The Prime Minister has since said she regretted sharing that story. And she should regret it. Our relationship with the U.S is so important from a trade perspective; from a defence perspective....you name it. (Photo \ Jason Oxenham)

Rachel Smalley: Jack Tame was just doing his job

Author: Rachel Smalley,
Publish Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2017, 7:32AM

Jack Tame copped a lot of abuse yesterday.

He was doing his job. As a journalist, you're charged with holding the government of the day to account.

And he pressed Jacinda Ardern on whether she'd said that Donald Trump mistook her for Justin Trudeau's wife.

Why? Because that sort of off-the-cuff comment could have diplomatic implications.

And while it's fairly well documented that I'm no fan of Trump, our relationship with the U.S is important

Tame later said on twitter 'When a prime minister tells a story that embarrasses the U.S president and isn't 100% true....it's my job to ask questions."

For all the critics of my IV with the PM this morning:
When a PM tells a story that embarrasses the U.S President and isn't 100% true... it's my job to ask questions. Just as I do with National MPs.
— Jack Tame (@jacktame) November 19, 2017

And he's right.

The exchange was awkward and it makes for uncomfortable viewing.

When you're pressing someone for an answer and they're tip-toeing around the question, you have to keep pushing. And that's what Tame did.

The Sydney Morning Herald is carrying the story now.

I've just had a look at the BBC too. They are as well under the headline 'New Zealand PM regrets Trump story'.

In Australia and Britain, the storyline is of Ardern's regret.

Here, we're wading into Jack Tame across the various social media channels, calling him rude, among other things. He's copped a lot of abuse for, in essence, doing his job.

Commentators say he 'relentlessly pestered' the Prime Minister.

Really? Pestered?

Would we have used that sort of language if he'd interviewed Bill English or John Key?

He was even called a school-yard bully.

He didn't pester or bully Ardern, he pressed her because she wouldn't answer the question. And so he should.

Tame did what he's employed to do. Challenge the government of the day.

The Prime Minister has since said she regretted sharing that story. And she should regret it. Our relationship with the U.S is so important from a trade perspective; from a defence perspective....you name it. To jeopardise it with a throw away comment about being mistaken for Trudeau's wife was foolish.

It was a lesson well learnt, I think.

You're not in Morrinsville now, Prime Minister.