By FRANCESCA MOLD
The saga of the "leggy blonde" Labour secretary sacked for dating an Opposition MP finally reached Parliament's debating chamber yesterday.
The Beehive rumour mill has been working overtime after Labour MP Clayton Cosgrove sacked secretary Elizabeth Brown, who is in a relationship with NZ First MP Craig McNair.
The Parliamentary Service is holding urgent talks with Ms Brown, who is at home on paid leave, to resolve the row without going to court.
Act took the opportunity during question time to poke fun at the Government over the dispute.
"Is it Government policy to allow a private sector boss to fire a staff member without warning, simply because she had a date with someone else?" asked Act MP Muriel Newman mischievously.
Labour Minister Margaret Wilson said she was loath to give a legal opinion. "But if such a person had experienced that, I would advise her to contact her employer first of all, and then either seek assistance from mediation, or the advice of her lawyer."
National MP Katherine Rich joined in the fun, drawing a rather interesting link between Ms Brown, a slim blonde, and former Work and Income boss Christine Rankin.
Ms Rankin, known for her short skirts and dangly earrings, took the State Services Commissioner to court after he refused to reappoint her to her job.
"Is the minister concerned that, despite her feminist rhetoric regarding the treatment of women in the workplace, this Government is developing a reputation for firing leggy blondes for shortcomings, such as dangly earrings, short skirts, cleavage, and their choice of boyfriend?"
Ms Wilson said that in fact changes the Government had made to human rights and employment relations legislation ensured "long, leggy male blonds and leggy female blondes" were treated equally.
Mr McNair and Mr Cosgrove were forced to watch the goings-on from the sidelines, until Act MP Rodney Hide decided it was time to bring the Labour MP in.
He had a bit of fun with the fact that the pair were forced to face each other at meetings of Parliament's finance and expenditure committee, of which Mr Cosgrove is chairman and Mr McNair a member.
"Will he [Mr Cosgrove], as chairman, be adopting any process or procedure to deal with any potential conflicts he may have with committee members that are of a personal nature," asked a grinning Mr Hide.
A grim-faced Mr Cosgrove stuck to the safe answer. "That will be a matter for the committee to decide."
