Pulling the "I'll have you fired! Don't you know who I am!?" routine doesn't work for backbench list MPs because outside of their tight booze-soaked bubble of flunkies, freebies and fulminations from leather chairs, in the real world it is the waiter that has more credibility and social standing. In NZ the waiter will also stand a greater chance of having the MP fired than the reverse.
Simply obnoxious.
NZ Herald:
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National Christchurch list MP Aaron Gilmore threatened use his influence with Prime Minister John Key's office to have a waiter at a Hanmer Springs hotel sacked after the man took issue with Mr Gilmore's "disgusting'' behaviour, it is claimed.
Mr Gilmore this morning issued two apologies for the "boisterous'' behaviour of his group of four at the Heritage Hanmer Springs on Saturday night.
Those apologies came after one of his dining companions, Christchurch lawyer Andrew Riches confirmed he'd left a note at the hotel the following morning apologising for Mr Gilmore's behaviour.
Mr Gilmore allegedly called the waiter a "dickhead'' when he refused him more wine and gave him his business card saying something like "Don't you know who I am? I'm an important politician'', The Press reported today.
It has also been suggested this morning that Mr Gilmore told the waiter he would tell the Prime Minister's office about the waiter's behaviour and have him sacked.
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OK, these incidents happen occasionally and Tories acting like pricks - Jonathan Coleman's cigar run-in comes to mind - are to be expected from time to time; but it is the response from Gilmore that risks doing more damage. He's apologising... for the group, not for anything he did per se.
Aaron Gilmore's press release:
-- Aaron Gilmore
National Party MP
Media Statement2 May 2013MP Aaron Gilmore apologisesNational List MP Aaron Gilmore is this morning apologising to staff and patrons at the Heritage Hotel Hanmer Springs following a dinner he attended there on Saturday 27 April.“As a group of diners our behaviour was at times boisterous and I sincerely apologise for any offence this may have caused any staff and/or patrons,” Mr Gilmore said.“I intend to convey my apologies on behalf of the group to hotel staff, and understand that Members of Parliament should uphold, and be seen to uphold, the highest of standards at all times.“On this occasion I believe as a group, our behaviour fell short of this mark, and I should have recognised this at the time.“I also plan to pass my apologies on to the Prime Minister for failing to meet the standards I believe National MPs should uphold.”ENDS
--
How courageous and dignified to have taken collective responsibility for his whole group. That's really manning up.
NZ Herald:
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Mr Riches also said he was disappointed that Mr Gilmore had apologised for his group's behaviour when it was "absolutely'' his own behaviour that was in question."It's a shame because I thought this could just lie, he could apologise and that would be the end of it, but to sort of blame everyone else!''
He told the Herald that two of the four in Mr Gilmore's group had left by the time of the incident.
"It was because most of the group had already left, he was cut off service, he did the old, "do you know who I am, I'm an MP''.
"I thought it was just disgusting.''
Mr Gilmore initially denied the claims but this morning issued an apology via Twitter and a later press [...].
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Nothing says a heart-felt sorry like a message on Twitter. National may have enjoyed getting to almost 48% at the general election, but they have can't be too over-joyed to wear the sorts of dolts coming in at the end of the list. It's a shallow barrel of talent the Nats are scraping.
NZ Herald:
--
National Christchurch list MP Aaron Gilmore threatened use his influence with Prime Minister John Key's office to have a waiter at a Hanmer Springs hotel sacked after the man took issue with Mr Gilmore's "disgusting'' behaviour, it is claimed.
Mr Gilmore this morning issued two apologies for the "boisterous'' behaviour of his group of four at the Heritage Hanmer Springs on Saturday night.
Those apologies came after one of his dining companions, Christchurch lawyer Andrew Riches confirmed he'd left a note at the hotel the following morning apologising for Mr Gilmore's behaviour.
Mr Gilmore allegedly called the waiter a "dickhead'' when he refused him more wine and gave him his business card saying something like "Don't you know who I am? I'm an important politician'', The Press reported today.
It has also been suggested this morning that Mr Gilmore told the waiter he would tell the Prime Minister's office about the waiter's behaviour and have him sacked.
--
OK, these incidents happen occasionally and Tories acting like pricks - Jonathan Coleman's cigar run-in comes to mind - are to be expected from time to time; but it is the response from Gilmore that risks doing more damage. He's apologising... for the group, not for anything he did per se.
Aaron Gilmore's press release:
-- Aaron Gilmore
National Party MP
Media Statement2 May 2013MP Aaron Gilmore apologisesNational List MP Aaron Gilmore is this morning apologising to staff and patrons at the Heritage Hotel Hanmer Springs following a dinner he attended there on Saturday 27 April.“As a group of diners our behaviour was at times boisterous and I sincerely apologise for any offence this may have caused any staff and/or patrons,” Mr Gilmore said.“I intend to convey my apologies on behalf of the group to hotel staff, and understand that Members of Parliament should uphold, and be seen to uphold, the highest of standards at all times.“On this occasion I believe as a group, our behaviour fell short of this mark, and I should have recognised this at the time.“I also plan to pass my apologies on to the Prime Minister for failing to meet the standards I believe National MPs should uphold.”ENDS
--
How courageous and dignified to have taken collective responsibility for his whole group. That's really manning up.
NZ Herald:
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Mr Riches also said he was disappointed that Mr Gilmore had apologised for his group's behaviour when it was "absolutely'' his own behaviour that was in question."It's a shame because I thought this could just lie, he could apologise and that would be the end of it, but to sort of blame everyone else!''
He told the Herald that two of the four in Mr Gilmore's group had left by the time of the incident.
"It was because most of the group had already left, he was cut off service, he did the old, "do you know who I am, I'm an MP''.
"I thought it was just disgusting.''
Mr Gilmore initially denied the claims but this morning issued an apology via Twitter and a later press [...].
--
Nothing says a heart-felt sorry like a message on Twitter. National may have enjoyed getting to almost 48% at the general election, but they have can't be too over-joyed to wear the sorts of dolts coming in at the end of the list. It's a shallow barrel of talent the Nats are scraping.
