Trevor Mallard in his garden in Wainuiomata. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Trevor Mallard in his garden in Wainuiomata. Photo / Mark Mitchell
OPINION
Trevor Mallard doesn't deserve the diplomatic posting he's about to get.
It's widely known Mallard wants the Dublin posting. He recently had family living there.
The Prime Minister wouldn't say if she's giving him that role. She would only say she's sending him somewhere in Europe. But it soundslike he might well get what he wants.
It's a plum job. Diplomatic postings often come with a house, a car, perks like housekeepers and expense accounts.
They also come with a nice pay packet. If he's paid as much as Louisa Wall reportedly earns in her new diplomatic job, he'll be earning up to $210,000, maybe even more.
Dublin's not an inconsequential job. It is a significant connection into Europe for us. We're still chasing a free trade deal with the European Union.
So, there's a lot for Mallard to stuff up. And he's got the kind of temperament you can't be sure won't stuff it up. This is the man who infamously punched former National MP Tau Henare and landed himself in court for it. This is also the man who undiplomatically suggested intentional rugby bosses insert "Heinekens in particularly uncomfortable places".
Former Speaker Trevor Mallard. Photo / Mark Mitchell
As Speaker he publicly labelled an innocent man a rapist. Mallard's comments lost the man his job and reportedly upended his life. It also cost the taxpayer. He had to pay the man to settle the defamation lawsuit and admit the man wasn't a rapist. All up, $333,000 at least.
This year Mallard turned the sprinklers and Barry Manilow on to the parliamentary protestors. It was juvenile. What might've seemed funny to Mallard only strengthened the protestors' resolve. Frustrated business owners and Wellingtonians can, in part, thank Mallard for what turned into a more than three-week protest.
More experienced commentators have accused him of bias in the debating chamber. It's clear to most of us that he shields the Prime Minister in debates.
This kind of controversy doesn't come with the territory. The Speaker is not supposed to be a political position. That person is not supposed to generate strong feelings among the public. They're supposed to blend into the parliamentary woodwork. But Mallard is so polarising, he only generated 17 per cent support in a 1News poll.
The PM's judgment on Mallard is questionable. Allowing him to become Speaker was a bad call. Now rewarding him with a cushy job is worse.
Diplomatic jobs shouldn't be used to reward mates or remove problems. This Labour Government has used the foreign service a lot. They've rewarded Annette King with the Canberra job. King is capable so that is deserved, but she is also a friend of the PM's and a loyal Labour Party servant. They've removed increasingly troublesome MP Louisa Wall. To do that, they created the role of Pacific Gender Equality Ambassador. Phil Goff has reportedly been given the London job. Again, deservedly. But it's hard to know if that's a reward or a problem-removal given how vocal he's been in opposing the Three Waters reform. Mallard is a bit of both. He's a close personal friend of the PM but he's also become a huge problem by constantly drawing attention to himself.
It's said that the convention is for political appointments to the foreign service to offer their resignation if their party loses the following election. If Mallard is in the job by 2023 and if Labour loses, he should resign. If National is in government they should accept that resignation.
But then that's only a convention and if there's one thing we know about Mallard by now it's that he doesn't always do what is conventional or what is right.
