Paula Bennett: Jacinda Ardern and the insidious rumour mill

Jacinda Ardern in New York with Clarke Gayford. Photo / Supplied

Opinion

OPINION by PAULA BENNETT

I don't think I have ever seen the gossip, rumours and conspiracy theories to be as bad as they are now.

In my time in politics I heard them all – and many about myself. If I had a dollar for every time I heard about the untrue demise of Winston Peters and rumours of poor health then I would be a wealthy woman. I don't think a Green MP washes her hair in her own urine but this was told to me numerous times and as if it is fact.

I am sure that like a lot of workplaces the odd bit of after-hours shagging goes on but nowhere near as much as is rumoured and speculated on.

I had plenty of rubbish said about me and some of it still does the rounds on social media occasionally, all blatantly not true and actually insulting.

I once had to take out an injunction and get legal advice at my own expense to stop a so-called reputable radio station from repeating what someone who has obvious mental health issues had said about me on social media.

I understand at some level him projecting on to me just because he can – I couldn't reconcile tens of thousands of people believing and sharing it and mainstream media picking it up.

There aren't easy answers when you are under a full-on prolonged attack. By defending yourself you give them oxygen and although thousands might have seen it – I have to presume millions haven't – bringing it into the open just adds fuel and embarrassment. So they keep you quiet and reluctant to speak out.

Which brings me to the constant gossip about the Prime Minister and her partner.

I have been asked more times than I can remember if x is true about one or both of them. I am not in their lives and do not have intimate knowledge about them and I believe their private lives are exactly that – but I always answer no it's not true.

Purely because anyone with half a brain would not believe that in a country this size with two degrees of separation that the blatant extreme nonsense that people say would be ignored by our media if there was evidence to back it up.

My politics and ideology differ a lot from Jacinda Ardern's but as a woman, mum, partner and politician I would stand at her side and suggest everyone just leave her private life alone.

I have heard intelligent, respectable people repeating gossip about her. They all know someone who knows someone and as such they know it is true. Just because something is repeated a lot does not make it true.

Yes, by being in the public eye we open ourselves up to criticism, but let's leave that to being about performance and leave the personal stuff alone.

We need our best and our brightest putting their hands up for public office in the future and if it was your son or daughter would you want lies repeated about their private lives?

We are all guilty of enjoying a spot of gossip but when it comes to our leaders enough is enough.

Paula Bennett is a former Deputy Prime Minister and National Party politician who now works at Bayleys Real Estate as national director-customer engagement.