New Zealand Parliamentarian Condemns Poor Behaviour of MPs Based on Race or Gender

An ACT MP who grew up “interacting with the state care system” has criticized people making excuses for MPs’ poor behavior, particularly women of colour, and attributed the blame to the “culture of Parliament” for their actions.

Her comments come after media outlets devoted substantial coverage to the mental state of Green Party MP Golriz Gharaman after she was charged with shoplifting.

There have been several instances of MPs resigning or being sacked and citing mental health as a reason, adding that the pressure of being a parliamentarian made things worse.

In the 20 years since mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) was introduced in New Zealand, there have been 30 vacancies caused by list MPs resigning, in which case they were simply replaced by the next person on the party list.

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At the time of her resignation, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said, “I’ve been advised she was experiencing extreme emotional distress at the time of the incident. Her recent personal struggles with mental health have been well documented and it appears some of those issues came to a head yesterday.”

Similarly, when Ms. Gharaman resigned she said, “It is clear to me that my mental health is being badly affected by the stresses relating to my work. This has led me to act in ways that are completely out of character. I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want to explain them.”

But—without specifically referencing either former MP—these excuses were something Ms. Chhour did not accept.

“The idea that the pressures of Parliament drive people to bad behavior, that mental health challenges are an explanation for that behavior, or that we should hold women of colour to lower standards is offensive.

“We are not defined by our race, or our sex, or any other characteristic we were born with. And we certainly shouldn’t hold people to a different standard because of these arbitrary characteristics. New Zealand is a country where we should all have equal rights and responsibilities.”

She pointed out that being elected to Parliament is “an enormous privilege” and that MPs are all expected to be role models in their communities.

“When we come up against adversity in life, we can see ourselves as victims of outside forces, or we can take personal responsibility for how we react to them,” she said.

Combativeness Ends Outside the Debating Chamber

And despite what the public might think, the atmosphere at Parliament is not as toxic as brief excerpts from Question Time on television might suggest.

“Parliamentary debates can give the impression that aggression is a constant in this place,” she said, “But it’s more complex than that. I’ve found that combativeness is usually left at the debating chamber doors.”

Ms. Chhour said that when she first stood for Parliament, people told her: “That place will tear you apart and eat you alive,” “Why would you even want to try working in that cesspit?” and “People like us don’t get positions like that.”

But she “thought long and hard … and decided if I could help one family or one young person navigate the state care system, then it would be worth it.”

Citing past difficulties as an excuse for poor behavior was unacceptable, Ms. Chhour said.