Jacinda Ardern cancels all Youth Events of Labour
Newshub
Wellington, March 15, 2018
A former president of the Labour Party says reluctance to tell Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern about a possible sexual assault scandal would not have happened under Helen Clark’s rule.
Four people were sexually assaulted at a Young Labour camp in February, but Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was not told about the incident until it broke in the media on Monday.
The party has been criticised for being slow to act on the assaults, as well as allowing alcohol to be consumed at the event.
Government to learn
Mike Williams, who came up with the camps, says under his watch the Prime Minister would have been informed in minutes.
“I would have communicated such an event to Helen (Clark) the minute shortly after it happened,” he told Three’s ‘The Project.’
“But that’s something from which they will have to learn.”
Mr Williams does not necessarily believe people in the party executive should lose their job in the fallout from the scandal, but the Government will have to learn from their mistakes.
“This is a relatively new Government, these are people who don’t have experience of Government in the party – and communication lines have got to be opened up,” he said.
“You can guarantee that they will learn from this.”
No more youth events
The Labour Party has suspended all Young Labour events until an external review is completed following sexual assault allegations.
It is alleged that a 20-year-old man assaulted or harassed four 16-year-olds at Young Labour’s summer camp in Waihi last month, which police are currently investigating.
This week, a second incident has also come to light, according to the party.
In addition to the suspension, Labour has banned alcohol at any future events when those under 18 are present – and it will take over from Young Labour in planning and running future events.
External Review
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement on Wednesday: “It has become very clear to me the extent of our failure to both provide a safe environment for those young people at the Waihi Summer Camp and to properly deal with serious concerns raised by several attendees in relation to sexual misconduct and alcohol.
“We failed the young people who told us they had been hurt. This failure left them feeling abandoned and I am deeply sorry for that. It’s not good enough, we let them down.”
The external review will be conducted with help from the Sexual Abuse Prevention Network.
It’s yet to be announced who will head the review or when it will commence.
The above Report and Picture has been published by Indian Newslink under a Special Agreement with www.rnz.co.nz
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Photo Caption:
Jacinda Ardern and National Party President Nigel Haworth at a Press Conference near her Mt Albert Office today.
