I had a busy day yesterday and only saw the Andrew Falloon story gradually emerge in bits and pieces. Another political mess, and another young political career in tatters. Falloon is reported to have serious mental health issues, it’s not clear whether that contributed to his indiscretion or is as a result, possible a bit of both. His family life is likely under a lot of stress.
And this is another embarrassment for National and a serious blow to Judith Collins trying to present a unified team fighting the election.
The latest on this is Judith Collins saying ‘I can no longer trust his story”.
Reports say that Falloon sent a pornographic picture, not of himself, to a young woman (an 18 year old university student). Without context and detail it’s hard to judge how bad that is.
The woman is likely also under pressure with all the publicity, even though she hasn’t been named.
Police investigated and decided it didn’t justify prosecuting.
Falloon announced he wouldn’t be standing for re-election in September, but Judith Collins says she can’t trust his story and suggests he should resign from Parliament today.
The statements.
Statement From Rangitata MP Andrew Falloon
“Today I spoke to National Party Leader Judith Collins to inform her I will not be contesting the upcoming election.
“As I noted in my maiden speech three years ago, when I was younger I lost three close friends to suicide. It was an extremely difficult period in my life. Unfortunately, recently, another friend took their own life, which has brought back much unresolved grief.
“I have made a number of mistakes and I apologise to those who have been affected.
“Recent events have compounded that situation and reminded me of the need to maintain my own health and wellbeing. I have again been receiving counselling.
“I want to thank Judith for her support during this time and I look forward to helping a new candidate in the Rangitata electorate in any way I can.
“I apologise for this disruption to my colleagues and to those I serve in Mid and South Canterbury.”
That is a sparse and vague statement.
Statement On Andrew Falloon
Hon Judith Collins
Leader of the National Party
“Andrew Fallon has advised me that he will not be standing for re-election.
“The National Party was advised of an issue relating to Andrew late on Friday afternoon and we have dealt with it this morning.
“Andrew is suffering from significant mental health issues and his privacy, and that of his family, must be respected.”
Information has emerged since then. Collins says she can’t trust his story and suggests he should resign from Parliament today.
RNZ: National MP Andrew Falloon to retire at election
Police investigated National MP Andrew Falloon after receiving a report he sent an unsolicited image to a young woman, but determined it did not meet the threshold for prosecution.
The National Party was notified on late Friday afternoon of an alcohol-related incident involving Falloon in which he behaved in a way “unbecoming of an MP”.
Falloon sat down with National Party leader Judith Collins early this morning and after their conversation, he agreed to step down at the election.
PM Ardern’s office received information
The incident relating to Falloon was first raised by an individual who contacted the office of the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Her office passed on the correspondence to the office of Judith Collins, Leader of the Opposition, with that person’s permission.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said all correspondence was treated with confidentiality and all matters to do with Falloon’s resignation were a matter for Judith Collins.
At her weekly post-Cabinet briefing this afternoon, Ardern said her government had no more involvement and it was a matter for the National Party now.
She said she did not know, or seek to know, where the correspondence came from and nor did she seek to know the MP involved.
“The detail I had was reasonably limited,” she said.
NZ Herald – National MP Andrew Falloon quits after sex-text scandal: Message sent to university student
National MP Andrew Falloon’s explanation for the sex-text scandal that ended his political career is understood to be that acquaintances at a party sent the offensive message.
The Herald understands that Falloon’s version of events is that he was at a party several weeks ago and briefly left his phone unattended – and at that time acquaintances used it to send the sexual image in question.
The Herald understands the image was not of himself but was pornographic in nature.
Police confimed last night that an investigation began after receiving a report of an individual sending an “unsolicited image”.
Despite insisting he did not personally send the message, Falloon is believed to have offered his resignation and (Collins) accepted.
Sending harmful content is one of Collins’ zero-tolerance issues.
As Minister of Justice, Collins put up the Harmful Digital Communications legislation which primarily targeted cyber-bullying, and covered the sending of objectionable material.
This is bad news for the apparently unwilling recipient, it is bad news for Falloon, it is bad news for Collins, it is bad news for National, it is bad news for Parliament, and it is another blow to the image of our democracy.
And as usual with political stories their are partisan reactions from holier than thou to stinkier than shit.
It looks like there will be more to go on this story today.
More from RNZ – Judith Collins: National MP Andrew Falloon should resign today
Today Collins told Morning Report she thought Falloon should resign as she could no longer trust his story.
