Sounds like a beatup?
One can’t be sure, but this sounds like a beat-up:
A Nelson man has laid a complaint with police that the city’s MP, Nick Smith, assaulted and abused him.
However, Dr Smith says it was he who was pushed and shoved and he now intends to make a complaint to police too.
Police say they hope to interview Dr Smith today.
Ross Cooper said he approached Dr Smith on Rutherford St just before noon on Saturday, when he saw the environment minister leaving the market.
Mr Cooper, who is on a partial invalid’s benefit, wanted to talk to the MP about his “disgusting” power bill.
However, he claimed Dr Smith, who was getting into his car, would not talk to him.
Dr Smith tried slamming his door twice, hitting Mr Cooper’s shoulder, and abused him, swearing at him to go away, Mr Cooper said. “I was leaning over on the car doorway, showing my bill,” he said. “He wanted to push me aside to get going.”
Mr Cooper said he had a sore shoulder as a result but was otherwise uninjured.
And the other side:
Dr Smith said he had been due to pick up his children and go on to the opening of Motueka’s community hospital on Saturday, and had told Mr Cooper this. He said he had a look at Mr Cooper’s power bill and told Mr Cooper to arrange an appointment to see him through Dr Smith’s office.
Dr Smith has had previous dealings with Mr Cooper.
That is interesting.
“He refused to allow me to leave. He pushed and shoved me and refused to allow me entry to my car.”
Dr Smith said he had tried to get into his car, including via the passenger door.
“I feel I was assaulted in that I was simply trying to get in my car because I was running late.”
Unless there is more to this than meets the eye, I can’t see it as significant.
UPDATE: NZPA report the Police say there is no case:
A number of witnesses were spoken to and confirmed Mr Cooper was agitated and acting in a loud and aggressive manner towards Dr Smith over his power bill.
Mr Winter said the witnesses also said Mr Cooper was trying to prevent Dr Smith from closing the door of his vehicle and driving away.
He said Mr Cooper was known to Dr Smith, whom he had previously tried to assist but who had repeatedly abused and intimidated his electoral office staff over a period of a decade.
Maybe Nick should have done a Prescott!
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Maybe Smith needs this http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/2524897/Wellington-Mayor-gets-24-hour-guards
Or maybe he was the role model for this dad http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/2524902/Father-pushed-7-year-old-over
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:26 pm
“sounds like a beat up”
Was that a delibertate pun? Never can be sure…. Shouldn;t it be “sounds like an alleged beat up”?
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Whats the damn fool expect Smith to do??
Freeloaders better start adjusting.
There’s going to be less and less cake to go around, and there’s fuck all Smith or any of the other parasites will be able to do about it.
Those who see gummint as a source of funds are in for a rude shock.
Funny thing is, that includes both Smith and his assailant.
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:38 pm
This could be the case of another loser seeking his “five minutes of fame”.
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:39 pm
You always wonder at the decline in this country where anyone thinks the size of their power bill is a matter to take to an MP.
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:43 pm
DPF – check your logs from Toad – there have been at least a couple of posts in the last couple of weeks suggesting Nick Smith was the next target, after Worth. Was this a heads up? Another “trap”? What relationship does Ross Cooper have with the Greens?
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Some dickwad accosts a minister on the street about his freaken power bill and gets all hands on with him?
Should have tazered his ass Nick.
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:49 pm
I take it this guy is not a strikingly attractive friend of Foll Goof’s
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Ross Cooper is a very common Indian name, is it not?
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:58 pm
As long as Nick remembers to take the yellow pills at night and the blue ones in the morning he should be alright.
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:59 pm
“What relationship does Ross Cooper have with the Greens?”
Nelson is a breeding ground for the soap dodging little feckers so I wouldn’t be too surprised shady
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don’t do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she’s ten feet tall
And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you’re going to fall
Tell ‘em a hookah smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
Call Alice
When she was just small
When men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go
And you’ve just had some kind of mushroom
And your mind is moving slow
Go ask Alice
I think she’ll know
When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen’s “off with her head!”
Remember what the dormouse said;
“Keep YOUR HEAD
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:03 pm
While I a keen to see the back of Smith as soon as possible I do think that it is pathetic that an MP has to put up with this type of shit.
I well remember the English MP John “Two Jags” Prescott punching a chap in the face who was giving him a hard time when Prescott was deputy PM, that was the only time I applauded anything to do with the Tony Blair government.
What a nation of soft cocks we have become, Smith would have been far better to warn the guy first, “look mate, take your hands off me or I will deck you” if the man refused then a simple and swift head butt would be in order.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:04 pm
MNIJ
You think it is fair game to have a crack at a guy who has mental health issues do you?
