It hasn’t been a good few days for the Minister for the Environment, Nick Smith. Not only has he had a huge protest statue made in his image gain considerable public attention, the controversial MP was also apparently assaulted by environmentalists.Smith claimed that rat poison was smeared in his face and that his family were threatened, which if true are considerable crimes under New Zealand law. Being that Smith is a Minister of the Crown, you would want to believe his and a National party volunteer's version of events that an assault actually occurred. However that doesn’t appear to be the case.
On Sunday, Radio NZ reported:
Protesters rub 'rat poison' in Nick Smith's face
National Party member Nick Smith said poison was thrown at him and his family were threatened while at a weekly Nelson market yesterday.
Dr Smith said he laid a complaint with police after a couple protesting over a pest operation threw poison at him and threatened his family at the market.
"The incident was disappointing because people are generally respectful at the Nelson market even when they disagree with government policy or my views.
"It started just with verbal abuse and throwing rat poison, but escalated into shoving and rubbing rat poison over my face and clothes.
The following day the accused group of protesters denied any assault took place.
Yesterday, Radio NZ Reported:
Poison-drop protesters deny attack on Nick Smith
A community group against a bait drop in Nelson is denying any involvement in an attack against National MP Nick Smith.
Dr Smith said he laid a complaint with police after a couple protesting over the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary pest operation threw rat poison at him and threatened his family at his weekly constituents' meeting at the Nelson Market on Saturday.
Unfortunately for Smith there appears to be video evidence showing that no assault occurred.
Today, Radio NZ reported:
Video evidence appears to contradict Nick Smith's claim
“At no point in the video we have seen is rat poison thrown at Mr Smith or smeared on his face”.
In the articles audio, veteran broadcaster John Campbell confirms that no rat poison was rubbed in Nick Smith’s face, which makes the Minister for the Environment a complete liar! You can also view some of the video for yourself over at the NZ Herald.
Obviously most protesters are smart enough to realise that rubbing poison in somebodies face and threatening family members would do their cause no good at all. That’s why Smith’s claim rang hollow when he first made it. Now we know that he was blatantly lying in order to try and gain public sympathy.
Clearly the National party is a sad pack of bullshit artists who don’t deserve to be in power. That’s why you should vote to change the government this coming Election Day.