“I think he should resign from Parliament today, now that there are further statements and I can no longer trust his story. I believe that that would be the best thing for him ultimately. He is clearly now with his family and receiving professional assistance. It is I believe better for him, better for the young woman who is my first priority, and for Parliament, that he resigns.
“It was clear to me yesterday that he was admitting what was being alleged, what had been alleged by the young woman.”
Collins said she had not seen the image in question. But she said it was of a pornographic nature and not of a male.
“My first priority yesterday was the young woman who is now dealing with the terrible trauma and I’ve reached out to her and made it very clear that if there’s any assistance I can give I will do so.”
Police investigated Falloon after receiving the report, but determined it did not meet the threshold for prosecution.
“The Prime Minister’s office received complaints with detailed information on or before Wednesday last week. My office was advised late on Friday afternoon that there was the complaint and I was advised myself on Saturday,” Collins said.
She said she called Falloon to a meeting at her office in Parliament on Monday, and he offered his resignation.
The image had been described to Collins as “entirely inappropriate and a disgrace”.
Collins said the message was sent “about two or three weeks ago”.
“What I have been advised from the message that was sent to the Prime Minister was that the matter was referred to the New Zealand Police, the young woman and her parents.”
Collins’ first contact with Falloon about the issues was Monday.
“He advised me that he had significant mental health issues… and that has been an issue for some time.”
That was not known to Collins earlier, she said.
“I have no questions in my mind, no doubt that he did send that message. Any suggestion that he didn’t is simply wrong.”
He only knew the young woman in a professional sense, Collins said.
“It was clear to me yesterday that he was admitting what had been alleged.”
She also said it had been brought to her attention by media that there were other indiscretions by Falloon.
It is clear that Collins is not happy with him.
UPDATE: RNZ report that Falloon has just resigned from Parliament, effectively immediately.
artcroft
/ 21st July 2020What a mess. National have got to vet their candidates a lot better. David Seymour must be secretly smiling to himself.
Blazer
/ 21st July 2020You don’t have to be ‘mum and dad’ to vote National…….or maybe you…do!
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020Stuff is still not running Falloon’s response. Falsely claiming the image was sent to a schoolgirl was clearly and grossly defamatory and whoever was responsible should be held to account. Complaining to the PM and then leaking to the media also smells like a political hit job. Very Dirty Politics indeed.
Patzcuaro
/ 21st July 2020“Stuff was initially told the person Falloon sent the image to was a school girl. A source later clarified the person was a young woman over the age of 18.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300061190/national-mp-andrew-falloon-quits-politics-alleged-to-have-sent-indecent-image-to-school-girl
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020Stuff still doesn’t report Falloon saying he didn’t send it.
Patzcuaro
/ 21st July 2020Which one didn’t he send?
Duker
/ 21st July 2020Why repeat someones lies ….eventually Collins decided his ‘story kept changing as well, plus the hokum about mental health/drink “MADE ME DO IT”
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020It’s normal to report both sides of a dispute.
Blazer
/ 21st July 2020Yes now another young woman….
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300061529/andrew-falloon-sent-sexually-explicit-photos-to-another-young-woman
Call me Ishmael...
/ 21st July 2020I don’t believe it has ever been a “dispute” – and you’re gaslighting us to suggest that it is.
It’s a case of repeated “indiscretions” as PG quaintly labels Falloon’s behaviour, involving at least three different women and lying to the Police.
Kitty Catkin
/ 21st July 2020It was a nude woman.Nudes are not by definition ‘sexually explicit’; some of the world’s great works of art are nudes. To the dirty-minded any nude is sexual, of course. The Venus de Milo has been banned in some places in the US, as have works like The Naked Maja, Olympe and Michelangelo’s David.
Much depends upon the nature of the image.
Patzcuaro
/ 21st July 2020It seems a little odd for an MP to send naked pictures of one female to another female especially if he is married. One assumes that they weren’t naked pictures of his wife. It is almost guaranteed to end in tears.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020I think key part is explicit nude photo…use your imagination
NOEL
/ 21st July 2020PartisanZ
/ 21st July 2020She’s a KEEPER all right ………… all LEFT …………
The nation’s TURNED LEFT without really knowing it. As though we had no option almost …
Except we did … and this woman took the decision on our behalf. By consent of the governed, yes?
She chose “the command of Love” … because “only the command of Love permits of self-preservation by all” – Frank E Warner ‘Future of Man’ (London 1944)
lurcher1948
/ 21st July 2020It seems to be a major problem with National,entitled males who think they can do anything led by leaders who dont know what’s going on
FarmerPete
/ 21st July 2020You have a very short memory. Labour has had its own nasty harassment issues to deal with.
