NEW ZEALAND (Commonwealth Union)_Ms. Jacinta Ardern (Prime minister of New Zealand) was caught on camera calling a rival politician an arrogant prick. The profanity was picked up in parliament and incorporated into the official transcript of the debate thanks to a hot microphone.
The incident was also carried on Parliament TV, but most MPs missed it because house speaker Adrian Rurawhe began speaking at the same time. According to Ms Ardern’s office, she apologised to Mr David Seymour (New Zealand Member of Parliament (MP) for Epsom ) for the statement.
According to the transcript, Mr Seymour questioned, “Can the prime minister give an example of her making a mistake, appropriately apologising for it, and repairing it?”
Ms Ardern responded, “There have been a number of occasions where we have acknowledged that we would not have ideal replies.
“But I stand by the work that we’ve done as a government over this last year and over this last term-we’ve always made decisions that we think to be in the best interests of New Zealand at the time.
Despite having had excellent approval ratings for the majority of her two terms as prime minister, the 42-year-old now confronts a challenging election season in 2023. Mr. Seymour told Sky News that Ms. Ardern afterwards apologised and acknowledged she should not have made the remark.
The MP quoted her as saying, “As my mother would say, if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say it at all.” She apologised, and I wished her a happy Christmas because that’s how Kiwis do things.
Commenting on the international interest in the incident, he said it “shows for those watching Jacinda Ardern – not living under her policies – that there is a lot of discontent”. He went on to say that New Zealand had been “isolated” from the rest of the world, that the economy had been “mismanaged,” and that there had been a “increase in crime” in the country. “Many people in New Zealand are frustrated, and we heard today that she is as well,” Mr Seymour said.
“We don’t want her to apologise to me; we want her to admit the flaws in her policy settings.”
