Thursday 11 February 2010

MCP Watch: Tau Henare

Whether you agree with Cactus Kate or not (and I generally don't), this email from Tau Henare to her contains some unacceptable sexism of a bizarrely old-fashioned kind:
Subject: Re: Facebook
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:55:11 +1300
From: Tau.Henare@parliament.govt.nz
To: cactus.kate@hotmail.com

What a venal and vile women you are. You should stop work, find a man, and have a family. Maybe that might chill you out. At least I choose to live in my country and try to help, rather than slink off overseas and bludge off the Asians for a living. Come home, stand for election and do what you accuse others of not doing. You are a biggott and a racist. Its actually not what you say but the intent of your vile words.

Tau
[my emphasis]
I suppose at least he didn't write it in the usual antiquarian order suggesting finding a man before quitting work. And that whole idea is hardly in-keeping with National's renewed assault on those who find themselves financially dependent on another, when the other is the State.

Get with the 20th Century Tau, and maybe you'll be ready for the 21st by the time it's half over.

16 comments:

moz said...

Maybe he should emigrate to Australia and join Tony Abbott in the Liberal Party?

Actually, perhaps both would be happier with the McGillicuddy "Great Leap Backwards"?

Boganette said...

That email is revolting. What a disgusting pig.

Lily said...

From Cactus Kate's post on this matter - a few lift-out quotes:

"At least Hone doesn't sook and blub on like a teenage girl who has just been dumped by her first boyfriend on the day she first got her period."

"Tau just needs to harden up and stop being a large, floating, smoking wahine."

"In fact it's all very amusing that he's blubbing like a sooky girl."

You can tell she's disgusted by him because she gives him her version of female characteristics.

There's no doubt the email is sexist. And so is Cactus Kate

Tui said...

Word to that, Lily. Fortunately no-one voted Cactus Kate into office... unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Tau Henare.

Cactus Kate said...

Lily

I sincerely apologise to any women who are offended by my describing Tau Henare with female characteristics.

I was trying to relate it to a level that both he and his mates could understand.

pictishmonster said...

Cactus Kate, that just reinforces the idea that there is something inherently wrong and inferior about femaleness.

Henare is a douchebag. I hope this email gets lots of embarrassing attention.

Murray said...

No one voted for Tau either, hes a list MP.

Perhaps he should be exposed to the popular vote to see how that works out for him.

DPF:TLDR said...

Actually Murray I think you'll find everybody who gave the National party their list vote voted for him.

Psycho Milt said...

Many right-wingers like Murray seem to have difficulties understanding the basics of MMP. Not Tau Henare though, he's got it well sussed.

Craig Ranapia said...

I was trying to relate it to a level that both he and his mates could understand.

That's right, Cathy. Because you're far too classy to go trolling, and you never play the victim when you get exactly the kind of response you go looking for.

I've suggested to Tau that he should give Ms. Odgers the attention she deserves: None at all. Hope he takes it.

James said...

"Cactus Kate, that just reinforces the idea that there is something inherently wrong and inferior about femaleness.

Henare is a douchebag. I hope this email gets lots of embarrassing attention."


Ha ha ....classic!Am I the only one to get the irony of following that first sentence with "Henare is a douchebag...."?

Julie said...

Good point raised by Lily, and I do frequently find Cactus' pronouncements sexist (against both men and women) too. Take her recent announcement that feminism had failed because she knew a woman who stayed with a partner Cactus thought was a loser. Good argument FAIL.

Is it ok for Tau to be sexist to Kate because she has herself been sexist? No. Just as it wasn't ok for people to diss Palin, or Shipley or Thatcher or Clark, solely because they are women.

Craig Ranapia said...

Is it ok for Tau to be sexist to Kate because she has herself been sexist? No.

Don't think anyone is saying otherwise, Julie, but I find it rather hard to muster much sympathy for bloggers who fire off sustained barrages of troll offal, then pretend to be terribly shocked at the result.

I'm quite happy to hold Cactus Kate to exactly the same standard as Cameron Slater, David Farrar and The Standard.

Anonymous said...

Hilarious, Cwaig is a bigger bitch than all these people he is talking about. Gwow up.

Julie said...

Pretty pointless attack on Craig there Anon. You might want to migrate somewhere else where your ineffectual attempt will seem witty and erudite.

Anonymous said...

Craig is pretty much saying that Cactus deserves it. That isn't very nice at all.

So if cactus wore a low cut top would she deserve the leering?