What was she thinking?

The Herald on Sunday has the story of how Judith Tizard publicly berated an the Auckland RSA President for allowing other parties to lay wreathes. What on earth was she thinking? Just like Maharey’s “fuck you” comment this shows long serving Ministers acting without thinking.

Auckland RSA president Jim Newman says the Auckland Central MP interrupted him at the Auckland War Memorial Museum before the service, upset at the order of the wreath laying and that National Party Auckland Central candidate Pansy Wong was listed on the programme.

Newman said Tizard publicly humiliated him by complaining that she represented Auckland Central, not National’s Wong, and that the NZ First Party should have been listed before the Act Party.

Tizard then “launched an attack” on Margaret Burke, an employee of the Auckland RSA, accusing her of being an Act Party member and therefore responsible for the order.

And the irony is that Tizard claims she was “aghast” that the wreath-laying ceremony had been “politicised” by allowing other minor parties to participate.

What politicises a ceremony more? Having a couple more wreaths laid in silence, or having a Minister publicly dress down the RSA President for having her political rival involved? Easy answer.

Not that I care much either way if one has all parties or just the Govt, Opposition and local MP lay wreathes, but it is up to the RSA. Having all parties involved doesn’t, in my opinion, politicise the event, but shows how this is a day which transcends politics.