Bunkle to seek diversion
November 23rd, 2007 at 6:09 am by David FarrarFormer Alliance Cabinet Minister Phillida Bunkle is expected to seek diversion in relation to her shoplifting charges.
Seems reasonable. It was only $22, but you do wonder what the hell was she doing. Unless one is pathologically a thief, or you are so poor that $20 is more than you can afford, why would you shoplift? And in fact she had $200 in cash on her it seems. Maybe there was a grudge against the store owner? It just seems so bizarre.
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November 23rd, 2007 at 7:05 am
Cannon Bob Lowe did much the same thing and I always felt sorry for the poor old boy.
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 7:06 am
Would a former National party politician receive diversion?…. I hope they throw the book at her.
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 7:08 am
Ofen this kind of offending is not ‘isolated’ to the one time caught out. I also think there is an element of the behaviour which is a ‘cry for attention’ of some kind.
Sometimes the attention is that of self-gratification, but even when one is caught, for the goods involved, it is a relatively cost-effective way of making oneself the focus of attention.
You also have to take the boredom factor into account. I mean shoplifting is a relatively easy way for anyone with a need for excitement to experience a break from the mundane – then it becomes addictive, I suppose. You can ask the same question ‘why do high-profile politicinas sometimes get caught kerb-crawling?’
Either that or it was a genuine mistake by Ms Bunkle. Who can tell?
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 7:10 am
She “forgot” to pay – and according to the Doctrine of Dear Leader, forgetting is “not a hanging offence” – nothing to see here, it’s a beltway issue, move on……….
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 7:41 am
Its called Kleptomania and it is frequently often middle aged well heeled women who get caught.
Ms Bunkle is far from unique in finding herself in this embarrassing position.
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 7:45 am
poor old Phillida is a late middle aged (ok elderly), eccentric woman. She got confused easily enough when she was an MP, imagine how she has deteriorated since.
I suggest that eccentric old lady forgets to pay for $20 of groceries while pottering around absentmindedly is not really a story guys.
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 7:48 am
deity – “I suggest that eccentric old lady forgets to pay for $20 of groceries while pottering around absentmindedly is not really a story guys.”
I wish you ‘d stop trying to play the Winston thing down so much – it’s so transparent!
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 7:48 am
Maybe she’s having a mid life crisis and a spot of kleptomania would brighten things up?
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 7:59 am
i now hear that the forgetting involved stuffing the goods down her shirt!
OK so now mad old lady caught stealing (again) claims innocence – I guess even more obvious that this is really a reference to winston
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 8:25 am
Well the only thing stuffed down Winson’s shirt is ‘baubles’
I watched a Parliamentary Question Time featuring WInston Peters recently and I had to ask myself this question (and I am sorry if it is unfounded)
“Is that man drunk?”
Should that be: ‘The babbles of office.”?
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 9:15 am
“Unless one is pathologically a thief”
Isn’t that a very necessary requirement to be a MP?
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 10:08 am
Well what you expect from Socialists I mean if your party can steal $800,000 from the taxpayer whats $22. Thieves like all Socialist supporters.
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 11:20 am
DPF, how is this not dog-whistling?
[DPF: I think it is disgraceful you are referring to the former Minister as a dog.]
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 11:30 am
Bob Lowe got caught stealing ?
wow
Is he still alive??
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 11:47 am
An ex politician, give her five years to show
none are above the law.
Old Bill was right about the lawyers, but he
Vote:should have included the politicians
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:20 pm
This story is similar to Wynona Ryder a few years ago, where she was caught shoplifting.
[DPF: Ryder was hotter
]
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Maybe the poor old dear had been smoking the last of her taxpayer purchased hemp curtains before she went shopping
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 3:00 pm
“DPF, how is this not dog-whistling?”
Ex-f*cking-actly.
It takes a lot to p*ss me off but this has done it something fierce.
