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Iain Lees-Galloway 'dismissed' by Prime Minister for having a consensual affair with an employee of an agency he oversaw; Matter was initially raised with Judith Collins

Iain Lees-Galloway 'dismissed' by Prime Minister for having a consensual affair with an employee of an agency he oversaw; Matter was initially raised with Judith Collins
Iain Lees-Galloway illustration by Jacky Carpenter

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has dismissed Iain Lees-Galloway as a Minister over an affair he had with a former staffer who worked in an agency he oversaw.

Ardern said the relationship was consensual, lasted for a year and ended several months ago.

She said it was “untenable” for Lees-Galloway to remain an MP - specifically to keep his Workplace Relations and Safety role.

Ardern said he inappropriately used his office to sustain a relationship.

She received an email with allegations about the relationship from a third party - not the woman involved - on Tuesday.

The person initially raised the issue with Opposition Leader Judith Collins, who told them to get in touch with the Prime Minister's office.

Collins told media in interviews on Wednesday morning that she had received correspondence related to a Labour Party Minister.

The saga comes in the wake of National MP Andrew Falloon resigning over it coming to light he sent unsolicited pornographic images to women.

Andrew Little will take Lees-Galloway's Workplace Relations and Safety portfolio, Kris Faafoi will take his Immigration portfolio and Carmel Sepuloni his ACC portfolio.

Ardern said the relationship hadn't seen taxpayer funds misappropriated. 

Lees-Galloway won't seek re-election, but will remain an MP until the election. 

Here is a statement from Lees-Galloway:

I accept the Prime Minister’s decision and apologise absolutely. 

I have acted completely inappropriately in my position and can not continue as a Minister.

I have apologised to my family for letting them down. Please appreciate their privacy.

I also apologise to anyone who has been hurt by my actions.

Here is a statement from Ardern:

This morning I am announcing that I have dismissed Minister Iain Lees Galloway as a Minister.

Yesterday afternoon the leader of the opposition advised me of an email she had received that related to Iain Lees Galloway. She conveyed to me that she had asked the individual to relay anything directly to my office.

No other details were provided to me.

My Chief of Staff subsequently contacted the Leader of the Opposition’s office to pass on contact information, should that be required by the correspondent. At around 3pm my office received an email directly from a third party alleging that the Minister had an inappropriate relationship with a former staffer who worked in one of his agencies.

This was the first time that I had heard such allegations.

At around 545pm last night I sat down with the Minister and put a range of questions and allegations to him. He confirmed that a consensual relationship had occurred, that it involved someone who had previously worked in his office and had been based in one of his agencies 

I want to be clear up front, I wish to protect the identity of the person so will avoid providing any details over and above those necessary to explain my decision that may reveal who they are. I request that the media and other politicians respect this.

Over the course of the conversation with the Minister, it became clear to me that his position as a Minister was untenable. I advised him of that at the time. 

The Minister has shown a lack of judgment over a period of 12 months.

In undertaking this relationship he has opened himself up to accusations of improperly using his office.

He has not modelled the behaviour I expect as a Minister that is in charge of setting a standard and culture in work places. 

His actions have led me to lose my confidence in him as a Minister.

The Minister takes full responsibility for his actions and accepts my decision. He has also decided not to stand at the next election.

Carmel Sepuloni will become the Minister for ACC, Andrew Little will become the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety and Kris Faafoi will become Minister for Immigration.

My final comment is this. Politics is a place where we do need to maintain standards, and politicians should pay the price for mistakes, their families should not. I do ask that we try and maintain that distinction.

We welcome your comments below. If you are not already registered, please register to comment.

Remember we welcome robust, respectful and insightful debate. We don't welcome abusive or defamatory comments and will de-register those repeatedly making such comments. Our current comment policy is here.

160 Comments

Dirty politics.

