Such a modest chap
Such a contrite modest chap, that Taito. From Hansard today:
Hon Bill English: Has Phil Goff ever discussed with the Prime Minister the fact that he visited Phillip Field’s house in Samoa, met people who fitted—
Taito Phillip Field: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Only a few minutes ago it was pointed out to Mr Bill English that my name is Taito Phillip Field.
Madam SPEAKER: That is true.
Taito Phillip Field: He continues to ignore what is required of him in this House.
I actually wonder whether it is required to use a foreign title in the House? Also interesting the arrogance demanding it be used. I doubt Michael Cullen demands he be referred to as Dr Michael Cullen.
Also Field seems to have attended the John Tamihere school of political management, which is to attack your accusers:
Taito Phillip Field: Can I ask the Prime Minister whether she is aware that Mr Keith Williams, at the time he approached me, did not disclose to me that he was illegally employing Mr Sunan Siriwan; that by his own admission, Mr Williams is an unrepentant, unreformed alcoholic and is a witness entirely without credibility; and that he attempted to use his letter of 3 August 2005 as a form of blackmail prior to an election?
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:58 am
DPF
Don’t overlook a very important point here. The first day the chap has been allowed back in the house for months he votes against his former party. This is going to get very interesting especially if the speaker is doing her job and ensures that he answers the question that was asked.
$1 says the Police will move with charges (if they are going to) in the next 48 hours. This further disobedience will not be tolerated.
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:14 am
Burt: Too right. The fix is going in.
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:53 am
*sigh* I hope the Prime Minister took the opportunity to suggest Field repeat his (defamatory) allegations outside the protection of Parliamentary privilege. Then again, it’s not a tactic Clark or her front bench can complain about without a great deal of hypocrisy…
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:31 am
Who is S1?
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:47 am
I was there yesterday and think Field actually had a point. That is his name and English was told to use it by Herr Speaker and deliberately didn’t.
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:56 am
Gooner – he does not have a point. His name is Phillip Field and Taito is an honorific such as the “Sir” in front of, say, Bill Birch’s name. It is polite to call Bill Birch Sir William Birch, but if it turned out that in years to come that he had exploited his contituents when an MP the way Field has, then “Birch, a former MP of Auckland” would be the best name for him, not “Sir William”. The same applies to “Field, public servant of Mangere”.
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:03 am
Gooner:
To be quite honest, I think some MPs who have the pronunciation of their names routinely mangled – though without malice in the overwhelming majority of cases, it must be said – have a more justified causes for complaint than Field.
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:10 am
Isn’t the title “Taito” more like Sir than Dr? Doesn’t really justify him pulling people up on it IMHO, but the comparison with Cullen is a little unfair if it is.
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:10 am
Can someone please give a definitive explanation of “Samoan Chiefly Titles” and just where a “Taito” fits (apart from in an umu that is) and customary conditions of use in NZ.
The beleagured MP for Mangere sure looked like he had a kumara firmly stuck up his nether regions during question time yesterday.
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:17 am
Isn’t Bill English actually The Honourable Simon William English? So Potato Field is guilty of exactly the same thing.
I didn’t know Bill English blogged, but at http://www.billenglish.co.nz/ is a blog
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:28 am
If Taito Phillip Field or Bill Birch want to be called by their title ie Taito, Dr, Sir, Mr, Master Ms then that is there right and should be respected. If Bill English (or other) what to be so smart then the should expect to be slaped down.
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:37 am
Taito is not title per se, more an honourific name.. its not uncommon in many cultures for people to be given a name in honour of their rank or achievements – the Popes adopt new names upon ascending to that rank, for example. In Samoa, Taito becomes your first name when you ascend to one level of chiefly rank. It is his name and he’s quite entitled to be referred to by it. Using the Pope comparison again, Pope is a title and you hear it dropped sometimes but Benedict is his name, you never here him called by his orginal name, even though he got Benedict by virtue of his rank.
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:04 am
JohnDalley wrote:
If Taito Phillip Field or Bill Birch want to be called by their title ie Taito, Dr, Sir, Mr, Master Ms then that is there right and should be respected.
Wrong – there’s no such right in Parliament or anywhere else. A Parliamentarian could correct me on this, but wasn’t there a flap a few years back about whether having an honourary degree entitles an MP to claim the honorific ‘doctor’ – and to get Little Britain for a moment, the Business Committee said no *cough*.
Sorry, John, but Field is just being a precious little dork. Unless I blacked out, and English called him a corrupt nigger who needs to go back to Boongaville, I think Field needs to find a marginally more constructive use for his time. After all, it’s us silly taxpayers who are ultimately picking up the tab.
