#opinion
There is a remarkable double standard at play with the Chris Bishop rant at Stan Walker’s performance at the NZ Music Awards vs Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau.
Both have been involved in public drinking incidents, yet the criticism for Tory was all encompassing where as Chris Bishop gets defended by the new Deputy Prime Minister.
Chris Bishop was reportedly with beer in hand at an official function where he was watching the Stan Walker event and started aggressively ranting against the performance, so much so that beloved musical icon, Don McGlashin, had to turn to him and say, ‘stop being a dick”.
Tory Whanau was at a private function in the capacity of being herself and got lippy at an uppity staff member at a pub and it was immediate calls for her resignation from her political enemies.
Tory had to admit to a drinking problem and quit alcohol.
To date all Chris Bishop has done is claim he shouldn’t have been so loud in his angry bottle in hand rant at one of NZs great artists at the annual function honouring them.
Personally I find it amazing that such a free speech champion like Chris Bishop can suddenly decray Stan Walker using his free speech.
Isn’t it funny how many of these right wing free speech champions aren’t actually free speech champions at all?
The hypocrisy is as crushing as the double standard.
The response to Tory Whanau being drunk in her private capacity at a bar and having an argument with a staff member was to eviscerate her and demand immediate resignation.
Bishop is attending as a Minister, bottle in hand, at the Music Awards and becomes so aggressive in his attacks on Stan Walker’s performance that another musician has to step in and reprimand him and he gets defended by the new Deputy PM?
We saw this exact same double standard in Parliament when Debbie’s Haka breaches the rules and is suddenly the end of Western Civilization requiring a 3 weeks banishment vs Brooke Van Velden breaking the rules by uttering the ‘C Word’ in Parliament and nothing happens.
There seems to be very different rules for white people.