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This reminds me of the schoolyard tactics from Grade 6....
Affairs happen in any workplace; they're inevitable from close contact and opportunity. Sure, power advantage should not be condoned, but many, many couples meet at work - even those whose previous partnerships ended from work-based relationships.
We don't know the 'sordid' details yet, but on the face of it I reckon many more politicians have a lot more to worry about that just 'this' sort of stuff.

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This isn't any ordinary workplace though is it. This idiot was a senior Crown Minister, a position requiring the utmost integrity and dedication. The rules around workplace relationships are there for a reason. The quality of NZ politicians is really quite depressing.

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And the fact he’s the minister for workplace relations.

But perhaps he simply misunderstood the job title?

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Like a fox guarding the henhouse

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You can have as many 'rules' around workplace relationships as you like, it won't stop them happening! Nature, and all of that.
Besides, we have Laws prohibiting speeding on the road. Have you ever done that? Again, Nature and all of that...

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BW, your contextual awareness needs adjusting. If you are a Crown Minister (with a wife and 3 kids), you need to hold yourself to a higher standard than a Team Leader at the Warehouse. I do get the odd speeding ticket, but I'm not running the country.

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Completely agree TK. The politicans need to understand that the perks and fat pension benefits are a privilege, not a right. If that means showing some restraint as to what you want to do in your private life, then so be it. That's the trade off. Lees Gallloway and Falloon have learnt the hard way.

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TK
Interesting comments.
Do we now live in a more moral time????
Not one really in the know, but . . . .
Piggy Muldoon was notorious in having affairs - given his shortness and rotund build, and looks, it was generally spoken about in awe rather than being a scandal.
David Lange, a devout Methodist, not only had an affair with his speech writer Margret Pope, but ending up separating and marrying her.
Do we go on about royalty - Prince Albert, Prince Charles . . . . mind you Prince Andrew seems to have crossed the line.
Just wondering.

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I don't think there is any doubt we are less tolerant, and with good reason in my view. He exposed himself to blackmail, showed poor judgement and potentially, as a person with enormous influence, put pressure on the individual either directly or indirectly. This sort of behaviour is not tolerated among corporate exec's either - straight red card.

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Actually printer8 I think we now live in a time where moral outrage has become fashionable and voyeurism via MSM and SM is the norm. Nothing sells advertising like a good scandal

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Which party is going to adopt Queen's song for the election campaign - Another One Bites The Dust.

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With that logic, you could say that any vice is inevitable, given close contact and opportunity. Should we all be more accepting of corruption in our government, considering the close contact and opportunity? That's ridiculous. Their greed and selfishness wasn't inevitable. It was a choice. People that carry on affairs, instead of ending their current relationship first or serving their own interests rather than the taxpayers they are meant to represent etc. are responsible for their actions. When they hold positions of authority over other people, that requires the public to be able to trust them, then the choice to ruin their credibility has to have consequences.

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News just in :-

The Beehive is to be demolished and a new parliament building is to be build in Auckland ..................in K-road

The new parliamentary Members lounge will include a strip club with lunchtime strip shows , and a pole for pole dancers , 24/7 porn movies on a loop , and a prostitute's allowance will be part of their annual package.

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and free trips to the Antarctica for friends - thanks taxpayer!

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By the time they finish telling tales there will be no one left.

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Does anyone actually do any work in the Beehive or is it just one big shagfest

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At least the have protection

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The legal team is working quite hard by the looks.

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Barry Soper's column on the Granny Herald is interesting, suggesting Judith Collins resurrecting her Dirty Politics hit job days:

The latest shabby chapter came to light when new National Party leader Judith Collins apparently received an email making the allegation. She tells us she gave the emailer the address of Ardern's chief of staff to relay the information to her and she wiped her hands of it.

It's pure coincidence the information came her way just after National got rid of Andrew Falloon for sending pornographic material to a young woman.

Yeah right.

This is politics, pure and simple and this is shaping up to be a tit for tat, nasty election campaign - reflecting badly on those we elected to represent us.