Kitty Catkin
/ 21st July 2020Lurch has forgotten the youth camp and the more recent scandal within the party, neither of which the PM knew about, according to her.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020Then there was the whole Jamir Lee Ross harassment and philandering saga , including having another MP as his ‘wellington wife’.
All claimed victim hood on that one, and apparently it was his fault that only a few sweet words was all it took to get them into bed, except when he was being completely nasty.
Go figure
Anyway , modern trends mean these sort incidents over sending porno pics is so ingrained in millennials ( and others who ape them, says he with disgust) that we can expect more Mps and others to be caught out over time.
Blazer
/ 21st July 2020National need a bigger bus….not much room left under the present one.
As for their election slogan -‘Strong Team’!!!
John J Harrison
/ 21st July 2020At least Collins has addressed this immediately after Adern’s office sat on the information for a number of days.
Collins has now demanded Falloon goes immediately, not next month.
There is more disgraceful information coming out by the minute, all pointing to the fact that Falloon has been less than transparent with his utterances to Collins.
Contrast Collins decisive decision to the months and months of Adern’s procrastination over addressing the disgraceful behavior of 3 cabinet ministers.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020Not sat on it .
They had to get permission from the sender to forward it to Collins, as it was addressed to Ardern and come in along with the avalanche of stuff that gets sent to PMO
Anyway its not their job to help the national party root out yet another ‘millennial Mp’ gone rogue.
Call me Ishmael...
/ 21st July 2020‘John J. Citizen’ – that’s an appalling mischaracterisation of Ardern’s actions.
Had she been the remotest bit like you characterise her, she would have used that information to her own political benefit. But she didn’t. Instead she quietly sought the permission of the parties involved then handed the material to the most appropriate person – the Leader of the Opposition – and said nothing.
Frankly National could do with more of that sort of integrity.
David
/ 21st July 2020Arderns office is leaking all over the place which is fair enough but her holier than thou is looking a bit tatty, its dirty politics.
Falloon should resign right now, bloody idiot and his excuse is woeful. Not sure what else Collins could have done when he presented her with a mental health problem he was being treated for, she does have a duty of care to the despicable person.
John J Harrison
/ 21st July 2020David, now he is gone burger as he lied to Collins.
Adern and her office had the information from last Wednesday!
Dirty politics at its best from Labour !
lurcher1948
/ 21st July 2020Poor Mr Farrar of Kiwiblog fame must be tearing his hair out tying to spin this as good leadership from Ms Collins…
An idiot going on a mountain bike ride is mild in comparison to sending dirty selfies to teenagers
FarmerPete
/ 21st July 2020How long did it take Labour to deal with the Labour Youth issue? Neither party is clean in this area.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020Deal with ?
The person wasnt a labour party member at a youth camp … cant fire him.
An MP is at a far higher level and would have been dealt with the same way.
Everyone was ( sadly) very drunk…not the definitive proof of ‘sexting’ that has occurred here…and the other complaints that have come in.
National wanted to cover it all up with none the wiser about the ‘whole truth’, same failed strategy about 2 weeks back with Walker …” mistakes made, moving on, nothing more to add!!!!”
Blazer
/ 21st July 2020Onya dredge Farmer!
Kitty Catkin
/ 21st July 2020Lurch, unless Mr Falloon has had a sex change, it wasn’t a selfie.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020Permission to pass on to Collins office was required ….would have been seen amoung hundreds of other emails sent to PMO.
Would have been escalated over a few days about ‘what to do’ next. After all, at the time who would know it had any veracity, some people make outlandish claims, so wasnt really a blockbuster that it appears now.
Jack
/ 21st July 2020Is there proof of Mr Falloon being a ‘despicable’ person? Perhaps he will emerge as a model for getting real, when the dust has settled.
I understand the angst re ‘well paid’ MPs not living up to our standards, but when accusations fly without knowledge of details, it just goes to show what our standards are, and what we deserve as representation.
I’m more concerned about Jacinda’s media mention in this saga. It shows us all up as mentally/emotionally challenged.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020He’s gone. Collins has rubbished him. More details in the Herald:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12349538
Gezza
/ 21st July 2020Yep, Stuff now saying he has resigned effective immediately:
“Stuff has seen screenshots of Falloon, who has announced he will step down at the election, sending sexually explicit material to a young woman. The screenshots indicate the material was sent to the person more than once. The photos did not appear to be of Falloon himself.
