Williams accepts Jackson’s sincerity — but that’s all
Labour MP Poto Williams has said she is sorry for the way she went about criticising Willie Jackson and accepted his apology for Roast Busters is sincere but has stopped short of endorsing him as as a Labour candidate.
Williams said that in hindsight raising her concerns about Jackson in a public statement had caused distress to her party and colleagues and for that she was sorry.
“I do regret that, but I am extremely passionate about family violence. It is a personal issue for me and sometimes when you are really passionate about these things, your judgment is a little off,” she told One News.
Williams said she had met Jackson on Wednesday night to discuss the concerns she had raised about his interview with “Amy” over the Roast Busters case three years ago.
Williams, Labour’s sexual and domestic violence spokeswoman, said she could not support him unless he apologised.
She did not go so far as to endorse or support Jackson as a Labour candidate, but had asked to meet him and they had a “robust and honest conversation”.
She said she acknowledged the work on domestic violence by the Manukau Urban Maori Authority which Jackson led.
Jackson said he expected to show her the work that Muma did on domestic violence soon.
“Having met Poto, I . . . can see that she really feels this particular issue. Obviously it could have happened a bit better — I would have met with her any time.”
He said he dealt with issue of domestic violence every day and would continue to do so.
Labour leader Andrew Little still backs Jackson but has been trying to dampen down the backlash since he announced he had asked Jackson to join Labour. Some members and MPs are frustrated that his promise of a high list spot for Jackson goes against the drive for Labour to get more women into Parliament.
Little has warned his caucus not to air their concerns publicly, saying Williams had raised the issue with him but he was surprised she also did so publicly — something he said was against caucus rules.