Aaron Gilmore - Asshole of the Week

Today, One News reported:

The Service Union is calling for National MP Aaron Gilmore to step down and apologise to all hospitality workers following his behaviour on a night out at a hotel in Hanmer Springs on Saturday.

It is alleged the MP used abusive language and threatened to use his influence to have a waiter fired after he refused to serve him more alcohol.

The union representing hospitality workers is calling on Gilmore to formally apologise to all hospitality workers across New Zealand and resign if it is confirmed that he threatened to get a worker sacked by using the Prime Minister's office.

There's little doubt that Aaron Gilmore abused and threatened a hospitality workers job because he didn't get what he wanted, which in my opinion is a despicable abuse of power.

Gilmore might profess his innocence, but with more witnesses coming forward, the National MP trying to pass the buck makes his situation look even worse... It also makes him remaining in parliament an entirely indefensible decision.

Today, the NZ Herald also reported:

Mr Riches said that by the time of the incident - during which Mr Gilmore allegedly called the waiter a "dickhead" - only he and Mr Gilmore remained at the restaurant.

"I consider attributing blame to any other person to be completely unjustified."

Mr Riches said Mr Gilmore tried to "use his status as a Member of Parliament to his own advantage once he had been denied further alcohol service" and "threatened to have the Prime Minister's Office intervene and end the waiter's employment".

Mr Riches confirmed Mr Gilmore asked the waiter "Don't you know who I am?" and gave him his business card to verify his identity, "which was extremely embarrassing".

"After Mr Gilmore departed I was left to explain to the staff member that the powers of a backbench list MP are rather limited, do not extend to the firing of restaurant staff and that his job was safe," Mr Riches said.

It's reasonable to believe that Christchurch lawyer Andrew Riches' account of what happened is accurate. After all a lawyer must not certify the truth of any matter to any person unless they believe its true. That means Gilmore has not only tried to mislead the press, he's likely misled the Office of the Prime Minister as well.

Mr Key yesterday said: "Any suggestion that a member of parliament sought to use the influence of the Prime Minister's office inappropriately is a serious matter.

"My chief of staff has rung Mr Gilmore this afternoon and Mr Gilmore refuted the allegation. Mr Gilmore indicated that he did not believe that he used the words claimed in Mr Riches' statement."

Through a spokeswoman, Mr Key said he had accepted Mr Gilmore's apology.

He was "not going to get into the detail of claims and counter-claims but expected that Mr Gilmore has learned a lesson from the whole thing". But if a staff member or the management at the hotel wanted to lay a complaint, "the Prime Minister's office will ensure the complaint is thoroughly investigated". 

While being drunk and obnoxious in a restaurant is unlikely to result in serious disciplinary action, Mr Gilmore may be in trouble if Mr Riches' account is verified and shows Mr Gilmore misled Mr Key's office.

What all this shows is that Aaron Gilmore is a lying asshole! In my opinion, he should be removed from his privileged position of power so there’s no longer any opportunity for him to threaten people's livelihoods. Gilmore is clearly lacking something we should expect from all our elected officials, a moral compass.

Unfortunately Key is also lacking in this department and probably won't remove Gilmore from the position he's subsequently abused. In effect the Prime Minister was only paying lip service when he said he required high standards from his colleges. If Gilmore's arrogant actions are what we should accept as the standard, then our expectations will be very low indeed.

Aaron Gilmore's unacceptable conduct at a Hanmer Springs hotel is why he wins this week's Asshole Award. Along with lying on his CV about his qualifications, the National MP has shown only disrespect for his role as a representative of New Zealand. Aaron Gilmore should therefore resign or be removed forthwith.

Aaron Gilmore drunken buffoon

Today, The Press reported:

A lawyer friend of Christchurch-based MP Aaron Gilmore was so embarrassed by the politician's behaviour after a bottle and a half of wine that he wrote an apology to hotel staff.

Sources close to the Heritage Hanmer Springs hotel said Gilmore called a waiter a "dickhead", handed over his business card and made a comment along the lines of "Don't you know who I am? I'm an important politician."

Most people wouldn't have heard of Aaron Gilmore before this incident, and even if they had, being a National MP shouldn't excuse such behaviour.

