John Key should be judged by the “high” standards that have been the downfall of MPs and state sector bosses, instead he is trivialising his harassment of an Auckland woman, the Green Party says.
“Backbench MP Aaron Gilmore lost his job for abusing a waiter, and Former CERA chief Roger Sutton lost his job for behaving in a way that women in his office found offensive. The Prime Minister of New Zealand should be held to a higher standard than either of them, the problem is he’s only answerable to himself,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei.
“The National Party caucus should consider the criteria John Key set for dealing with misconduct by other MPs and public servants when it considers what action to take in relation to his harassment of this woman.
“The caucus needs to consider the serious implications of the Prime Minister acting in such a way that he could trigger a police complaint, a Human Rights Commission complaint and an employment dispute.
“John Key has publicly stated that hospitality staff should be treated with respect when he came down hard Gilmore for abusing a waiter. Arguably, John Key’s repeated harassment of the Auckland waitress is even worse than Gilmore’s one-off drunken rant.
“Workers and women need the Prime Minister to lead by example. They need their Prime Minister to show more respect for them than ordinary New Zealanders do, not less, Mrs Turei said.