“Well what you expect from Socialists I mean if your party can steal $800,000 from the taxpayer whats $22. Thieves like all Socialist supporters.”
Good one GD, every socialist is a thief. Nice work. Oh no hang on, National also had to pay some money back, so every right-winger is a thief.
“Would a former National party politician receive diversion?…. I hope they throw the book at her.”
What the f*ck does that even mean? Did your thought process go: “Oh the party I support would get screwed for this in my wacko world, so I shall make bizarre rantings and ad hoc claims.
Poor form you lot. Poor form.
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 3:11 pm
david c : Why don’t you do as your lot keep telling Nick Smith “Take your medication boy”
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Why don’t you do as your lot keep telling Nick Smith “Take your medication boy”
“Your lot”.
What’s your lot Johnboy?
Rational people? People who aren’t raving lunatics?
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Graeme and david c
How do you define ‘dog-whistle’?
This appears to be a news item about a well-known former MP. In what way is it improper for a NZ politics blog to mention it? Is there some kind of ‘relevance’ test that items have to pass before being mentioned?
Yes, most of the comments are tasteless. So what? Free speech means that even morons (from all sides of the political spectrum) get to have their say. It would take a whole couple of seconds searching to find similar abuse coming from the left-hand side of the screen.
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Considering the lefts are masters of diversion ie Mallards stadium etc, I would think that diversion is entirely appropriate in this case.
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 3:43 pm
What’s your lot Johnboy?
Rational people? People who aren’t raving lunatics?
Yes to both the above.
Vote:At last you have got something right Dave.
See how much better you are when you have taken your pills!
November 23rd, 2007 at 5:33 pm
HELL this bitch was a politician,being a thief ,its a learned skill
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 8:23 pm
andrei
You are possibly correct. However I think it’s just being a socialist. She saw a situation where the shop had more of the things that she wanted than she had so she applied some equalisation.
As much as I would have liked to see her punished for claiming away from home allowances while living in Wellington a few years back, and I think that shows the character of the woman, diversion seems entirely appropriate in this situation.
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 8:58 pm
“Its called Kleptomania and it is frequently often middle aged well heeled women who get caught.”
Kleptomania is not a one off thing. If this woman has kleptomania she will have stolen many times. Otherwise she was just bored and testing the system.
Just like this,,,,
Cacofinix the squirrel,, what a nutbar!!
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Rermember the woman that fainted at the checkout, she had a couple of frozen chooks in her knickers.Talk about cold turkey, she obviously wasn`t into thongs either.
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 9:46 pm
I can just see it,, she didn’t take account of the queue.
lol. What a porpoise.
Vote:November 23rd, 2007 at 11:27 pm
She misses being a socialist politician stealing money from other people through excessive taxation, so to keep her hand in, she steals from shops.
Vote:November 24th, 2007 at 9:16 am
Kleptomania is pretty common.
It is generally not “needs” (like bread) that get stolen or things with a particularly good resale value its lipstick and eye catching underwear and such things.
So while some thefts are a strategic decision most seem to be just impulse.
Vote:November 24th, 2007 at 11:11 am
[DPF: I think it is disgraceful you are referring to the former Minister as a dog.]
Oh wow, that is just too witty for me. And they say the right don’t have a sense of humour. Damn, now I need surgery to get my sides sewn back together.
Vote:While I’m there, they should probably lop off my hands. With them, I’ll probably just end up stealing from hard-working kiwis, me being a lefty an all.
November 24th, 2007 at 11:29 am
“While I’m there, they should probably lop off my hands. ”
A brain transplant would be the most effective repair.
Vote:November 24th, 2007 at 11:31 am
In my wisdom I waited for the appropriate answer.
and guess who it came from ,, no surprises there.
Vote:November 25th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
A brain transplant would be the most effective repair.
Perhaps you could help me there redbaiter – where did you get your magnificent specimen from? By the way, did it come with Bitter-hatred Version 1.0 already installed, or is that a module that needs to be ordered separately?
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