Gilmore's carry-on prompted Christchurch lawyer Andrew Riches to leave the waiter an apology note the next day.

Gilmore is obviously an embarrassment, not just for the political party he's associated with, but for his acquaintances as well.

Hotel management declined to comment yesterday, but a source said when Gilmore ordered more wine while settling the bill, the young man refused, saying they had had enough.

Gilmore then insulted the waiter, the source said.

The idiot would've been very intoxicated for staff to refuse to serve him. Under the law, they actually have to refuse intoxicated people more alcohol, so have done the right thing.

If they had ignored the law like Gilmore wanted and served him more alcohol, the staff member could be fined $2,000 with the manager and licensee fined another $10,000 each. The bar could have been closed for up to 7 days... So there was clearly a lot at stake.

However, the National Party backbencher yesterday called the incident a "misunderstanding" and denied he used his position as a politician.

While "some inappropriate comments might seem to have been made", they had been apologised for, he said.

In my opinion, Gilmore should own his drunken behaviour and make a formal and written apology for it himself. This guy is meant to be representing New Zealand after all, and such arrogant drunken behaviour shouldn't be acceptable.

The Press understands the note apologised on behalf of Gilmore for his "appalling" conduct and congratulated the waiter on his professionalism.

Gilmore told The Press restaurant staff had unfairly blamed him for the behaviour of the whole group, and there was "no story" in what occurred.

There clearly is a story here, one of a drunken right wing dickhead!

He said he had apologised to the hotel staff after two members of the dining party became "grossly intoxicated", with one needing to be escorted away.

However, he was "not aware" of being rude or making the alleged comments to the barman.

So, Gilmore is trying to pass the buck for his own drunken behaviour. What a coward!

He could not be sure if he or another member of his party told the waiter to "stop being a dickhead" while discussing liquor-licensing laws.

"I don't know if that was said by me or another colleague. I'm pretty sure it wasn't me."

Too drunk to remember who called the waiter a dickhead? Obviously highly intoxicated then.

A spokeswoman for Key said his office had received no complaints from the hotel, but would look into any that were received.

"The prime minister expects the highest level of behaviour from his caucus," she said.

Clearly holding MPs to account for their reprehensible behaviour shouldn't be dependent on a formal complaint. It should depend on the actual behaviour itself.

People don't complain about such incidents for a number of reasons, and that shouldn't excuse Gilmore's drunken and disorderly behaviour.

A politician using a position of power to try and make people break the law is a serious issue, and should be treated as such by the government.

Thankfully Gilmore is ranked 54 within the National party and will be gone from parliament after the next election.

Not just forgetfulness

It's pretty clear that there's a huge flaw in the way John Key goes about his business as the Prime Minister of New Zealand, namely his continued forgetfulness and/or dishonesty.

Today, the NZ Herald reported a partial list:

* Forgot how many Tranz Rail shares he owned.
* Unsure if and when he was briefed by GCSB on Kim Dotcom.
* Forgot how he voted on drinking age.
* Could not recall whether he was for or against the 1981 Springbok Tour.
* Couldn't remember who was aboard mystery CIA jet at Wellington airport.
* Forgot he phoned future director of GCSB urging him to apply for the job.

However there's also:

* The S&P ratings downgrade.
* Secret meetings with Lord Michael Ashcroft.
* His "blind" trusts investments.
* Dishonesty about the Hobbit dispute.
* Misinformation concerning Afghanistan.
* Broken promises about the Pike River recovery.
* Disinformation about the SkyCity report.
* Dishonesty concerning the safety of fracking.
* Dishonesty about the number of unemployed.
* Promising “no job cuts” to the Public Service Association.
* "Forgetting" he signed off on the new ministerial BMW's.

In fact the list of John Keys incompetence and/or corruption goes on and on.

Collins is a DIC

Yesterday, National reported:

For the first time in over twenty years, a government is acting to restrict rather than relax our drinking laws. We’re taking action but we can’t do it alone. Problem drinking is an issue for us all.

Judith Collins

I had long suspected that most National MPs have drinking problems. Thankfully Collins has finally come forward and cleared the air because admitting she and her colleges are alcoholics is the first step to recovery.