This young woman is not a teenager and did not get her parents involved.
Stuff understands this is separate to the alleged incident with another young woman, which led to a woman involving her parents, who contacted the prime minister’s office.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300061529/andrew-falloon-sent-sexually-explicit-photos-to-another-young-woman
…
A right mess.
artcroft
/ 21st July 2020Be very interesting if the press questions Jacinda over what she knew and when she knew it. Barry Soper might follow it up but the Jacinda groupies that report for TV1 and Three will definitely look the other way.
Gezza
/ 21st July 2020They already have about the first incident. There’s no reason for her to say any more than what she already has because the story’s now changed, got a life of its own & involves more than the one incident she said her office was alerted to.
Whether it’s a political hit job or just pissed off parents & / or another recipient going to the media – does it really matter?
The damage was done by Falloon’s actions.
artcroft
/ 21st July 2020But if it was Labour in the hole many in the media would pivot to focus on National instead.
Gezza
/ 21st July 2020Maybe. But it would still be the MP who caused the damage & that would be the main story.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020” many in the media would pivot to focus on National instead.”
Any evidence of that ?
Of course not, you are as deluded as Falloon who doenst think its his fault
duperez
/ 21st July 2020Tell us about the ‘days’ that Ardern ‘sat on’ the information.
What information did she get, when?
With exactly what she got, what should she have done?
Phone Falloon?
Phone the police?
Phone Collins?
Ignore it?
If it was on paper, in the hand, throw it in the bin? If by email delete it?
Phone Michael Woodhouse?
Whenever she got it, whatever form it was in, whatever was actually said, was it as much an imminent possible danger to the wider community than the two women untested for covid-19 that wasn’t worthy of not urgently bringing to attention of authorities?
John J Harrison
/ 21st July 2020Artcroft , and that is the nub of the issue.
Ardern’s office have had this information since last Wednesday.
You will never convince me that they did not immediately alert Adern.
Fact, they had it for 3 days before advising Collins late Friday.
The scandal is how the Labour Party failed to disclose this to Collins immediately so she could satisfactorily address the issue with the MP concerned.
Gezza
/ 21st July 2020Unfortunately, the scandal is that he’s an MP & what he did.
That it got noticed, objected to, & recorded, & everything else since is just the pretty typical fallout of that kind of situation.
duperez
/ 21st July 2020You thinking that what Ardern did and when is the nub of the issue says more about your worldview than anything else.
Should we call for an official inquiry into how she handled the situation? Call for her resignation? Or I could meet you down on Molesworth Street, I’ll bring the neccessaries and you can help me whip up some gallows. 🙃
Blazer
/ 21st July 2020‘The scandal is how the Labour Party failed to disclose this to Collins’—-you’re right John that is the real scandal!
Labour eh!
NOEL
/ 21st July 2020The delay explained in here John.
Don’t expect you to accept it.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/421642/national-mp-andrew-falloon-quits-politics-amid-indecent-image-allegations
duperez
/ 21st July 2020Jami-Lee was right there in the front row, up in the top echelons, beaming at us, a man of substance, one of the leaders.
When the wheels fell off all the stuff they all seemed to know about came out.
What escalated that exposure? Obnoxious behaviour? What heinous event?
Something to do with leaking wasn’t it? Everything else was acceptable apparently, the suspicion of leaking wasn’t. Therein the standards.
Pete George
/ 21st July 2020Newsroom have more on Jamie Lee Ross today: ‘Go back into a room with a predator? No thank you’
Jack
/ 21st July 2020There is something about Melanie Reid’s style that reeks of unfairness. She seems to know how to create wannabe victims imo.
Jack
/ 21st July 2020We have become a society where too many are scrambling to become victims. I’ll tell you what – if they truly were, they wouldn’t understand about it until too late. At that point, they’d most likely find themselves alone, bereft of any common sense from the crowd.
Grumpy
/ 21st July 2020Two things strike me here. The complaint went to Jacinda and the details were immediately leaked to the media. So much for “kindness and caring”.
The second is the “born to rule” attitude of the Canterbury Royalty within the National Party. I, for one am totally sick of the entitlement shown by the Falloons Elworthy etc. of this world waltzing into safe rural seats – and now we have a Grigg parachuting into Selwyn!
NOEL
/ 21st July 2020duperez
/ 21st July 2020“Two things strike me here. The complaint went to Jacinda and the details were immediately leaked to the media.”