Combined with an earlier article that highlights Collins was the first to throw this into the public domain:

Collins' apparent tip-off came to light when she was speaking about former National MP Andrew Falloon, who quit Parliament on Tuesday after it was alleged he sent inappropriate messages to a young woman.

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The two main parties are too busy imploding to put any effort into this election.

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And we are in the midst of an horrendous financial meltdown while all this nonsense is going on .

Why do we even pay these useless people?

It was riddled incompetence , stupidity and delusional ideas like Kiwibuild , now we have a string of sex scandals to add to the mix .

We really need to get rid of the lot of them and start again

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You could form a decent Parliament with the contributors here, I'll take the Finance portfolio

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I'll be minister of free Antarctic trips.

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Sorry, we can't afford it.

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So if the country is just about broke,
Tax the politicians at ten bucks a poke?

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We'll work around it by bringing Antarctica to us. It'll be more watery than it was, but beggars can't be choosers.

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.. but who gets the Funny Walks ?

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Isn't that the point of democracy?

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I'll take the dual role of productivity commissioner and economic development minister. I also want a magic wand :-)

Edit by blobbles' wife:
Plus if there is a ministerial position of being a pain in the butt, I will take that one too.

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No loss there, good to see the back of him.

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Yes indeed. He became the new face of the mass immigration ponzi scheme.

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Thank you Tim , have you seen the recent numbers of foreign work visa's they have issued under this Government ?

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Agree, good riddance. He was a disgrace due to his 'work' (or lack, thereof), not this affair. And I'm a Lab voter.

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ILG and Raymond Huo were 2 of my big gripes with labour. Now if they can get rid of PT and actually get something done, they might be worth voting for.

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"politicians should pay the price for mistakes, their families should not."
Just the whole country knowing your husband/ father had an affair. but late to think about that ,( I am presuming he is married / had kids).

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So you'd prefer a made up excuse as to why he got dismissed?

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The standard, "health issues" excuse and "spend more time with family." Whenever I hear that, I immediately think they have been up to no good and someone has caught them out.

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Then the party prays to god no one uncovers the truth

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Just curious, was John Key a part of the Rat Pack or was his resignation legit (given the fact that he genuinely needed time off to cool his heels with the millions made in the process).

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No , I just thought it was a pretty inane comment from Adern, when obviously the family will be hurting . I think she mean't for the media to leave them alone, she should have said that .

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Comes with the territory and pay package, doesn't it?

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Could the last one out please turn off the lights? Thanks in advance.

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The quality of some of our politicians certainly leaves a lot to be desired.

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Apparently so! ;-)

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If you are in Public Office you had better be sure to keep your trousers zipped , your cellphone free of all images , dont let your eyes wander and dont get drunk .

Oh and , as Bill Clinton will tell you , leave interns and junior staffers well alone.

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From your comment you imply that it is only males who do this stuff.
Wrong.

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You seem to have jumped to conclusions... plenty of trouser wearing women about these days.

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Just watched Ardern’s press conference. Boy, she is good. A real leader and someone to believe in. One important thing here: Walker, Boag and Falloon’s behaviour bordered on the criminal. Galloway-Lees’ didn’t, just a massive error judgment, **** for brains stuff, and he’s no great loss anyway. Ardern was decisive and up front, although she most probably was aware of the rumors. But then, Parliament is alive with rumours. And you can smell a rat in the way Collins set it up in cahoots with Duncan Garner. She is one piece of work, the very personification of dirty politics. If the gloves are off, there will be a few MPs waiting for the tap on the shoulder, one in particular, and possibly someone in the party hierarchies. A lot is already out there, if you know where to look.

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@Pietro

Kiwibuild
Dr Clark
Covid cock-ups
Flip-flopping on just bout everything
Not one election promise fulfilled

A few toothy smile cover shots on magazines does not a PM make

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@Boatman

Covid cockups? Are you joking? UK 50,000 deaths, US 130,000 deaths, Italy, France, Iran, Russia, China in the 10s of thousands. That’s a cock up.