After a rather bad episode, she must be regretting her inebriated announcement that the government will let the booze barons regulate themselves. What was she thunking?

Government regulation to reduce harm from ready-to-drink alcopops is really a no brainer and I pity the person who has to clean up the mess made by such drunken decision making.

Hopefully one day they will come to their senses and we can have some sober law making surrounding the destructive alcohol industry. But then again, we will probably need a change in government first.

Politicians told to get clean or face losing benefit

Today, One News reported:

Beneficiaries who face having their welfare cut by declining or failing a drug test will be given the opportunity to "clean themselves up", Prime Minister John Key says.

Key said the Government is still working through the details of the new regulations which Finance Minister Bill English yesterday told TV ONE's Q&A would apply only to beneficiaries who receive the new Jobseeker benefit.

On today's Breakfast programme, Key said the reforms are most likely to comprise of several sanctions in which users will first have the opportunity to give up drug use.

"They would have the opportunity to clean themselves up. If they need help we will give them that help," he said.

This is just another dog whistle from Mr smile and wave without any substance. Firstly National has been cutting funding to organisations that were in place to help young people with their drug and alcohol problems, secondly it's discriminating against a vulnerable section of the community and thirdly politicians are likely to be bigger drug and alcohol users than people who get peanuts on a benefit.

Why aren't we drug-testing government MPs who are in charge of multi-million dollar portfolios? Some of their decisions clearly point to befuddled minds. We have already had the catastrophe that was Piggy Muldoon, who had a serious drinking problem. Perhaps MPs should be breath tested before, during and after work each day. Another drunk in charge will only lead to disaster.

Booze barons calling the shots

Unless you've been living under a rock, you'd realise that New Zealand has a destructive heavy drinking culture that pervades all sectors of society.

With an estimated 70% of all Police incidents involving alcohol and young people between the ages of 17 and 19 making up the highest proportion of inebriated offenders, there is no doubt that over consumption of alcohol is costing society dearly.

Just how costly you might ask... In 2005/06 it was estimated by Berl Economics (PDF) that the cost of harmful alcohol use was $4.4 billion in diverted resources and lost welfare, which is over four times the amount of tax revenue gained. However taking into account the full social and economic impact from alcohol abuse increases the costs dramatically.

Last year, the Law Commission made a number of recommendations to try and curb the harm caused including a split drinking age of 18 for bars and 20 for off-licence purchases to 20, implementing alcohol limits for ready-to-drink beverages, reduced opening hours and increasing the excise duty on alcohol by up to 50%.

However the National government hasn't taken much heed of the evidence based advice. Instead they have delayed their own already watered down Alcohol Reform Bill from reaching its third reading, obviously because of strong lobbying by the alcohol industry against the Law Commissions recommendations. These lobbyists want the government to put profits before factually based evidence and ignore the huge cost to communities from alcohol abuse.

Research conducted in 2009 by the Population Studies Centre at Waikato University showed that every extra off-licence venue increased police events or incidents by 60 to 65 per year, findings that have been backed up by recent research undertaken by the University of Canterbury's GeoHealth laboratory.

Yesterday, the Dominion Post reported:

Rates of serious violent crime double within 900m of a liquor outlet, a new study has found.

And the nationwide study has confirmed that the more liquor stores an area has, the more likely it is to have a higher rate of serious violent crime, regardless of poverty and other factors.

[…]

Using mapping software researchers were able to work out the median travel distance to a liquor outlet. Areas with the lowest rates of serious violence had to travel a median distance of 4.5km to the nearest off-licence. For the highest rates of serious violence, the median distance to an off-licence was just 1.1km.

Using the mesh block analysis, crime rates were calculated for distances from liquor outlets. On average nationwide the incidence of serious violent crime doubled once you got within 900m of a liquor outlet.

Alac chief executive Gerard Vaughan said the current law did not take into account how many outlets were in an area when granting licences.

Well that’s just ridiculous! Surely the application process for a liquor licence should recognize that the amount of outlets is directly related to the amount of disorder caused.

Despite the obvious correlation between availability of alcohol and crime rates, some areas of New Zealand such as Manukau City have seen an increase in off-licence venues by 234% between 1990 and 2008... which is absolute madness! Talk about the booze barons calling the shots.