On thing strikes me here – you made that up.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020Hasn’t been a good time for South Island MPs has it?
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020Possibly the main outcome of this will be to strengthen Collins’ grip on her caucus so long as she can work with the party’s executive. There will be a lot of new MPs she has a hand in selecting and any remaining opponents will know the consequence of causing trouble.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020Her Grip ?
She is elected leader , not won it in a pub raffle… where no one else had tickets.
This sort of sneaky leaks is exactly her style….some would be smiling… as you rise , so shall you fall.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020Others would say sneaky leaks undermine Jacinda’s image.
Blazer
/ 21st July 2020Keep searching for that silver lining for…National ,Al….this mornings efforts are …heroic!
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020Thanks, B. Appreciation is always gratifying. So is a sense of humour.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020PDT needs a sense of humour too.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020Proof of that ?
The Police knew ..Im sure it traveled far amoung the cops too.
The PMs office knew .. but nothing came out until Falloon began spreading his deceit
Collins office knew…. we know they can leak, people working there know how the media works and were employed by the previous ‘triangle leadership’
as Soper gives the time line
“The first anyone knew of his demise was a statement from his office mid-afternoon, telling us he’d made a number of mistakes and he apologised to those who had been affected.
Five minutes later, Collins fired a grenade into the mix, putting out a statement telling us he’s suffering from significant mental health issues.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12349527
Did you really think for one nano second the real details would remain suppressed by Collins and Falloon for long.
Clearly there was was mental health issue used as an attempt to keep the background story quiet.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020Yesterday you claimed it was all over KB last week. Now you say no-one knew till Falloon quit.
The leaks were political. Who benefited?
Blazer
/ 21st July 2020NZ benefited…another ‘born to rule’ hopeless M.P ….gooooone.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020Had to give you an uptick for that B.
MaureenW
/ 21st July 2020Good riddance! We don’t need lascivious, entitled prats in Parliament
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020What happened to diversity?
MaureenW
/ 21st July 2020Looking at his photo, he chose well to send images of someone else.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020True. But even that was unsuccessful. Nats obviously need better PR training.
Alan Foster
/ 21st July 2020Wilco – time to stop digging the hole you’re in & have a cup of tea
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020Come on, crack a smile, AF. You can do it.
Gezza
/ 21st July 2020I’m pretty sure AF had a big grin when he posted that, Al. I did when I read it.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020I want a pic before I’ll believe it, G.
MaureenW
/ 21st July 2020As I said above “Prat”. Next ….
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020Seems to be an endless supply of Tories embarrassing themselves sexually. The Left find other ways.
MaureenW
/ 21st July 2020I don’t think it’s a partisan thing Alan. Even worse, is they try to pass their deviant proclivities off as mental health issues, rather than owning their behaviour and fixing it.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020Kissinger said power is an aphrodisiac. Fame seems to work too. A lot of people are destroyed in different ways by their sex drive or someone else’s. Evolution has made it powerful and us vulnerable. Not sure you can call that mental illness but maybe you can.
MaureenW
/ 21st July 2020I’m not sure it’s necessarily all about sex-drive either, I think it’s much darker and more ugly than that, but you’d need men to explain what that is. Anyway, they seem to be going down in a heap blaming mental health.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020Not just men, smart phones make these things across all ages and genders.
You are like me, couldnt conceive of doing something like this, doesnt mean women dont do it. Testosterone makes it a bit more likely to be men
Wasnt there a female journo in Auckland who sent ‘similar’ 7 or 8 years back to some techy dude involved in some hacking.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020I doubt they can explain themselves any more than they could moderate themselves. Moths to a candle.
Kitty Catkin
/ 21st July 2020And ‘revenge porn’ is when someone passes on images sent to them by their then partner (you’d think that people would know better by now)
Paul Holmes had a pair of knickers handed to him by Fleur someone who’d just taken them off. How subtle.
Kitty Catkin
/ 21st July 2020Both are true, PDTs. I hope you were not too shocked by the revelations.
PartisanZ
/ 21st July 2020How much of sex drive is conditioning?
Gerrit
/ 21st July 2020What I can’t understand is why the young woman went to the Labour party. Surely she should have gone to the police first?
If she had, how did the information get from the Police to the Labour party?
This is starting to look like a honey trap. Andrew Fallon was/is a stupid gullible fool no doubt, but the information flow from the complainant to the Labour party (via the Police??) is a little smelly.
