Your say: Mallard refuses to say sorry

Stuff readers have their say on Environment Minister Trevor Mallard's refusal to apologies to ministry staffer Erin Leigh after he used parliamentary privilege to wrongly brand her as incompetent.

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What do you think about Trevor Mallard's refusal to apologise? Send us your feedback or email editorial@stuff.co.nz and we'll publish your comments.

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RE: Mallard wrong but refuses to say sorry

Feedback (latest posts at top):

If you do something wrong you stand up and be held accountable for your actions - you don't hide behind "pathetic excuses"  or rules like parliamentary privilege that are design to protect the PM's who are suppose to protect our society. I applaud Erin Leigh for challenging Mr Mallard to make those comments he did away from parliament and away from those cowardly laws he hides behind. At least Hugh Logan  stood up and tried to do the right thing by apologising - unfortunately for doing this he'll no doubt be made a scape goat and lose his job.
Jason

 

It looks like Mr. Mallard has been really reflecting the professional nature that New Zealand politics seems to have these days.  I am living in Japan now and keep up to date with stuff.co.nz regarding New Zealand's news.  Of all the MPs it seems that no one has botched things up more than Mr Mallard recently. I am curious how he still has a job.   
Brendon Munford

We, as taxpayers, remunerate Mallard and Logan disproportionately well for continued bungling. The shame of it is that two apparently competent  people in Leigh and Setchell have lost their jobs, had their reputation maligned, and it has hit them in the back pocket. It would appear that there is a double standard here where the senior figures lose little in the way of income, but those they have crucified lose salaries and careers. No doubt there will be another attempt by Mr Prebble to sweep this under the carpet, satisfy himself with an apology or perhaps trot out the more usual "I was mis-understood/mis-quoted" and Helen will give Trevor another smack on the hand with a wet bus ticket. Its a great shame that the same standards afforded to the likes of Leigh and Setchell by the employment courts are not applied here to shabby employers like Logan and Mallard. While I cannot say what I would really like to, because I can't hide behind parliamentary privilege, I can vote.
John

Glancing through the "Your Say" comments regarding the buffoon Mallard, a common misconception held by  contributors appears to be related to their belief that the  public ultimately sanction Mallard's ilk through the ballot box. An interesting concept of democracy at work in NZ but  hardly true. Winston Peters springs to mind as an example of a unelected ex-MP holding office despite the "voters"  giving him the boot. Still Winston only assaults the senses  rather than the chin I suppose.
Peter Coombes

Mr Mallard obviously sees little need to tell the truth. Anyone with even the least a shred of moral fibre would at least apologise for the error and would ask Erin Leigh to forgive him for saying things about her that were untrue. I won't hold my breath though as this seems par for the course for this Labour Government.
Jeff Roberts

As a long time labour supporter it saddens me to watch this behaviour from a cabinet Minister, may be it is time for a change, it would appear that arrogance is a result of power. Our Prime Minister should apologise on behalf of the Government, but unfortunately that won't happen either.
James

Hugh Logan keeps making mistakes and apologising. Maybe it is about time that he walks the plank. You cannot keep doing that and drawing good money. Where is his accountability?
Peter Leong

Trevor Mallard is behaving like a disgruntled teenager. If you are going to be outspoken and aggressive at least have the courage to admit your mistakes. I have no respect for this man and he is an appalling role model for anyone seeking a career in public service.
Glyn Williams

I think Mallard is not man enough to apologise, he keeps ducking his responsibilities. If the boot was on the other foot, he would want others to apologise to him. He should do to others and he would like people to do to him.  Then he might have a chance of retaining his seat in the 2008 elections.
Noella Carr

Let's get this straight: He didn't "misread advice". As the Labour Party bully-boy he was set up by Helen to deliberately slander this poor women and thus destroy her credibility. This government has no credibility and no ethics. Let's get a new one!
Andrew Osborn

If Mallard had any guts, moral fibre or conscience, he would apologise for having made a slanderous statement against this woman even though he was ill-advised by his departmental executive, he could have at least acknowledged the fact that he made the statement based on receipt of incorrect information and made it public that the information  was not true and therefore apologise for any damage done to this woman's future career prospects. Mallard has a big mouth that seems to get into gear often before his brain, I have made allowances for him in the past but his insensitivity on this occasion has made me reassess my views of the character of this man. When politicians start to show this level of arrogance, its time for them to leave, I would hope that the departure of this man will happen at the next election. He is fast becoming unbearable.
Doug Barron

It is time he resigned. He is a liability to us all.
Ann Nighy

In recent months Mr Mallard has shown himself to be nothing more than a thug and a bully. He is not fit to serve as a Minister and it is to the discredit of the present Labour Government that he remains in that role. I had understood that there was a thing called Ministerial responsibility - that a Minister took the fall for the incompetence of those within his/her Ministry.  Clearly such a concept is alien to Mallard and the Clark Government. Mallard may believe himself to be coated in Teflon and able to avoid having any of this shit stick to him - but Trevor, that Teflon coat is no use when you are drowning in the stuff!
Tim Rainey