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Course he does BB, also for their faith or being gay. All fair game to the sad little hate merchant.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:11 pm
One of the endearing but also scary things about politics in NZ is that you are incredibly exposed compared to almost any other country. As nothing but a minor candidate I had to cope with a violent home invasion (and an assault on a newspaper sales person, mistaken for a reporter, made in my name by the same lunatics). When out with Winston I lost count of the times we were accosted (a sharp-edged briefcase weighted with papers was the source of many an “accidental” groin or knee injury along Courtenay Place in those days).
I have a great deal of sympathy for Nick Smith. MPs should be available and accountable – much moreso than they are now – but that doesn’t mean the public own them and can barrel up to them whilst they’re heading someplace else.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:12 pm
watutalkinbout big bruv?
coolas posted re coloured pills, I think these lyrics are cool, who has mental health issues, other than Muzza?
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Murray
Does that mean we can have a crack at the heroin addict on the Labour back benches?, or the high number of promiscuous homosexuals inside the Labour party?
I just wanna know the rules of the game.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Well clearly you do jack off. Your fear and loathing of most minority groups is indicative of a deep seated self hatred and serious insecurity issues.
Like starting fires do you jack off?
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
No BB, we’re better than them. QED.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Oh, sorry, I forgot. Murray has a “faith” and a faith, buy virtue of being a faith and not anything believeable, can never ever be questioned because it just might cast doubt on the faithfulness of the faith and the faithful.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Smith should have followed the Muldoon approach, and come out swinging!
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:19 pm
muzza, its the white folks who fear “minority groups”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/5586617/Segregated-high-school-proms-divide-Georgias-students.html
Anyway, back to the topic, if you please.
Why has John Key been so illadept at selecting his ministers? How many more fornicators, bashers, crushers are there to be revealed?
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:32 pm
A beat up of who? LOL
Classic pun DPF – intentional?
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Nick & Alice. Now there’s a marriage made in heaven. If media are to mush Nick Smith they need only interview him on TV so we can see his beady yellow eyes rolling around in their sockets. Remember when he lost it over his loyalty to Don ‘the white knight’ Brash? Extended leave followed. Not long enough. “I’m late, I’m late ….. “
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Jack show me anywhere I claimed to belong to any relgion.
Once again you’re a fucking lair making shit up as you go along.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:34 pm
“Once again you’re a fucking lair …” then I’ll fit in well with all the other lairs, won’t I?
“Jack show me anywhere I claimed to belong to any relgion.” First, show me where i made that claim.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Rex Agree with you In fact there are many countries where a guy who attempts to tackle a Minister of the Crown would end up perforated with hot lead before he hit the ground.
If hed tried this in America or even Oz he would have been dead
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:40 pm
‘Hey look’ Murray. Perhaps you should ask Nick to share his medication with you. “What’s good for the goose …” but that’s not Alice is it?
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:44 pm
He was luckier than Dail Jones who when a National MP was stabbed by a disgruntled constituent over (if I remember correctly) a parking ticket. He was later a NZ First MP.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Stuff is reporting that the police are refusing to lay charges against Smith after talking with Smith and with witnesses. So it does sound like a media “beat up”. And it sounds like Cooper, a “sickness beneficiary”, may simply be a regular pest.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:59 pm
I will be in Nelson next week catching up with some old mates. Now I have two more things to do. Find out as much as I can about this bludging c**t called Ross Cooper who should probably turn off a few appliances if he wants to save power, and shake Dr Smith’s hand. What the fuck did this useless wanker think Dr Smith could do about his fucking power bill. New Zealanders have become a nation of bludgers, malingerers, whingers, entitlement syndromes.
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:03 pm
*sigh* Our “scandals” are so… mundane. A bit or argy-bargy with someone over their power bill and it’s headlines. Meanwhile in Italy, they’re busy making Richard Worth look like a rank amateur:
…and we get John Key and Phil Goff, who look like their idea of letting rip is a second sherry before vespers. ‘scuse me, I’m off to brush up on my Italian (okay, learn it from scratch…) and apply for a working visa.
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:05 pm
A mate of mine used to be a case officer at WINZ in Nelson. With a few exceptions those presenting at WINZ with “disgusting” power bills would not have wanted the police to have a look in their attics.
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm
This character was in my class back many years ago and recently rented a house from a friend of mine,he is somewhat mentaly challenged and is known to the police,a real nutter who gave my friend considerable trouble while renting his house.
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Yep andretti, Nelson has it’s fair share.
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
“This character was in my class back many years ago and recently rented a house from a friend of mine,he is somewhat mentaly challenged and is known to the police,a real nutter who gave my friend considerable trouble while renting his house.”
I was also expecting the words: and he’s a Labour Party voter. Because he must be.