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I would reserve any judgement on our COVID response as yet; that issue is far from over.

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I'm just trying to think of a country with an authoritarian-leaning right wing leader where COVID-19 has been managed well.

(Potentially only China, if you concede the CCP has become more fascist than communist.)

I think most people have ended up a little bit relieved that Simon Bridges and Jian Yang weren't in charge of managing NZ's response.

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Well I'm trying to think of any country that is not still exposed to the effects of COVID-19. It's not over, and it wont be for a while. If you want to make judgement now then fill your boots. I wont be.

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It's not too difficult to evaluate performance at different stages of the pandemic, and everyone (perhaps excluding Trump) is aware there's a long way to go. Pretty sad if you're sitting there hoping things will go wrong so you can feel justified in beliefs you already hold.

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Ahhh - there it is. You just made an assumption about my beliefs so you could deride and undermine my view on account of my personality. Trump does that all the time. All I've said is it is too early to judge - that doesn't mean I want the catastrophe to hit. But I'm glad you know how everyone else thinks (apart from, say, me and Trump). With that level if insight, may I suggest you take up politics? Just keep it civil with the staffers.

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But it isn't too early to judge.

We can judge what has already happened in this country and decide if it is good or bad. We can reserve judgement for what is yet to come, until it comes.

Really very simple.

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But it is too early to judge.

We don't have the full data to show whether the stringency of our lockdown was necessary nor whether eradication was the best strategy given our borders could be closed for a long time.

Take your cheerleaders' outfit off.

Really very simple.

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As I go about my day, not wearing a mask, not worried about catching Covid-19, not in lockdown or any internal travel restrictions and life for most pretty much the same as before covid-19.. yeah, we have enough data. Sure, they could eff it up completely further down the road, but so far they've got a better than passing grade.

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It seems only Kotare and maybe Mike Hosking (depending which day you talked to him) are about the only ones that might disagree with you on that Pragmatist.

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"Johan Giesecke says that assuming New Zealand or Australia have found out every case in their country “what do you do for the next 30 years? Will you close your borders completely? Quarantine everyone who is going to Australia or New Zealand? Because the disease will be out there”. Ian Frazer, an Australian immunologist says: “In my lifetime, I can count seven new viruses that have arrived and we don’t have vaccines for most of them yet”.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/seeing-the-invisible/testing-…

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Yes, it would seem that only Muzled and 499997 other team members think that stopping it now, means stopping it forever. Is it NZ's poor education system or it's feeble politicians or it's corrupt media that is to blame for the low knowledge level out there? It's a virus! do some research people! Learn about stuff, it's not hard. If you have 'stopped' it now, all you have done is deferred the impact (possibly until COVID 20 mutation arrives which could be even more dangerous...)

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That'd be the whole discussion about flattening the curve and preparing the health sector for it. Happened a wee while back now.

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It seems like what you are saying though is that we should judge NZ's covid response based on what the perfect response would have been had we had complete information at the time. This seems like a bad measuring stick. It's entirely likely that the ideal response would have varied, even if only slightly, from the actual response. But it seems pretty unfair to hold politicians to such impossible standards. They had to make decisions based on the information they had available to them at the time, so the right way to evaluate the response if to ask 'given what information they had at the time, was the response the best strategy' not 'given the information we have now, was the response the best strategy.' Doing the latter is a bit like scolding someone for choosing the wrong lotto numbers after the draw.

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Incorrect.

I highlighted that it was a possibility rather than an assumption with an "if".

Neither did I assume. Your other comments on this page make assumption completely unnecessary.

Sorry that angle didn't work out for you.

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Hello McFly! Don't be obtuse.

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Conveniently ignoring the Labour youth camp sexual abuse and subsequent cover up i see.

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Not to mention the alleged sexual assault by one of the PM's senior staffers that was sat upon until the complainant realized she was being given the run around under guise of a Sir Humphrey Appleby 'enquiry' and went to Paula Bennett. Be interesting to know what she was given to shut up.

