- Chris Bishop admitted to making an offensive comment during Stan Walker’s performance at the Aotearoa Music Awards.
- David Seymour defended Bishop, stating he is usually moderate and suggesting some might agree with his opinion.
- Seymour emphasised the importance of expressing views on art, saying it shouldn’t overshadow his new role as Deputy Prime Minister.
The new Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour has waded in on an offensive ‘crap’ comment by Cabinet Minister Chris Bishop at Thursday night’s Aotearoa Music Awards in Auckland.
Bishop yesterday admitted he should have kept his comments to himself after saying “what a load of crap” during a performance by Stan Walker.
Seymour responds to Chris Bishop’s ‘crap’ comment at Aotearoa Music Awards. Photo / Dean Purcell
In a statement to RNZ, Bishop confirmed saying something about performative acclaim and that he said, “what a load of crap”. He claimed it referred to what he called the overtly political branding on display.
Speaking today after being sworn in as the nation’s Deputy Prime Minister, Seymour said, “I didn’t see the Stan Walker performance, so I can’t really judge, but I’ve known Chris Bishop for 10 years.
“He’s a pretty moderate sort of guy on most things.
“So my first inclination is maybe he’s right.
Seymour added, “Without knowing anything more about it, some performances aren’t that great, and sometimes you’ve got to express yourself.”
He said that he hadn’t seen the performance but thought a lot of other people may agree with Bishop’s opinion.
Stan Walker speaks to media at the Aotearoa Music Awards. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
When asked whether Bishop may have been tired or emotional at the time when he made the comment, Seymour said it wasn’t the case.
“No, I mean, Chris is one of the hardest-working people I know.
“He’s got one young boy and another young girl who’s come along very recently.
“So he puts in huge hours, but I wouldn’t put any innuendo around that.”
Seymour said the comment made by Bishop did not overshadow his own appointment today as the new Deputy Prime Minister.
“I suspect that there’ll be people who think that Bishop was absolutely right, people who think he was wrong, people who don’t care.”
“We shouldn’t be so concerned about people expressing a view.”
Seymour said people expressed all sorts of views about art.
“There are people who make all sorts of outlandish statements, and you know, anytime that people want to start reporting all of them with equal judgment and critique, I’ll be right there. I might even subscribe.”
Music legend Don McGlashan.
Musician Don McGlashan seen on video confronting Bishop
Renowned musician Don McGlashan was seen on a video of the incident confronting Bishop, but McGlashan said he did not realise at first that it was the minister.
“I could hear an enormous amount of ranting, kind of against the whole thing. I didn’t get the full gist of it, but it was basically - ‘the hīkoi is ages ago, sit down everybody’ - so this geezer was just ranting away and telling everybody to sit down,” McGlashan told RNZ.
“After a while I turned to him and said, ‘Ah, shut up you dickhead’ and I looked at him and I thought, ‘Oh, I know that face’. Then he said, ‘What did you say to me?’”.
McGlashan said that he again told Bishop to, “Shut up you dickhead’, and he said, ‘I could say the same to you,’ and I said, ‘Well, I wasn’t talking and you were’. And then I realised I was talking to the leader of the House.”
Stan Walker has been approached for comment.
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