Stephanie Rodgers

The “Women of #nzpol Twitter roundup” is brought to you in the interests of amplifying women’s voices in the political debate and also because:

If you’re even peripherally aware of what goes on in NZ politics you will have heard about what went down in Question Time yesterday. Harried and useless on the issue of New Zealanders being detained on Christmas Island by the Australian government, our honourable Prime Minister decided to scream across the House that Labour was “supporting rapists”.

And then David Carter cemented his position as Literally The Worst Speaker Of The House Ever, Possibly In Any Country In History by neither finding this comment unparliamentary, nor facing the music of a no-confidence vote.

Many props to the Opposition MPs who walked out on that charade. Here’s what the women of #nzpol Twitter had to say.

https://twitter.com/DeniseRocheMP/status/663889031239852032

https://twitter.com/rawiniathompson/status/663889227885621248

https://twitter.com/Dovil/status/663889891860721664

They did.

https://twitter.com/Styla73/status/663904606288613376

Then they came back to hold David Carter to account.

The reaction was not good.

https://twitter.com/DearMama_/status/663960693637386240

https://twitter.com/mizjwilliams/status/663924088717508608

https://twitter.com/Styla73/status/663927148294463489

Metiria Turei asked if John Key is losing it.

And there are a lot of issues to think about.

https://twitter.com/Jess_McAllen/status/663893356284481540

https://twitter.com/cannibality/status/663939993258225664

https://twitter.com/cannibality/status/663940731598278656

Deborah Russell has a great post up about the situation of the people in the detention centre.

https://twitter.com/DawgBelly/status/663927374161969152

https://twitter.com/LizzieMarvelly/status/663953889952051200

https://twitter.com/dimsie/status/663936788440834048

Commenter weka at The Standard provides an interesting list of the government’s record on sexual harassment and assault.

Ultimately, I’m glad some people took a clear stand against the many levels of bullshit going on in this story.

Kelvin Davis spoke passionately about the situation on Christmas Island – which he’s seen first hand – at the Labour Party conference. We have to be clear: these are people who have already served their time for the crimes they’ve committed. Many of them have no family or community ties in New Zealand, having left when they were kids. They’re being subjected to utterly inhumane treatment on a rock in the middle of the ocean under a law designed for getting rid of terrorists.

But instead of doing something decisive about the problem, John Key has settled for slinging shit at the Opposition who are literally doing their jobs by holding him to account. And David Carter is letting him use the highest body in our democracy to do it.