June 23rd, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Murray M – A power serviceman was called to disconnect a house for arrears. This necessitated climbing onto the verandah roof. The woman of the house removed the ladder then went out. The serviceman had to get a passer-by to put the ladder up again. She then went to the WINZ office to get a supplementary amount to pay the bill and smashed a wine glass on the counter to make her point. She then went to the power board to pay and similarly smashed a wine glass on the counter.
June 23rd, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Why the fuck did they give her the money if she chose to behave like that
June 23rd, 2009 at 5:47 pm
shady said: DPF – check your logs from Toad – there have been at least a couple of posts in the last couple of weeks suggesting Nick Smith was the next target, after Worth. Was this a heads up? Another “trap”? What relationship does Ross Cooper have with the Greens?
Absolutely none, as far as I know. And the Greens don’t play dirty tricks like that. I was merely speculating that Nick Smith was the next most likely Minister after Worth to run into trouble. But for different reasons to Worth. Smith has problems with his temper (which are well-known), rather than Worth’s problem with thinking with his dick. This sort of incident is likely re Smith from what I know of him, but I know nothing of the facts other than the two sides of the story that have been reported. Let’s let the Police complete their investigations.
This is nothing like the Worth incident.
I am informed Worth’s forced resignation had nothing to do with Phil Goff’s allegation or with the complaint lodged with the Police about him by a Korean businesswoman. I’m pretty sure (as reported to me as sourced from reliable National Party sources) of why Key lost confidence in him. But it was related to Worth’s sexual conduct and its relationship to his Ministerial and Parliamentary responsibility. But not in relation to either of the issues that have been reported to date.
Can’t go much further than that due to the defamation laws – I don’t have the time or resources to verify what I am told about the Worth resignation.
But for anyone with an investigative bent, there is a clue in another recent and somewhat obscure Kiwiblog comment I’ve made. Go for it guys!
Personally, I’d rather debate policy. But if Ministers open themselves up for allegations of misconduct, it has to be addressed.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
The police are now sayi ng there was no assault, and they aren’t investigating further. It certainly makes a change from them saying there was prima facie evidence of offending, but that it wasn’t in the public interest to prosecute!
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:32 pm
It says something about our politicians and their inherent desire to interfere in everyone’s lives when they find it necessary to have meeting with constituents who simply cant pay a power bill. They have created this stupid situation for themselves by wanting to solve everyones little problems rather than saying go away and sort it your self. No sympathy for them what so ever. Time they grew up and toughened up.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:42 pm
… it’s just more fun when they’re on a different side of the ideological fence eh toad? To be fair I guess that’s equally applicable to all of those who claim interest in addressing misconducts.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Good to see that the story was reported in a thoroughly diligent way, and with no hint of bias.
As for the rank and file of the Labour Party, or the ‘resting’ force that is Winston First, it is a good job that they always have the
protection of the ‘Broad Squad’, the worst Police in the Force.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:23 pm
I bet the crusty, energy sapping retard would have been a lot more cautious had Trevor Mallard been his MP.
He would be forever looking behind himself afterwards, had he tried that kind of nonsense on with the ‘Enforcer’!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Nick Smith? Give me a break. He’s a kitten. This is most certainly a beat up.
The Nelson market is a lovely mellow place, always frequented by the Green Party who do have a good foothold in the Nelson alternative scene. Ross Cooper mightn’t be connected with them, but he is a local nutter. I wouldn’t be surprised if this picks up pace that he is connected with the Labour Party there.
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:33 pm
It’s amazing how well these invalids beneficiaries do when faced with physical adversity. Casts my mind back to February – http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2009/02/an_invalids_beneficiary.html
June 23rd, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Nation of softcocks today alright. If he’d tried this on Bob Jones in his day he’d have definitely been seeing stars.
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:11 pm
getstaffed said: … it’s just more fun when they’re on a different side of the ideological fence eh toad?
Tell me an occasion when a Green Party MP has been involved in misconduct? The best you could get is Ian Ewen-Street, who sat on a Select Committee at which a woman he was developing a relationship with was Counsel for one of the parties subject to the Select Committee inquiry. He acknowledged the conflict of interest and stood down from the Select Committee, but I agree too late. That Green MP, you might want to note, subsequently defected and joined the National Party.
National, Labour and Act all seem to be subject to more than their fair share of inappropriate conduct though. The Greens do try to set a higher standard than other political parties (although we are all human and sometimes may get it wrong).
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:19 pm
“The Greens do try to set a higher standard than other political parties (although we are all human and sometimes may get it wrong).”
Naaaaa, you just agree not to nark on each other. If the Green party grew a bit bigger you would be having all the same problems.
June 24th, 2009 at 12:33 am
Geez, if someone is going to assault Nick Smith, could they at least do it properly?
June 24th, 2009 at 9:04 am
Toad, I hope by developing a relationship you meant he was bonking her on the select committee table after hours