Another information flow highway could have been through the speaker. Possibly again via the Police or as the independent arbitrator of all matters that occur in the house if a parliamentary email address was used.
Quite why the complainant did not go directly to Falloon’s employer is a mystery unless the images were sent from a private email.
More twist to come I think.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020Do keep up . She DID go to the police first, and they say they investigated a complaint but ‘could do nothing’
An email to the PMO came later , who knows if they had got knowhere by emailing ‘one of the national leaders’ over the last few weeks.
Do get your facts right, as the rest of your claims look even more absurd
Seems as though this wasnt the first time either , even Collins is now saying shes been mislead by this ‘buffon’
Duker
/ 21st July 2020Read the story , she/her parents sent it to the PMO. Who after getting permission from sender referred to the National party leader.
Clearly they werent getting any action from the Police, who seem to have brushed it off.
“National MP Andrew Falloon has allegedly sent explicit images to another young woman, a third allegation that he has acted inappropriately.
The National Party has confirmed it received the latest allegation on Tuesday morning, the second allegation the party has received directly, after it was revealed that Falloon sent an indecent image to a 19-year-old woman, spurring him to abruptly resign.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/122195149/national-mp-andrew-falloon-faces-allegation-of-sending-explicit-photos-to-a-third-young-woman
So much for your honey trap….its a hive of impropriety…as these sorts of things often are.
He now joins his old boss Garrett when he was an MP , in the crash and burn category
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020He’s in a completely different category from Garrett which was one historic juvenile act.
duperez
/ 21st July 2020It’s embarrassing for some who support a particular political when someone in their fold does something stupid or shows they are flawed.
What should be embarrassing is then casting around to blame someone on the other side. Not being embarrassed, attacking others and trying to drag them in and impugn them? Or being so embarrassed and thinking it’s an attack on you, then attacking others and impugning them?
When the nappy is shat in, don’t bowl into the middle of the room and say someone else did it or made you do it. Take yourself and the smell out into a paddock somewhere, pretend it didn’t happen or was someone else. Come inside when you’ve got over it. Shit happens. Some of the reaction is so infantile.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020Come off it, dups. When it comes to exploitation there’s usually plenty to go around. The trick is to grab the moral high ground and shove everyone else off.
On another level, how would you feel if someone sent you a pornographic pic: amused, insulted, confused, abused, traumatised, excited, bored, annoyed or disgusted? Context is everything, I think.
Gerrit
/ 21st July 2020“The incident relating to Falloon was first raised by an individual who contacted the office of the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.”
So what came first, the complaint to the police or the contact with the PM’s office?
Or was it that the Police deemed the incident not worthy
“Police investigated Falloon after receiving the report, but determined it did not meet the threshold for prosecution.”
and the complainant unsatisfied went to the PMO? Why not the National party (who are directly his employer).
Duker, you read it anyway you want, but the timeline and sequence from Police notification to message received in the PMO warrants suspicion.
NOEL
/ 21st July 2020Ere Gerritt.
Delay explained,
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/421642/national-mp-andrew-falloon-quits-politics-amid-indecent-image-allegations
Gerrit
/ 21st July 2020Ere Noel,
But not why the Police decided not to follow up investigation and why the PMO was involved.
Was the PMO office notified after the Police decided it was a non event worth prosecuting?
The timeline will be interesting from Police compliant being laid and deciding not worth following up, to the PMO office being notified.
NOEL
/ 21st July 2020https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/07/judith-collins-confident-jacinda-ardern-s-office-acted-appropriately-with-andrew-falloon-information.html
Gezza
/ 21st July 2020Gerritt I personally doubt that Ardern’s office or The Speaker’s office were responsible for any leak. The information coming out following the announcements by Collins was so vague it seems more likely one or more jounos picked up on some gossip.
Since then it looks to me like the classic situation where other women who got sent material they found inappropriate or offensive by Falloon have got in touch with Collins & / or media directly as they were so irritated by the first story that someone else had used his phone.
The latest reports by Stuff mention one woman was several times over 3 weeks sent naked photos of another woman they both knew. It sounds like there are now 4 or 5 women complaining & Collins is not ruling out more coming foward.
Why would the PM or the Speaker want to risk getting sucked in to this mess?
Gezza
/ 21st July 2020*following the first announcements by Falloon, then Collins, I meant.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020Once Falloon followed by Collins gave out a ‘half truth’ version of what happened and why , the full details had to follow as night follows day.
