0 Wally of the Week - 13 June 2014

It's Friday the 13th. There's also a full moon tonight, so if you're in one of those jobs that is affected by people's moods, be careful out there.

There was an obvious contender for Wally of the Week this week; Trevor Mallard. We had to drive down to Wellington on Monday afternoon, and driving home, we heard Mallard and Paula Bennett together on Duncan Garner's RadioLive programme.

Trevor Mallard last week accused Hekia Parata of assaulting a staff member. Have a listen to this piece, as Mallard dances on the head of a pin, trying his damnedest NOT to make the accusation outside Parliament, without withdrawing the allegation; it's classic Mallard smear tactics:

Towards the end of the segment, Paula Bennett and Duncan Garner were double-teaming Trevor Mallard, accusing him of being "gutless". Perhaps Mr Mallard's reluctance is due in some way to the mysterious "American bagman" who was allegedly collecting donations for Don Brash. Nine years on, the "American bagman" continues to prove elusive.

But Garner is right; making allegations under parliamentary privilege that you aren't prepared to repeat outside the House is a bit gutless, and Trevor Mallard was right ridiculed this week.

Congratulations Trevor; you are Keeping Stock's Wally of the Week.

0 UPDATED: Where is the outrage?

UPDATE: We have already received some responses from MP's including a response from one MP's whose condemnation was not sought! It's interesting too that this post and our tweets about it have attracted the attention of staff in Mr Peters' office.

Here they are, in chronological order, with the most recent at the top:

Kudos to Metiria Turei:

Nanaia Mahuta has come to the party; good on her:

We didn't seek Clare Curran's opinion, but she must have felt compelled to comment. Her "look over there" attitude, and her defence of Kim Dotcom yesterday make one wonder if Paddy Gower was right:

Louise Upston notes that it was National (via Anne Tolley) who forced Peters to apologise:

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We blogged yesterday about Winston Peters' disgraceful behaviour in Parliament yesterday. These stories in the Herald and on Stuff also touch on Peters' scurrilous behaviour.

Unsubstantiated smears and conspiracy theories are Peters' stock in trade, as are his constant threats to reveal more. Judith Collins was supposed to be gone last week, then again by Monday, but she was back in Parliament yesterday, and we could have sworn we listened to her answer a question in her capacity as a Minister.

But yesterday's attack on Brendan Horan was calculated and deliberate, especially when Peters made the "Jimmy Savile" reference a second time. He was required to withdraw and apologise, which he did reluctantly.

But once again Winston Peters seems to be getting a free pass simply, we suspect, because he's Winston Peters. That excuses nothing. Peters' smear against Horan deserves widespread condemnation.

So we've done something about it. We have sent tweets to a number of female MP's from across the House; National, Labour and the Greens. By and large, these are MP's who have been vocal about sexual violence towards women.

There's no point in sending messages to NZ First's female MP's, because whatever they may think privately, they will stick to Peters like mud sticks to carpet. Over the course of the day, we will blog replies.

Winston Peters has a long history of bullying, unsubstantiated allegations and threats. It's time that Parliament, the media and the public called him out on it.