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According to JLR that wasn't the only complaint Bennett was holding in reserve for political purposes either, keeping the powder dry for the right moment.

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Plenty of election promises were fulfilled. You just don't like the ones that were.

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She's good a polishing the turd. No good at running a country.

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I'd like to know what this mysterious "running the country" means. As far as I'm aware she's done a good job maintaining the status quo (despite a quite troubled 3 years). Isn't that what all politicians do?

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This is one of those situations where if you're asking the question, then you're not going to understand the answer. Sorry.

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**** you and your condescending "you're too dumb to understand" reply.
Sorry.

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Well youre the one who claims to not know what "running the country" means. You dug your own hole there CJ.

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I was curious about your definition of "running the country". Since in my opinion, she's done a bloody good job "running the country". The country hasn't imploded, it hasn't stopped, people are still living the same way as before, nothing has collapsed, status quo was maintained.
So this is why I ask people like you who claim she can't "run the country" to clarify what their definition is.
But if you failed to understand my question, you'll most likely fail to answer it in a meaningful way. Sorry.

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Labour was supposed to be transformative. Remember the "Let's do this" slogan? Seems the " this" was actually code for SFA

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I'm aware of how they failed to deliver some of the key promises. Just like every political party ever, since democracy has existed.
There's a big difference between "running the country" and making significant changes. I'd love to know why some people think she's incapable of the former. And more importantly, who they think will be great at both.

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"Some of the key promises?" Tax, transport infra, housing affordability, urban planning, child poverty markers still within the margin of error for improvement..... stop me when I get something they've actually achieved....

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Well they did manage to increase homelessness, fuel tax(sorry..levy), virtually halve Z Energy share price ( and thus reduce all KiwiSaver returns) create massive disruption to Auckland CBD (CRL), grant Residency to a convicted meth dealer ...oh, and promote a bible scholar to Health minister

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Troubled? Most of her government's trouble has been of its own making - not disciplining incompetent ministers and failing to delivery on almost any of the supposedly urgently needed transformational government that they promised. Personally I would rather the entire country not be in a state of civil emergency for three years just so the PM can look like a capable leader. Stripping out the White Islands and Mosque shootings from 2.5 years of pre-Covid19 government leaves you with a PM that spent more time spinning a narrative than actually doing the things she hyped in the lead-up to getting elected, and getting away with far less scrutiny from a zealously favourable media which seems determined to be more buddy-buddy rather than speaking the truth to power in any meaningful way.

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So...Key 2.0

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Good to know the solution to the 'nine years of neglect' was just more neglect after all.

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Yeah, might be getting to that stage of lesser of two evils eh. Tough times. Stagnant Labour vs. actively-worse National.

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I can't help thinking you need to wipe some of that Jacinda fairy dust from your eyes, but dirty politics doesn't necessarily come into this.

If the young woman aggrieved at what Falloon did complained only to Judith Collins, the matter might have been swept under the carpet, and the true extent of what he did would probably not have emerged.

Equally, if the person who was alarmed at Lees-Galloway's behaviour (and it seems possible that we aren't simply talking about a workplace affair here) had talked only to Jacinda Ardern, the matter might have been dealt on the quiet.

I am no fan of Ardern, but I think she dealt with the Falloon matter appropriately, by referring it to Collins. I also think Collins did the right thing with regard to the Lees-Galloway matter by referring it to Ardern.

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Referring it to Ardern...and leaking it to the media??? That's the key difference in the two approaches, and it's a pretty important difference.

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There has to be something different going on in your brain to think you could get away with this. Well, he got away with the Sroubek case, but only because the PM herself was likely involved and needed to be protected.

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Totally agree - the Richie Hardcore link was just too coincidental. No sound-minded Minister would have granted Sroubek residency and I believe Jacinda stuck her beak in - that's why Lees-Galoway didn't get the boot. But now he's been naughty with a staffer in a consensual relationship, she's been right there to throw him under the bus without question. This is insurance - she doesn't want the Sroubek issue resurfacing before the election so any chance to rid the party of Lees-Galoway is jumped upon.

