ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Politics
LOVE TRIANGLE
Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has reportedly grown tired of the media’s apparent love affair with Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong, accusing journalists of behaving like lovestruck teenagers who have just discovered a new girl at school.
Wong, who has been in the leadership role for less than a year, has recently polled at 8%, putting her in a potentially influential position ahead of November’s election, where she could help decide who forms the next Government.
But Swarbrick believes the media’s fascination with the newcomer has gone well beyond a professional interest in politics.
“Honestly, it’s like they’ve all got a massive crush on her,” Swarbrick said.
“Every time I open my newsfeed, turn on the television or accidentally make eye contact with a journalist, it’s ‘Qiulae this, Qiulae that’. Will you work with Qiulae? Have you guys considered talking about literally anything else?”
Swarbrick said she had spent years building her political profile, only to watch reporters suddenly develop an unhealthy attachment to someone who hasn’t even been in parliament before.
“I’ve been here for years. YEARS. I’ve done the hard yards, I’ve been on the panels, I’ve answered the questions, and now suddenly there’s this new girl and everyone’s passing notes about how amazing she is ffs,” Swarbrick said, opening another news article about Wong’s sudden rise.
“‘Oh, Qiulae’s polling at 8%. Oh, Qiulae could be kingmaker,’ Give her a clipboard and suddenly she’s the most interesting woman in New Zealand.”
The Greens co-leader reportedly became particularly frustrated after seeing three consecutive headlines about Wong, followed by a television segment in which two political commentators were visibly blushing while discussing her polling numbers.
In a statement to the press, Wong said she was “open to working with anyone”, before deleting yet another of her party’s policy bottom-lines to become just vanilla enough to get into parliament.
More to come.
