trevor did the right thing. Will National?
Tim G
Trevor did the wrong thing, and then pleaded guilty publicly and took it on the chin (as it were). He didnt run from the consequences of his actions….
Meanwhile Ms Collins is looking to file defamation suit…
One day our politicians will realise it’s not actually about them but the rest of us out here, including in that circumstances the 6000 people whose privacy was breached.
If it’s a former MP, why does it matter?
Until the police press charges, there is no public interest.
Hopefully clear that I meant the right thing by apologising immediately. Obviously fighting with Henare was not the right thing…
Tim G, were you in the bank? If you weren’t, then how do you know that the incident wasn’t as provocative as the incident between Trev and Tau? I suppose it’s up to us to speculate on what Trev means when he says “the decent thing”. Whether it is to resign from the list, if he is on it, out himself, or apologise immediately. But if it is the first, then Trev is setting a standard of behaviour for ex MPs that not even he met as a sitting MP.
I thought national had such a clear mandate that everyone on their list was in parliament?
Has Whaleoil outed the former Nat MP yet?
This is a bit desperate Trev, very low went ya get your intended parking space pinched! I say good on em.
Hey have to be fair here. I think Trevor Mallard quite often goes off half cocked, and I seldom, if ever, agree with him. On this occasion though, I have to admit I find this post fair and reasonable.
It may be Trev’s manner is tempered by his involvement in an incident marginally similar, but it’s a fair call. Haven’t the rules changed in relation to name suppression?. Mind you, if charges haven’t been laid yet, then there can’t be name suppression can there?
Maybe theres more to the story than meets the eye tho, if some dude came and smacked me upside the head for no reason whatsoever, I’d freely be sharing his name in the media…
He should be removed from the National Party forthwith because with all the cameras in banks these days, he was bound to be captured on one of them. Someone so stupid should never be an MP. Full stop.
That’s a bit rich Trev
If you have ever had some prat ‘steal’ your car space and they know it, you have every right to be annoyed. When they give you stick about it.. Well they should not be surprised to get a bit of biffo about it.
So you think it’s acceptable to assault someone because they parked where you wanted to, and then gave a bit of lip when you cried about it. Wow!
I call that a thug mentality, and one society needs protection from.
It’s certainly not suitable for an mp to act in this way. Their perks and priviledges should be withdrawn once criminal proceedings are concluded.
Perhaps that’s why they are an ex mp.
@Alby I really don’t think you have figured out the 21st Century, You DO NOT biff someone because they stole your parking space.. What punishment would you mete out to an individual that cut you off on the road, Stoning or maybe impalement ?
@A1 some people learn the hard way. I doubt this person will ever steal a car space again. FYI I have experienced having a car space deliberately nabbed. I did have a few choice words to say to the old burglar, as did others who witnessed this ghastly act of rudeness.
I don’t know about that! I’ve nicked a few car parks in my time, and never once have I met a bully boy, little big man or member of the justice league that couldn’t be charmed and calmed into accepting that sadly in the modern world, shirt happens.
Never had to fist fight for a parking space. Grown up words are your friend
Anyway, I chose my battles wisely, like getting rid of third world diseases on the face of our kiwi kids.
In the DomPost this morning Paul Quinn denies that it was him.
Look more closely at PQs words
“I dont know what you are talking about”
“I dont know anything about that ”
My question would be , why would they specifically ask him.
I imagine more is being saved for the Sunday papers
That’s funny lol your a serial car space thief. Go on a charm offensive…. A nice smile…show a bit of leg and if they look angry loosen a top button.. Oh dear next minute you have slept your way to the top
Your names not Crusher Collins is it?
Im certainly not one of life’s victims, but what goes round comes round. You win some, you lose some.
If not a universal constant, then it’s certainly an ape-brained human one.
But regardless, it’s certainly not worth a criminal conviction for assault on one’s cv.
Am I crusher collins? No, definately not! I have much more chest hair than her, probably.
Lucky for you I’m not one to start defamation action.
Punch ups in Westpac branches don’t matter. What does matter is Westpac being able to keep the government banking contract for a generation despite being seldom the best, no longer the biggest, and foreign owned to boot.
Point taken. Your comments are not of a hysterical enough nature for you to be Collins. There are more than one pair of hands on the rug pulled out under Smith, I bet the owner of the other pair has a hairy chest and a bald head. I would be looking over my shoulder if I was slugger English.
Paul Quinn is now reconsidering his position according to the DP. http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington-central/6665887/Quinn-to-comment-on-alleged-assault
Hilary , how can he ‘considering his position’ over something he ‘doesnt know anything about’ ?
And, putting out advance notice of his change of position ? Has the touch of being orchestrated by John Keys office.
They must be running around with their hair on fire in the PMO this week.
Anybody got a fire extinguisher ?
LOL
I think Paul’s just worked out about banks and CCTV footage. Oops.
Herald just now:
Former National Party MP and top level rugby player Paul Quinn has confirmed he was involved in the alleged assault of a man in an inner city Wellington bank last week which followed an argument over a parking space.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10795555
You guys ought to be careful what you ‘publish’ here, or NAct will have all of you for defamation!
Meantimes, gotta admire how Quinn continues to lie once outed. In that herald article he continues to downplay the existence of a police investigation. When quizzed by the DomPost, though:
“”I left him at the car and went into the bank and he followed me in and confronted me. He claims I punched him – I did not punch him.”
Quinn would not detail the events that unfolded inside the bank because “police are investigating. I don’t want to prejudice any inquiry”.
I bet NAct just wish he would stfu.
We can see why Paul Quinn fell down the rankings with such a crash. National will be pleased to be shot of him. There are a few more they could afford to lose – even before they lose Nick Smith actually!!
Good sport though if he got that angry over a car space. Of course if he was still an MP he wouldn’t need to be parking his car, he would be driven.
No they dont CK. Ministers are driven but Mps have to make their own arrangements.
Unless you are Johnny Hatfield , who appears to have a full time driver
Hello, taxis.
Hello, Shanks’ pony.
Yes , there are taxis , for official or electorate business, but going to the bank ?. I thought National MPs just needed paper bags for all their transactions
It’s never ok to hit anyone else. Ever. MPs need to be of the highest standing in society. Provisions should probably be in place to instantly dismiss any member of parliament who is found to have committed any physical violence. I’m sure you would agree this is in the best interest of the country and the public having faith in the governance of their country Trevor.
RegistryAdmin, that would mean Muldoon would have been ‘out’ long before the ‘Schnapps’ election
@RA – Trev paid the price, it’s been what 5 years?
@Ghost LOL
The Schnapps’election, I guess he thought he had a lot of sway with the voters. 
Whoever gets the car-park first, is the person entitled to it. For all the dithering that goes on amongst people’s ability to drive, let alone park, first in the space obviously wins. It is someone’s belief that they are more deserving is what should be addressed in their small mind.
It is civilized to be polite and not expect to “own” a space . It is civilized to get past thinking someone “stole” “your” space on a public road or car-park and shouting and screaming makes “you” look like the idiot.
However this incident really just highlights how Nactional are falling apart at the seams, and it’s about time the esteemed fourth estate wrote about that! Good riddance to that lot I say!
Jus’ sayin’ {;)
Outrageous behaviour, but nothing new.
Once a Nat bull always a Nat bully.
@Ghost – And quite rightly too! There should be no exceptions.
Where is he working since he lost the easiest job he ever stuffed up?