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ILG has likely been promised a job if he leaves quietly. Spilling the beans on any involvement of Ardern on the Soubrek affair would make him a pariah to her tribe and severely limit his employment options.

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nothing worse than a women scorned running to the other side to dish the dirt.
there used to be a code down their of both sides hushing it up good to see that has changed

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It wasn’t the person concerned. An unrelated third party was the mole. It was a consensual relationship, which had ended. Inappropriate, though and a fair result. I think it’s 95% certain that Duncan Garner and Collins set up the whole thing as a diversionary tactic. Stupid on Galloway Lees’ part, but not malicious and borderline criminal like Boag, Walker and Falloon.

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So Garner and Collins forced him to have an affair?

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Accidentally commented in the wrong place, so here's a joke:

A pregnant woman in labour suddenly shouted, “Shouldn’t! Wouldn’t! Couldn’t! Didn’t! Can’t!”

“Don’t worry,” said the doctor. “Those are just contractions.”

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I see what you did there - trying to turn the spotlight back to last week. No no no, the current headline shows a front bencher of Labour being fired! Everyone's sh*t stinks my friend.

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It’s not his fault. Most on the left suffer from whataboutery.

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The irony of this being posted on an article covering Judith's whataboutery.

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Whataboutery is a particular tactic for those on the right

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This is unfolding to be a particularly undignified and dirty election campaign. All of this stuff would've been known by someone before, there is clearly strategy to the timing of these leaks and scandals.

It's actually a disgrace. Now, more than ever, New Zealand needs competent, mature adults at the helm to guide the country through these turbulent and uncertain times. And instead we have a bunch of corrupt, useless toddlers slinging mud at each other.

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If you watch the PM's press conference. This was known for a long time, and reported on some blog site.

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Not too sure about that, although there were rumors about Galloway Lees some years back. I think it is important to realise that there are rumours flying around Parliament all the time. Sadly, people have affairs, split up families and cause their spouses deep distress in all walks of life. Politicians are no different.

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Politicians are different and are rightly expected to be different. Different jobs have different rules and expectations.

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I am curious as to how many more MPs will be outed for affairs and such-like in the coming months. This was a nice, convenient tit-for-tat for Judith to get attention off of Andrew Falloon's unsolicited sexting of teenage girls. Good timing, indeed.

We had Sarah Dowie and JLR in the past, and much discussion was had about how common these affairs are among the MPs. Who's next to be called out re an affair? Or for patronising ladies of the night, even? Next we'll be hearing of a good Christian MP's gay peccadillo with a pretty young man.

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Yes, how would Chris Bishop and John Key have fared in this climate, I wonder?

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Well, Key like Bill Clinton seemed to go straight for character assassination of the victims.

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Out of the blue resignations are usually due to being given an ultimatum.

Theres a lot of irony to your comment...

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lets be clear... he hasnt resigned. He has lost his ministerial posts and will not stand in the next election.

Question for Jacinda - so his conduct aint becoming of a minister, but is it acceptable as an elected member of parliament?

He is going to do absolutely nothing for the next two months and get paid to do so. He should be gone... NOW.

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Lets be clear....I wasn't referring to Iain Lees-Galloway.

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Lets be clear, you weren't that clear on who you referring to

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If you don't get it, you don't get it.

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I think there's a couple of gentlemen going home with their tails between their legs

Who aren't going to get it

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lets be clear, I was responding to a comment in an article about ILG, and you didnt specify who you were referring to.

That aside, he is getting paid to do nothing for 2 months. He should be sacked as an MP.

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Agree. And you can trust that Collins will be wanting to play more of this dirty politics game. Despicable

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So Collins played dirty and Ardern didn't? Having trouble following your logic

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I'm sure you are, but it makes sense.