It was so juicy in the modern context that ‘the secret’ wouldnt have lasted 20 min. Thats why journos have sources, because they know thats where to go for the whole truth.
Gezza
/ 21st July 2020Well their first sources in this story were so unreliable it started out as an alchol-related incident, then turned into his sending pornographic images to a school girl by the time of 1News at 6’s Leading item last night.
This were obviously rush jobs based on what must have been little more than gossip.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020I think the alcohol was Falloon excuse, but good point about rush job, must have been 3rd or 4th hand where student turned into school girl….it would have been even further downhill from there for the morning TV shows except the original sources stepped in to bring it back to the real story
Blazer
/ 21st July 2020Who would trust the National Party to deal with it?
Remember English re Barclay and his text scandal…’who would’ve thought it was…illegal’!!
Duker
/ 21st July 2020English did know that recordings like that are illegal.
There was a private conversation recorded at a function just after the 2008 election where English was ‘suggesting’ some election promises were being ‘reviewed’.
The quirk was that the person only released the parts where they they were in direct
back and forth conversion with English. There was some goading about getting him to release the ‘full’ recording as the politicians knew that would step over the line and become illegal if it was others conversations.
Brian Johnston
/ 21st July 2020What defines pornographic.
Was the photo pornographic.
Was it mild or heavy.
Over 60 comments and I presume no one has seen it.
We do not know the full story.
What possessed Falloon to engage in such stupid activity.
Was Falloon being grubby.
Falloon has gone, no further comment should be necessary.
It is quite possible the photo is not the problem.
The problem is Falloon sent it to a woman who was offended.
The woman involved has a right to be offended.
End of story.
MaureenW
/ 21st July 2020If you read the story, you’ll find it wasn’t just the photo, but the creepy, duplicitous behaviour that accompanied it. Photos on their own are neither here, nor there. Look, don’t look.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020When everyone has a right to be offended about anything everyone else has a right not to care.
Context is everything as I noted above. However, being a serial offender suggests Falloon himself is the significant common factor in this context.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020This would scare me
Porn is porn, its absurd to try and justify it, when its from a public official
PartisanZ
/ 21st July 2020Brian Johnston, you’ve solved the problem! By putting a stop to talking about the problem!
Fu*k I wish I’d thought of this years ago! I can’t believe I didn’t see it!!!
You could base a whole political system on this philosophy –
– Shit happens
– We don’t know the full story
– Dealt with … End of Story!
What can I call this political system?
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm ……………………………
NOEL
/ 21st July 20202 months gardening leave.
Some Warehouse employees might not appreciate that.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020Plus the 3 months after the election for Mps who serve a full term…it used to only be for those who lost at the election time, but you know …it drifted.
I remember Don Brash doing a long gardening leave when he resigned…it was before Xmas but the resignation wasnt effective till parliament sat again in late February.
NOEL
/ 21st July 2020Timeline
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/obrien-ardern-and-collins-failed-new-zealanders-by-acting-too-slowly-over-andrew-falloon/ar-BB16Z67j?li=BBqdg4K&ocid=mailsignout
Gezza
/ 21st July 2020Ardern & Collins failed New Zealanders by not acting fast enough?
Tova O’Brien’s hyperventilating over this is ludicrous. This isn’t some terrorist plotting attacks. This is a story that sounded like political dynamite, but started off as relatively small beer in the overall scheme of things for many key people with multiple other engagements & duties already in their diaries.
It needed careful handling. It’s not a newsroom situation where people want to breathlessly rush something – anything – out before they know the full facts & don’t have to concern themselves with the best process or how best to deal with it.
Is she just annoyed that she got scooped on some of the more recent jucier bits by others?
duperez
/ 21st July 2020Heather du Plessis-Allan is in the O’Brien mode in the Herald today but about Collins and Ardern. There’s so much lowest-common-denominator scum political reporting. They’ll say the public ‘wants it.’ If that is so it’s because the crap they’ve dished up for so long is what people have been weaned on and all their systems can handle.
The classless du Plessis-Allan sees the two leaders of our major parties as a couple of boxers in a bout, dogs in a fight or at minimum, a presidential duel at dawn.
Duker
/ 21st July 2020When did the actual picture get sent…from Falloons ‘it wasnt me’ defence , its seems to be about 3 weeks ago.
And Tova is all worked up over a day or two? Considering they had to get permission from the sender BEFORE passing it onto the Nats, and wasnt a high priority item. In the scheme of things under a week is ridiculously fast when the weekend a hiatus and Falloon was asked back on Monday for a face to face with Collins.
