Inappropriate 2

Joelle Daly at Stuff reports:

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.”

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

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.

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.

I understand Aaron has also now apologised on Twitter, and will be apologizing to the Prime Minister.

It’s not at all a good look, and a reminder that MPs are in the public spotlight and need to be mindful of that. I recall one MP lamenting to me the worse thing about being an MP is that is some jerk cuts them off in traffic with a dangerous maneuver, they can no longer give them the fingers!

I have little doubt the Whips have been in contact with the MP, and stressed the desirability of no repeat occurrences. I also imagine the PM is very unimpressed. It is no secret that after he became PM he spoke caucus about expected behaviour in a number of areas.

Still some way to go to beat the behaviour of Dover Samuels who actually pissed in a hotel corridor (and allegedly on a hotel staff member he was annoyed at), but this is not a competition you want to win.