Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern calls Judith Collins a 'Karen' during heated hate speech debate
OPINION: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has bested Judith Collins during a debate at Parliament, calling her a “Karen” who won’t be protected from such insults by hate speech law reforms.
It was the start of a bad day in the House for National, and it came smack bang in the middle of a bad week.
Collins, the National Party leader, tried to needle Ardern on the proposed hate speech laws during Question Time in the House on Wednesday afternoon, after Ardern and Justice Minister Kris Faafoi flubbed a series of interviewsabout what exactly they wanted to criminalise earlier in the week.
“What is her response to Tova O'Brien, who wrote, quote, 'Jacinda Ardern is wrong about her own hate speech law, completely and utterly wrong’?” Collins asked, to chuckles from Labour MPs which Speaker Trevor Mallard yelled “order” to suppress.
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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the House. On Wednesday, she came prepared to take a notch out of Judith Collins over her critique of the Government's handling of hate speech law reforms.
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However, having spent a couple of days recovering the position, Ardern was prepared to firmly shift onto the front foot. The prime minister, or someone in her orbit, had taken the time to survey Collin’s Twitter account.
Ardern began by saying she disagreed with the statements Collins was putting to her.
"I also, as it happens, disagree with the member's statement on Twitter that somehow, it will become illegal to call someone a 'Karen'.
“That is absolutely incorrect, and I apologise, that means these laws will not protect that member [Collins] from such a claim.”
“Karen” is a pejorative term generally used on social media to describe a white woman who is pushy, entitled, and demanding.
Amid the raucous laughter and clapping, Collins stood to raise a “point of order” in an attempt to shoot back. But the promised cutting rebuttal never came.
“I've decided to make sure not to ask that point ... I thought it would be cruel to ask it, so I won't,” she said.
It was all downhill from here. Before Collins could get her next question in, Labour Minister Chris Hipkins – who is also Leader of the House – leapt to his feet to interject.
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National Party leader Judith Collins in the House. (file photo)
“Mr Speaker. I wonder ... whether it would be acceptable to ask her what her response is to a number of public comments made by Christopher Finlayson in the last 24 hours?”
Finlayson, a former high-ranking National MP, had been scathing about the party’s “destruction” in a story published by Stuff on earlier in the day.
He said: “Political parties have to feel the cold blast of opposition before they acquire the humility to be in government again. But if you're asking me to express sympathy for them, forget it.”
After the chuckles subsided, something rare happened. National backbench Ian McKelvie, a long-served but entirely low-profile MP for Rangitīkei, decided he would enter the fray.
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Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson gave a savage speech about the National Party on Wednesday.
“Could I ask you to reflect on the last couple of minutes in the House over the next 24 hours and report back to us tomorrow on whether you think the debate has been constructive in any way to forming order in the House?” he asked Mallard.
Such a principled plea to the Speaker during times of frustration or peril is usually the job of National’s Shadow Leader of the House, Chris Bishop – who remained in his seat with a look on his face that could have been bemusement, embarrassment, or dismay.
After Mallard batted away McKelvie’s second attempt at making a point, Question Time rolled on. National’s enthusiasm had drained away, and not even the party’s messiah MP, Chris Luxon, could rescue them.
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta, answering Luxon’s question on three waters reform, offered the MP, who is much-touted as a leader in waiting, some political advice for National’s next caucus meeting.
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Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta had some advice to her shadow MP, Chris Luxon – maybe “the case for change is compelling”.
“I stand by my statement, ‘The case for change is compelling’. The member might want to take that line,” she said.
The bruising affair was brought to a close by Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who recounted National’s week in a debate speech that began with the two “states of emergency” that had been declared in Wellington.
“One was caused by a polar blast and strong waves from the South ... The other state of emergency was triggered by a northern polar blast, specifically one that emerged from the legal offices of Chris Finlayson,” he said.
Robertson declared National’s late-night caucus meeting last week which resulted in Todd Muller’s resignation“the night of short plastic knives”.
National’s front bench, many of whom were targets of Robertson, sat laughing through his speech. But behind them were many stony faces.
Together, we can keep it that way.
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