Whats Mickey saying ? or has he gone mute again after the big payout to Tamihere
Kitty Catkin
/ 21st July 2020White Ribbon is joining in, as if he’d been committing violent crime. He may be a pervert, but that doesn’t make him a rapist. There is no comparison between sending a nude photo and raping someone, as any rape victim would be likely to testify,
This is an insult to rape victims . It trivilialises it to put a nude photo or vulgar text on the same level as this most invasive of violent attacks.
Kitty Catkin
/ 21st July 2020trivialises it
Gezza
/ 21st July 2020Aww, come on, Kitty. No organisation is going to want an ambassador who’s had to resign in disgrace, & this would be especially so for White Ribbon when that ambassador sent out unsolicited naked images to women who found it offensive & perhaps even disturbing.
It suggests someone who has no respect for women. He announced that his role as ambassador for White Ribbon was to promote healthy relationships.
PartisanZ
/ 21st July 2020Does it get any WORSE than this? ETHICAL CLEANSING.
I predict we will find out more and worse over the next few weeks …
National FILTH … and Dirty, Filthy National attempts to find filth on Labour …
August 6th I predict … National are GONERS!
John J Harrison
/ 21st July 2020PartisanZ, goodness me you need more than a cup of tea and a lie down.
I can only assume you forgot to take your meds today with that toxic rant from hell.
Corky
/ 21st July 2020Parti, I don’t get it. You live in a beautiful part of the country, but your soul is tainted by a type of nastiness I would expect to find in South Auckland. I guess it’s that socialist thing.
Do you have a problem with Nationals divine right to rule ethic that’s seen them spend the majority of time in government over the years?😟
PartisanZ
/ 21st July 2020Yep, its exactly that Farm-and-Fort *Broad-Church* Thugocracy that gets me riled-up.
No nastiness involved … Well, not compared to them. Read ‘NO LEFT TURN’.
These guys are sick. They need to remove themselves from politics …
Well, actually …. THEY ARE!!!
Jack
/ 21st July 2020“Farm-and-Fort *Broad-Church* Thugocracy that gets me riled-up.”
I share that with you Parti.
Together we’re changing Blazer’s ever changing world.
PartisanZ
/ 21st July 2020The world HAS changed Jack, in the face of Mother Nature’s Perfect Intervention … by comparison to wars, revolutions, disasters and civil upheavals it passed almost un-discerned.
Aotearoa New Zealand chose and accomplished self-preservation for ALL … For everyone bar none … We chose the command of Love.
” … because only the command of Love permits of self-preservation for all.”
This is alike to instant Paradigm Shift …
Despite outward appearances an Ethical World functions differently.
Example: The others are out campaigning. Jacinda is simply “running the country” for the self preservation of ALL …
(Oh sure, its not all perfect)
I’m loath to quote scripture to someone who’s been abused by the Church, except that scripture is not the same as “Church doctrines inimical to Life”. There may be more genuine Christians outside of Churches than in nowadays?
“For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
May I interpret scripture? What do I risk if I do?
“As naturally as the thunder and lightning comes the Only ‘Issue’ of Reality.”
I love the corpse and vultures allusion, don’t you? This needs no explanation I think?
Duker
/ 21st July 2020MMP has changed the old rural dominance of government Corky. It’s seems 3x 3 years appears to be the pattern for the foreseeable future
Diversity appears to mean something more than white people with a mix of English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish ancestry
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020From hero to zero, that’s a bit of human wreckage being carried out of Parliament today.
And the warfare continues.
PartisanZ
/ 21st July 2020No Alan, its not warfare, although Righties would surely love it to be.
Well, Righties are desperate for it to be “warfare” …
No, let’s be precise in naming this ‘processing’ that’s going on.
ETHICAL CLEANSING
And for the NZ National Party that means ……. MUTINY.
It’s a peacetime mutiny.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 21st July 2020No it isn’t. It’s electoral warfare manifesting itself in often faux ideological postures in order to gain support and power.
PartisanZ
/ 21st July 2020You seem very sure and convinced of the EVIL nature of Mankind Alan?
For the unequal and apposite ‘reaction’ of Wealth & Power there must be an action, yes? This is simple physics or something, isn’t it?
Fairness & Justice? Compassion & Equality? Egalitarianism?
Or shall we call it “Kindness”?
LOVE?
Alan Wilkinson
/ 22nd July 2020Lust for power can be dressed in many ways, PZ.