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Peter Dunne on Hamish Walker saga: 'MPs need more education'

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 9 Jul 2020, 10:28AM
Photo / File
Photo / File

Peter Dunne on Hamish Walker saga: 'MPs need more education'

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 9 Jul 2020, 10:28AM

Political parties and Parliament are being criticised for failing to mentor new Members of Parliament.

Hamish Walker has only been an MP for two and a half years but won't be going for re-election, after sharing Covid-19 patients' personal details with the media.

Former United Future leader Peter Dunne told Tim Dower new MPs are put on a pedestal and think they're bullet-proof.

He says there's a lot of individual egos, but parties and the parliamentary system aren't good at making sure new MPs are making the right calls.

"Both in terms of their local activities and the people they employ. It’s only when a crisis occurs, that someone says how did that happen?"

Dunne says political parties and the parliamentary system aren't good at mentoring new people to make sure they're making the right judgement calls.

"The way they deal with these things is to cut off the diseased limb and say it's your problem, go away.”

Dunne says it might be useful politically but puts the problem on hold until the next Hamish Walker situation occurs.

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