One passed on information of a potentially-criminal act, and left it to the discretion of the oppo leader.

The other announced it first, it wasn't illegal, it was in the past, and it was done for one reason only. Slater territory. I haven't voted Labour since '84, but National at present, and Collins forever, smell of arrogance, self-centredness and falsehood. Dogs and fleas, I can get you some powder.....

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Well PDK, there was no suggestion of criminality at the time. Can't blame Collins for not having the truth serum handy. The other was clearly inappropriate (though not illegal) behaviour from a senior minister and JA had no choice but to announce the indiscretion and deal with another lame duck minister. The only reason why JA acted so quickly was pure damage control.. nothing else. Seems those teeth can bite after all. The rest of your post is pure Flat Earth Society stuff

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I remember Slater.

I watch, I think, I judge.

I wouldn't be a member of anything Collins was, I'd resign out od self-preservation.

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You watch, think and judge through your own lens. Luckily for you Collins is unlikely to knock on your door with an offer.. employment or otherwise

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A small victory is that Kris Faafoi gets his immigration role back.

I am far from a Labour supporter, but he simply got thrown under the bus when a mate didn't get what he wanted.

Said mates musical career has taken a dive as a result. Good riddance.

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Faafoi shouldn't be allowed anywhere near immigration.

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This is great news for Winston.
Diverts attention away from freebie trips to Antarctica for dinner party mates at expense of tax payers and considerable detriment of NZ Antarctica programme.
Nothing for NZ, nothing for science programmes, just a fun trip for dinner party mates.

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Yep, another shocker from Winston. King of the Baubles.

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hmm, interesting timing, maybe the leak was abit closer to the home side. After all why give it to Collins , rather than Adern? but more likely the timing is due to last weeks events.

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Is this not the fool who did not even bother to read the Memo about the criminal he granted PR to while sitting in jail ?

He should have spent more time concentrating on his job than trying to get his........... (edited)

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What a stroke of luck for National. Judith must have been doing backflips of joy when she heard a front bencher had been a naughty boy. God I wish I could have been on the line when she dialled Jacinda to give her the good news.

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Ardern was up front, to the point and decisive, as well as demonstrating great empathy. Collins was shifty, indecisive and showed a great lack of judgement in using mental health as an excuse for Falloon’s abusive behaviour, which is the subject of a police investigation. Facts.

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JA will be spewing. Just when National was on the ropes she is put under pressure to finally deal with this issue.

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They are, I think most decent people accept that this sort of thing is rife in parliament. MPs come from all corners of the country, stay in Wlg for extended periods and probably don't socialize the same way the rest of the population is free to. It is hardly surprising they fall into the arms of each other.
BUT, there is a difference between someone having a consensual relationship (morals aside) than people becoming sexual predators and abusing their positions. I reckon it was a line call with Lees-Galloway and remember, all the PM did was remove his ministerial roles, he was still an elected member of parliament, it was his decision to go altogether, though I doubt that result was particularly disappointing for the PM, given his parliamentary history. For those involved personally, their position become untenable when they have fences to mend at home.

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Yes PA. Huge difference between the two cases. I think we all know that, but of course impartial judgement is hen’s teeth stuff on this site. Which is what makes it so much fun.

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Ardern and her great empathy. Sounds like Trump and being termendous. The superlatives and the hyperbole! Collins crushed it. Jacinda gave it some woke pixie dust. Facts.

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Collins is a nasty and self serving, without a shred of integrity

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Agree, she's a horrid person.

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Well, yes - until she has to deal with a similar report about one of her MPs - nobody wins these games.

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So, the Virus got him too ? Better get tested, all the MPs and Ministers and declare the Positive or Negative Results and go into quarantine for 10 years, if infected.

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Good riddance. Hopeless MP.

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Will anyone bother putting out any policy this election campaign?. might be easier to just look for dirt on both sides.

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Labour is waiting until after their campaign launch on 8th of August.

It's quite late compared to past elections, but people moaning "Labour have no policy" are just impatient.

