Former NZ First MP on Michael Laws’ comments: ‘A woman’s dignity is not a punchline’
Former New Zealand First MP Ria Bond says she is concerned with Winston Peters’ response to Michael Laws’ “misogynistic, and utterly disgraceful” comments.
She told Midday Report she wonders what due diligence was done before selecting Laws as a candidate.
She said she wanted Peters to show more morals and principles in holding Laws to account.
Michael Laws threw a spoke in the wheel of the NZ First campaign on Wednesday after his crude and sexist comments about women in the Opportunity Party came to light.
On The Platform, Laws targeted Opportunity’s fourth-ranked candidate Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, describing her as “rather severe-looking”.
“Must be hell dating people like that, just quietly. Can you imagine what it’s like post-sex? Did I say that out loud? Yes, I did.”
The comments prompted National leader Christopher Luxon to swiftly rule out Laws from serving as a minister in a future government.
Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong called for Laws to stand down, saying the comments “made my skin crawl”.
The NZ First leader on Wednesday initially called the comments “unacceptable” but said Laws would face no further consequences beyond a “serious” telling-off.
On Thursday he indicated there could be further consequences for him after the election.
“The board can’t meet as well, and so as a consequence, we have to defer it until after the election when we can deal with it properly.
“For me to give my opinion before I’ve talked to them would be totally inappropriate.”
Bond believed it will have an impact on the party’s supporter base.
Bond joined NZ First in 2011, was elected to the party’s national board in 2012 and served as an MP with the party between 2015 and 2017.
She said Laws’ comments were “deeply degrading, misogynistic, and utterly disgraceful”.
“What gives any man the right to publicly sexualise a woman simply because she has the courage to stand for public office.”
She said women in politics offered their intelligence, experience and leadership yet were being reduced to their bodies.
“That wasn’t humour. A woman’s dignity is not a punchline, and her body is not a political battlefield.”
She said Peters’ response was concerning and he needed to “show up and be a leader”.
“Calling Michael’s comments a silly mistake minimises the public sexual humiliation of women.”
She said Laws only changed his tone after he was told off, which was not a sign of taking accountability but “damage control”.
Laws was not the first New Zealand First candidate this campaign season to be called out for comments about women, with Stuart Nash resigning after he called National MP Katie Nimon lazy for taking maternity leave.