Dame Jacinda Ardern and David Seymour. Photo: RNZ
The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has not upheld a complaint about (low-level) swearing on RNZ's Afternoons programme.
When Dame Jacinda Ardern spoke to Jesse Mulligan in June about her memoir, they discussed a controversial incident in Parliament in which she could be heard calling ACT MP David Seymour "an arrogant prick".
Dame Jacinda said she had apologised to Seymour "and meant it".
James Allardyce complained that using the word 'prick' on national public radio was unacceptable and a breach of several broadcasting standards.
The BSA found that, in the context - referencing a newsworthy historic political moment - the word 'prick' did no harm.
The Authority agreed with RNZ that 'prick' is a relatively low-level insult and would not have caused widespread offence or distress to the audience.
The full decision can be found here.
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