Nicholas accuses Minister of bullying

A news report from TVNZ

A pile of t-shirts has become the source of a stoush between sexual abuse survivors and the ACC Minister, who the high profile anti-abuse advocate Louise Nicholas has accused of bullying. Nicholas wanted to present the shirts expressing concerns about counselling cuts to Nick Smith. But he turned her down in a phone call she claims was bullying and intimidating, something he denies.
Labour deputy leader Annette King read a message high-profile anti-rape advocate Louise Nicholas had hoped to deliver in person to Smith, along with 33 other messages written on t-shirts by abuse survivors.
"'I was raped. Now I have to fight ACC for counselling. When do I get to stop fighting?' Well, that's a pretty powerful message," says King.
But he turned Nicholas down in a phone call which she says was bullying and intimidating.
"For myself who has actually gone through, you know, bullies before, it was like being re-victimised all over again. It was this power and control attitude that came through," says Nicholas.
Labour took her cause to the house and tackled the Minister about the phone call, "berating and bullying her, saying the courageous women who signed t-shirts were part of a fiasco and a media circus," said King.
Smith firmly denied King's claims. "I totally reject the assertions that the member has made," he said. The Minister confirms he made the comments described. But staff who listened in on the conversation say in no way was he bullying, angry or aggressive.
Nicholas, who has had plenty of battles in the past, sees it differently. "I was saddened and I was frustrated that I was unable to do my job which is survivor advocate," she says. She says she is still hoping to get the Minister to listen to the voices of victims.

http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/nicholas-accuses-minister-bullying-3530160