Modi visit: Shane Jones denies 'knee pads' remark was oral sex reference
Shane Jones described his reference to "knee pads" as a "colourful expression". (RNZ/Mark Papalii)
"You've got this woke media with a mindset that takes the worst catastrophic view about harmless expression."
New Zealand First deputy Shane Jones says his "knee pads" jibe was a "harmless and innocuous expression" that could have meant anything from gardening to volleyball.
Jones was pressed on the remark on Tuesday after it was widely interpreted as a reference to oral sex.
"That was a colourful expression," Jones told reporters at Parliament.
"Sadly, people have read luridity into it, whereas all I was meaning is that when you go to an event hosted for ethno-national purposes for a foreign leader, number one, don't bow down."
Jones made the reference to "knee pads" during his party conference speech on Saturday, criticising Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and other MPs for their conduct during the visit of India's prime minister, Narendra Modi.
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"The next time you go to an ethno-nationalist rally to receive a foreign leader, take off your knee pads," Jones bellowed.
Asked about the backlash, Jones accused the media of turning "a harmless and innocuous expression" into "some risqué trope" because of an "ongoing virus of wokeism".
"You've got this woke media with a mindset that takes the worst catastrophic view about harmless expressions, about bowing and scraping," Jones said.
"It could have been to do with gardening. Volleyball!"
Speaking to Morning Report on Monday, Luxon said Jones' comments were "pretty crass and unprofessional".
On Tuesday, he said he had made "very clear" that the remarks were "unacceptable", but ultimately it was up to the New Zealand First MP to answer for himself.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Jones' comments were "completely inappropriate" and "somewhat desperate".
Hipkins said he would not "tolerate that language from any minister sitting around the Cabinet table, whether they were in my party or not".
"One of the things that I would be endeavouring to set out right at the beginning is a clear understanding, a clear agreement, with those party leaders that we are expecting all ministers to uphold the standards set out in the Cabinet Manual, and that there will be consequences for those that don't."
Green co-leader Marama Davidson said Jones' behaviour was unacceptable but not unexpected: "This is typical bottom of the barrel politics."
In an interview with The Hui published on Monday, Davidson described the coalition as "a pack of bastards".
On Tuesday, Davidson stood by her choice of words, saying her description was "probably mild" when considering the government's "direct harmful" treatment of vulnerable communities.