What a gutless wonder. If you make a mistake, you face up to it and admit the mistake. Its something we teach our children to do. Mallard's refusal to apologise just reinforces my belief that politicians are below 6 year olds in behaviour levels. I am Trevor Mallard and I was wro... no, can't even say the word. I think what we are seeing now is the effects of a party that has been in power for too long. Mallard, Clark and Cullen, are all tarred with the same brush. Take a look at Cullen when he responds to questions he doesn't like. He gets that supercilious expression and his response drips with sarcasm. Listen to when they speak, they have even started adopting the royal we. I can see how the 16th and 17th century royalty would have behaved. They believe they have the god given right to rule. They could be idiot savants and it doesn't matter as there is no one to stop them. Here endeth the rant.
Tony Strange

Another example of the Labour Governments arrogance and their self belief that they are above reproach.
Mark Kurtovich

Typical of the arrogance being shown by our politicians.
BI

Time to go.  He's a boof head.  Been on the bottom of too many rucks, has our Trev.  Logan can go too.
Bernie Demuth  

Trevor Mallard will prove to be one of the biggest nails in the coffin of Labour's downfall in the 2008 General elections.
Ian Hutchings

At least this latest bout of arrogance is a step above Mallard's typical behaviour. His normal stance is to fire off some innappropriate, defamatory, personal comment in the house and then stare at the camera and blithely say "I'm sorry" - having been assured that the damage remains done. It looks hopefully like this latest will cement his reputation as the arrogant, bullying name-caller we have come to know and despise. A question worth investigating is how much of his behaviour is considered "his significant contribution to this government"... We've got to get rid of this government, no matter how much of our money they use to avoid it.
Vaughan Robertson

Mallard is not big enough to apologise. Consistent with his big mouth attitude to issues.
John.P

Mallard is a coward who constantly hides behind parliamentary privilege.  He is so blinded ideological fervour that he can't see when he is clearly wrong. Thankfully he threw "the punch" out of parliament and is at least facing some music.
Matthew Birch

After 8 years of ducking and diving you would think the Labour party would start showing the public a bit of respect. Of course Mallard should apologise. This business of blaming your advisors or "my advise was... etc" was invented by Helen Clark and this Labour government. In years to come books will be written on the abilities of this government to manipulate public thinking, they're masters at it. Clever, but a sad legacy Helen because politics will never lift itself out of the dirt now, hope your pleased with yourself. And as for Trevor Mallard, well it show's any idiot can venture into politics. My ten year old is more mature.
Nick Barclay

If our children were this rude to someone, even if they were telling the truth , they would be put into time out, with a loss of privileges.( and they would still be expected to apologise). Under the Clark government ministers are not expected to apologise , no matter what lies they tell. They get promoted and Aunty Helen steals more taxpayer money to spend on PR to justify their postions. But why should we expect manners and decent behaviour from Labour party members who think punching people is a legitimate form of debate or method of getting ones point across. Of course being led by a person who thinks it isn't rude to text while some one is making a speech doesn't set a good example. There was a time when Labour party members pretended they were the intellectual elite.Having Trevor Mallard as a senior minister and Chris Carter as Minister of Education dispels this notion.
Mark Munro

I believe that it is Trevor Mallard who is incompetent, he is obviously not suited to the roll of government minister if he can't accept when he is proved wrong but this is typical of ‘head-in-the-sand' mentality common in the current government.
Peter Garden

The environmental minister is too small to admit he's wrong and too stupid to know he's wrong.  Looking at his body language he looks totally dejected. As one of Clarks former hatchet men he knows that his recent action have lead to him being a non entity within the party. A sad apology of a man, when things were going his way he was all smiles. But now they are not going his way he is a sad pathetic figure. The old saying: What goes around comes around.
Douglas

I have had the pleasure of working with Erin Leigh and know that she is very professional and incredibly competent.  Yes, Trevor Mallard should apologise, its just one gaff after another with him lately.
Fiona

Arrogant and pompous.  Just goes to show you that the so called leaders of our country beleive they are better than everyone else. Mallard, comes accross as a bit of a clown.  I can't see what real value he adds to the country? We need and expect our leaders to act with dignity and respect as well as be humble.  They have the power to change peoples lives for the better or worse.  They sould take that role seriously. It's time for change.
Craig Saunders

He's obviously trying to keep a low-profile while the assault case is on and not stir things up - I'm sure this will change in the months leading up to next years election. Typical behaviour of a bully boy who has been outed - he's gutless and arrogant like the rest of his colleagues. No respect for anything or anyone above his own ego.
Paul    

Mallard's refusal to apologise to an innocent party highlights the scum that runs with and in the Labour Government. This slime bucket must surely have a day of reckoning coming, along with the rest of his cohorts, who have totally stuffed a good country.
I McKinnon  

He should apologise, unfortunately his refusal, shows his arrogance and his inability to admit he was wrong.
Ross Biggar

Politicians need to get out into the real world now and again because those people vote them into a job. We may have generally short memories until an instance polarizes you into remembering how a politician acted. Otherwise a party gets voted in on an "impression' of their performance. I felt for Mallard after his personal life was exposed in public. TV footage of his new friend showed two normal people wanting to get on with a new life. But this performance just adds to my impression that the Labour party is full of arrogant  incompetents that are bankrupting this country. National will govern next election by default but after that it's up to them if they get a second term.
Doug Strachan

It's typical of not only Mallard, but the whole Government attitude of disdain. Clark, Cullen, Goff, Mallard and Maharey; all are smarmy and arrogant and have no idea what real people stand for. They have to go!
Merv Robertson

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