Back in the real work, I’m not a Destiny adherent, and don’t really give a rat’s rectum whether Brian Tamiki calls himself a ‘Bishop’, a red-arsed baboon or ‘Super Pretty Princess, and Queen of the Universe’. I don’t recognise his spiritual authority, the legitimacy of his title and won’t use it. Why should Parliament?
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:23 am
I did say only if they wished to be called by their title. I don’t know if Dr Jackie Blue is called that in parliment and even if she wished too. It may not be required but is courtesy. As for TPF that’s another issue, even if he is proved to be legally right, he is sure as hell morally wrong.
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:27 am
Craig said “whether having an honourary degree entitles an MP to claim the honorific ‘doctor’ – and to get Little Britain for a moment, the Business Committee said no *cough*.”
It was United Future MP Bernie Ogilivy (sic?).
No one who receives an honourary doctorate can call themselves a doctor – they are not awarded a PhD (or ThD or MD or JSD) but a DMus, or a DLit, or a DSc or something along those lines. They are different degrees and do not confer the title of “Doctor”. Bernie was just being a tad stupid and didn’t realise that fact.
Furthermore, why is Lockwood Smith “Doctor the Honourable” whereas Michael Cullen is “the Honourable Doctor”? That is the confusing part.
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:58 am
So Taito is a title – what does it mean?
February 22nd, 2007 at 11:13 am
The title of paramount chief of a village in Samoa Chris
February 22nd, 2007 at 11:14 am
greg – holders of DMus, LitD, DSc or LLD degrees are entitled to refer to themselves as “Dr”. It is holders of honorary degrees who are not (much like holders of honorary knighthoods aren’t “Sir”).
I asked about the “Doctor the Honourable” vs “the Honourable Doctor” thing in the past – it’s personal preference – apparently Lockwood Smith’s PhD was a bit of a mission – becoming more involved than the average PhD – and he likes that first because it’s something he really *earned*.
February 22nd, 2007 at 11:43 am
Graeme – that may be so, but university’s only ever hand out DMus, DLit etc for honourary degrees. If you do thesis work you get a PhD, and non university in New Zealand offers non-thesis work doctorates (except for medicine).
So, technically you are correct, but in reality, they never happen and it can be treated as a good guide.
February 22nd, 2007 at 11:59 am
Greg – I know people with LLDs. Certainly not many, but one taught me evidence at law school.
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Scott Optican no doubt…that was one of the more fun papers for sure…
February 22nd, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Well I saw English’s face when the Speaker ordered him to refer to him by that name and he had a look of “fair enough” written on it. He accepted it, but then still deliberately chose to ignore it. You can all question whether the Speaker was wrong if you like but English knew he was in the wrong. That much was plain.
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:22 pm
I may be wrong about the LLDs actually. I think they may still follow the LLB, LLM path, but thats to do with law being weird and liking Latin
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:47 pm
No – though they’re still incredibly rare – the LLD is a “higher doctorate” like the DMus or DSc – in that it is not thesis-based – there’s probably an old university calendar somewhere near your office that might explain it (if you’re the greg I think you are). Your archetypical law academic path is still LLB/LLB(Hons) -> LLM -> PhD.
February 22nd, 2007 at 3:30 pm
You more educated???? bloggers are getting it all wrong , the correct phrase and title is,,,
one corrupt bloody islander (correct title) SO THERE
February 22nd, 2007 at 4:42 pm
iwiKiwi
I think you are close….
Take
Advantage
Imigrant
Tilers
Often
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Taito might mean ‘chief’ in Samoa, but the last time I check an atlas, New Zealand was located a few thousand kilometers somewhere, due south.
As a point of interest, how was he addressed in parliament previously?
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Paul M – a quick search of Hansard on the Parliament.NZ website reveals that in 2003 (as far as the Parliament site’s Hansard goes back) that Field was officially referred to as The Hon. Taito Phillip Field (it does also reveal that he didn’t take offence every time someone referred to him as “Phillip Field”, however.
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:50 pm
Thanks Graeme.
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I stand corrected Graeme.
Man, you know random random stuff
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:39 pm
“Hon Bill English: Has Phil Goff ever discussed with the Prime Minister the fact that he visited Phillip Field’s house in Samoa, met people who fitted-”
But did he answer the question ? Did the speaker do her job and ensure that the question was answered ? The test of how partisan the speaker has been will be if she is still protecting him once he has voted against Labour a few more times.
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Burt – that question was directed at the PM, not at Goff. And yes, she answered it.
February 23rd, 2007 at 10:21 am
Is that a first ?
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:33 pm
“Grand Protector of the Faith”
“The Mule of Kintyre (sp)”
Or just a pompous, legend in his own lunch time, little boy?
February 23rd, 2007 at 10:34 pm
New Zealand’s own “cheeky darkie”.
February 24th, 2007 at 12:04 am
A posturing little boy….with allowances.
So there.