Politicians need to leave the blokey jokes in the pub
Monday, 27 July 2026
Donna Miles is an Iranian-Kiwi columnist and writer based in Christchurch, and a regular opinion contributor.
OPINION: I do get it: life is hard and the weather is cold, so what is wrong with a bit of levity from a politician to lighten everyone’s mood? And in any case, don’t voters prefer unfiltered humans over scripted performers?
The background to these questions concerns the much-talked-about recent incident during a “shoot, shag or marry” game on radio, where Paul Henry (newly announced ACT list candidate) jokingly said he would “shoot” Chris Hipkins.
Many would have found Henry’s comment funny, but I am in the UK at the moment, where there is extensive media coverage of the gruesome killing of the former British MP Ann Widdecombe. Security cameras showed an intruder struck her 21 times on the head with a hammer while she was having lunch at home.
Widdecombe joins a grim list of UK politicians killed in recent decades. Jo Cox (2016) and Sir David Amess (2021) were both murdered while serving as MPs. Violence against politicians is a global issue and on the rise in the US, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caucasus.
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For me, and I am sure for many others, Henry’s shooting joke did not land as intended. But the real problem is not the offence it may or may not have caused; the core issue is the lack of judgement from someone standing to be a future legislator
Some may dismiss this view as modern hypersensitivity, but expecting good conduct and sound judgement in public office isn’t some new leftist invention. It’s a conservative and classically liberal principle that predates “woke” by centuries.
From ancient Rome’s emphasis on dignitas and gravitas ( dignity and seriousness), through Enlightenment thinkers who valued reasoned debate, to traditional British parliamentary norms and even small-town expectations of leaders, societies have always demanded that those who seek power over others show judgement, restraint and basic decency.
Calling out casual invocations of violence is not about policing speech, it is about recognising that public figures set the tone for the country. When a candidate jokes about “shooting” an opponent in a climate of real political assassinations, it’s fair to say that’s poor form.
Insisting politicians avoid crude threats of violence for cheap laughs is about preserving civil discourse. No one is saying politicians must be humourless saints. Sharp wit and even edgy humour always have their place, and we have seen plenty of it in New Zealand politics. For instance, who can ever forget the “curtains don’t match the carpet” exchange between John Key and Winston Peters, where Peters teased Key about dying his hair? The House erupted in laughter, followed by Key’s witty retort.
This is not the first time Henry has shown a lack of restraint or respect for boundaries. In 2010 he resigned from TVNZ after commenting that the Governor-General did not look or sound like a Kiwi.
I personally like seeing the human side of politicians, but at the same time I think it is okay to demand that politicians treat their job seriously.
Paul Henry’s train-wreck interview with Jack Tame showed he did not have the policy depth to be a serious political contender. Clearly this is not an issue for Henry, because he seemed completely unfazed by the incoherence of his arguments: on the one hand he wanted to go back to the golden age of his childhood where taxes were high, uni was free and government was big, while cheering for ACT, a political party advocating against the exact policies that created the golden age Henry wants his grandchildren to experience too.
My worry is that Henry will become a recurring distraction when media attention should focus on the serious domestic and foreign policy choices facing the country.
Stuart Nash made the right decision to resign as an NZ First candidate after a leaked sending a text in which he called National MP Katie Nimon the “laziest MP” for taking maternity leave, remarks widely condemned as sexist.
Paul Henry’s real strengths have always been as a broadcaster: sharp timing, irreverent humour, the ability to provoke and entertain, and a larger-than-life on-air personality. Those qualities made him a successful television and radio host. But those skills are much less useful in politics, which demands policy depth, careful judgement, restraint and the ability to respond to sustained scrutiny.
The recent Jack Tame interview and “shoot Hipkins” radio joke showed a candidate still operating in entertainment mode rather than the more disciplined register required of someone seeking public office.
ACT is a party that has relied on taking the limelight through provocation, preferring to generate headlines over the harder work of developing serious, workable solutions.
We must not let this become the norm for New Zealand's wider political landscape. Leave the blokey jokes for pub talks and private gatherings. Kiwis deserve seriousness in politics, along with rigorous policy work and accountability.