New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern became the latest leader who became a victim of hot mic. Ardern called a member of the minor opposition party an ‘arrogant prick’ was picked up and also broadcast on the parliament television, news agency the Guardian reported.
New Zealand-based media outlet 1News shared the video of the incident on Twitter.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern caught on a hot mic, calling opposition MP David Seymour an “arrogant prick”.NZ’s own unparliamentary language moment, landing just after Ireland’s anniversary.pic.twitter.com/vvGZmwqCjB
— Rob O’Hanrahan (@RobOHanrahan) December 13, 2022
On Tuesday, David Seymour, leader of the libertarian Act party, asked Ardern if she can give an example where she made a mistake, apologised for the mistake properly and fix it.
Ardern told Seymour that aspects of New Zealand’s Covid-19 response may have been difficult for the public but the Prime Minister said she stands by the work that her government has done in the previous term. Ardern was talking about ‘managed isolation.’
Ardern after replying to Seymour, sat down next to her deputy and quietly said: “Such an arrogant prick.”
The Prime Minister failed to notice that her mic was still live at that time and that her comments were just as audible as was the voice of Adrian Rurawhe, speaker of the New Zealand parliament, who called for the next question within a few moments.
Seymour petitioned the speaker to ask the Prime Minister to withdraw her remark and issue an apology but the speaker declined because at that time Ardern was not in the house and Rurawhe also did not see if the remark was noted in the transcripts.
Later a spokesperson from the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Ardern apologised to Seymour.
“[She] said ‘I apologise, it’s not something I should have said and she said, as my mum would say, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it’” Seymour read out the text that the Prime Minister sent him.
Seymour, reacting to the incident said, “Some days I am a useless Māori, others days I am an arrogant prick. The apology we are really looking for is for New Zealanders worried about rising prices and ram raids.”
This year along with Ardern, US President Joe Biden and South Korean Yoon Suk-yeol were caught swearing on a live mic.
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