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Lame-o attempt at one-upmanship by St Jacinda to show she can sack people and be tough - finally, only because now she's got a genuine opponent.

Maybe people will start to see they've been doing ok simply by default. Oh yeah - that's right, that will never happen.

Gonna be a way more interesting election now which is the main thing as no politicians represent the people's interests anyway.

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And lets be clear, Falloon is no longer an MP.

ILG is no longer a minister but paid for the next two months to sit there and do nothing as an MP.

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Maybe police being involved is the difference

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This modern day Puritanism is getting really over the top.

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You think it's puritanism that the workplace relations minister can't have an affair with a staff member? Really?

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I'm conflicted about this. There are more than enough legal remedies available to protect the subordinate should they require it, they were (apparently) sneaking about so not obviously impactful on other workplace relations. ILG is failing his family morally/ethically but not sure that it otherwise warrants firing.

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Foyle, it warrants firing because Miss Fairy Dust doesn't want any inappropriate media commentary regarding her caucus members. It also shows ILG was careless or at the minimum indiscreet. Not ideal qualities for said senior minister. Also the Sroubek incident is still fresh in some minds. Speaks to incompetence

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It's US style political muckraking, just without the religious bent. This idea that you can never have office romances is ridiculous. She didn't even report to him.

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It really isn't, but OK.

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Agree. An affair per se isn't an issue. The fact that it's with a staff member, is. This crosses the line in terms of well known expectations around ministerial behaviour.

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With you here - of all the things to get sacked for this isn't one. It's not even as if the woman in question was complaining, nor was there any suggestion of impropriety about it.

Now Peters on the other hand - arranging trips to Antarctica, that were mean't for ministers, to 'friends', with zero benefit to New Zealand - that's a potentially treasonous waste of tax payer resources. And the knock on effect that some engineers or scientists were bumped off the trip to make room for them is even worse because they would have provided some benefit by being there.

Peters should be fired - Galloway, sure, strip his Workplace Relations portfolio if that's the sticking point, but other than that he didn't break any laws.

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Weird right wing Twitter is strongly suggesting there is more to this.

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No impropriety huh? A married father of 3 engaged in a reasonably lengthy affair with one of his staff? Yeah .. nothing inappropriate about that at all.

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Yes and golly gosh, this sort of thing has never, ever happened in our halls of power before. Lees-Galloway has sullied them forever, forever I say

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Excellent work by 'crusher' Collins. Send those boy-racers home- without their rides.

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Small sharp guillotine might be more useful here, Castrator Collins.

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This had apparently been common knowledge in Wellington for many months (and other activities going back years). So likely not news to anyone in Parliament, and hopefully not news to ILG's partner given number of people who knew.

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Jilted and jealous third party perhaps? ...A woman scorned and all that?

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Matthew Hooton, whoever is doing the Whaleoil dirty deed done dirt cheap more likely.

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We should not replace any mp maybe they get some work done

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Oh how serendipitous for Ms Collins, right on top of the all publicity about the behaviour of members of her caucus, comes information from a third party about Ian Lee-Galloway and a year long affair with someone he worked with, ended about 4 months ago. You. Would. Not. Believe. The. Luck.
Now he is a goner, and I reckon it might have been a close call, Ardern calling on the fact that his portfolio is workplace relations, but I reckon that Lees-Galloway has been more of a hindrance than a help in this govt and if he'd been in another position or if it was another minister, she would not have been able to get his firing over the line.

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Politics is an interesting, but dangerous game. Play at your peril.

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Why would any of us be surprised by our two party leaders antics. They are purely in the game to achieve power. They will do anything to either keep it or get it.

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and now the revelations that WP made yesterday that national press secretary whom was in a relationship with DS was the source of the leak.
my question is whom leaked that info to WP from within national , they leak like a sieve at the moment, seems he still has friends inside that party.
and what is the purpose of leaking, to hurt ACT, or to hurt national leadership
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12350174

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