On Sir Peter Leitch’s sense of humour
I'm not here to hold water for the Mad Butcher. But a 2013 encounter makes me think his Waiheke comments were an attempt at humour, not racism.
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I’m not here to hold water for Sir Peter Leitch. But a 2013 encounter makes me think his Waiheke comments were an attempt at humour.
It was in NBR’s boardroom ahead of his Ask Me Anything session. Having already addressed him as Peter, I asked if he preferred “Peter” or “Sir Peter” as he fielded readers’ questions. He suddenly gripped and twisted my hand – almost forcing me down on one knee – stared at me in the face fiercely and said (I’m paraphrasing): “There once was a journalist who forgot to call me Sir Peter. It didn’t end well.”
For long moments, I was mortified, until he burst into laughter. Of course, he was fine with Peter.*
That sort of dead-pan humour only works if delivered with conviction, and it can be funnier the more inappropriate the statement.
His line on Waiheke turned out to be wildly misguided and wildly misjudged – and possibly his worst decision since selling his Mad Butcher chain to his son in law Michael Morton (and what terrible timing, too, with Morton’s Veritas Investments facing a January 15 deadline from ANZ). But I do believe it was an attempt at humour, not racism.
Another piece of evidence for the defence. In my youth, I was often involved in interclub athletics, which often found me at meets in Mangere East sponsored by the Mad Butcher (best known, of course, for backing league). You could say there was an element of cupboard love, but Sir Peter was genuinely respected in that Pasifika community – and I’m not surprised to hear league players like Monty Beetham back him this week. He’ll need it to get out of this one.
* Changed to Sir Peter regardless as at the yen of NBR’s style guide.
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On Sir Peter Leitch’s sense of humour
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