The Pansy Wong saga has highlighted an on-going trend in the way this National government operates. They certainly do practice what they preach in terms of “self-help/help yourself”. It seems they’re out to get everything they can off the taxpayer until they get caught.
Bill English tried to pretend that he lived in Dipton so that he could claim a housing allowance, even though his wife and kids all lived in Wellington. He even went so far as to ask for more money to have his house cleaned.
John Key decided the best way to deal with the housing allowance scandal was to put in place a new, more generous system for them to rort, with a lot less transparency. Many of them effectively got a big fat pay rise as a result.
Phil Heatley thought it was OK to charge up drinks at the National Party conference to his ministerial credit card. He then took his family on holiday to the South Island and thought it was OK to ask the taxpayer to stump up for the bill for that too.
Richard Worth thought it was acceptable to mix his ministerial and private business interests, travelling to India and using his ministerial title to promote private interests. He was up to some other stuff too, but goodness knows what (it was enough for John Key to lose confidence in him, but he never did say why…)
Anne Tolley decided to take a literal interpretation of the term ‘helicopter view’ and took a taxpayer funded helicopter sight-seeing trip over Auckland.
Pansy Wong thought it was alright for her husband’s business interests to be subsidised by the taxpayer, through abuse of her international travel privileges and also possibly by using her taxpayer funded office as the premises for private business interests.
After nine years in opposition, the National Party seem to be making up for lost time. They’re out for everything they can get. What appals me is that John Key seems to think it’s OK to pass the buck and try to help them cover things up. Classic case of do as I say, but not as I do.
He paid – in many ways stop trolling Trevor
Here’s a few names for you, just off the top of my head: Chris Carter, Shane Jones, Judith “Bollinger” Tizard, Trevor “Limo” Mallard, Clayton “$1674 suit” Cosgrove……I am sure I could dredge up a few more if i really tried. You are living in a glass house Chris.
The thing is that the National Supporters have been very critical of National for these transgressions.
Many of these details came to light because of the transparency that National and John Key in particular engaged in. If you read back through the right blogs such as Whaleoil and Kiwiblog you will see how critical National supporters have been.
Compare this to the nine years under the Labour Government. I do not have the time to re-hash all the sins of your colleagues (and these are the ones we know about) but when you live in a glasshouse I suggest that you do not chuck any stones Mr Hipkins.
All this may be correct. But none of them took money off their constituents for supposed immigration assistance.
This is just rhetoric. Labour had its own bunch of bludgers, just as National does: Hunt’s taxi rides, Carter’s jet-setting, Field’s corruption. Even the left jumped in courtesy of Bunkle just to prove that they too suffer MPs who choose entitlement over duty. The point is, what are you doing to fix it? Your an MP, Heck, your my local MP. Where’s your private members bill to enforce MPs’ bulk funding, realistic salaries and an end to the smoke and mirrors in which all parties engage? Don’t wait for Key to fix it on his own tersm – try to force his hand. Late at night in the late 80s, both Labour and National collaborated on the gold-plated perks bill, the descendants of which have landed Wong into hot water. You both pull these rorts when it suits and then wheel out Peter Hodgson to bleat when it doesn’t. Fix it then, and be done with it because, no matter which side indulges in unethical spending, we are all hurt by it.
Good point MOnty @ National having people who support them but also call them to task.
John, the KEY difference between your list and Chris’s list is that John key campaigned on a HIGHER standards than the one set by Labour. When railing against Clark for the Glen/Peters stuff he said he would answer all questions asked of him and some before he was asked. He still hasn’t told us why Worth was sacked?
A couple of transgressions might not reflect on the leader but these are mounting and by Key’s own standards, employed to judge Clark, he must take responsibility as leader and accept he has failed to have a team of people who all understand and are guided by the principles he campaigned upon. he cant pass the buck, that’s not what he campaigned on.
Monty dont be silly. Englishs attempt to get the government to pay him to live in his own house was exposed by a newspaper and the OIA. There was no ‘transparency’ from Key.
The only change from Key & Lockwood Smith was the ordinary MPs travel expenses. ( an then that was ‘totals only’
All the ministerial expenses came out as OIA requests.
Pansy Wong of course was caught out by a court action. Her MPs travel costs were still hidden by Key.
Monty would make a good National MP- just makes it all up and hope no one notices and then when caught out says ‘thats transparency for you’
Born to rule indeed. Aided and abetted by a compliant MSM. The Herald today reports that Labour has “dredged up” fresh material on Wong. Dredged up? Hodgson is described as Wong’s principal “tormentor”. So it seems that challenging their born to rule approach of rorting until caught is a bad thing, according to the Herald. The whistle blower is the problem, rather than the unethical rorting. No wonder they feel relaxed about scamming the taxpayer.
Chris. Must have hit a nerve there going by the panic response of some.
It does seem that the Key Government is out to set a record having been in power for only 2 years and able to rack up so many indiscretions.
And the only one that they can really accuse is Phillip Field. (9 long years.) The rest were not unlawful. Pansy is.
This lot of Nat Govt ministers seem really anxious to promote two rules quite separately: personal responsibility for the ‘bludgers’ they only can see turning up at Work & Income, and private advantage they themselves pursue under the cover of Parliamentary Service Commission. They scream for punishment that they are keen to inflict on ‘crims’ but they are quick and ready to scheme for exculpating their own.
Perhaps it is now becoming clearer why the Nats in opposition appeared to be familiar and acquainted with seeing so much of what they railed on about ‘corruption’.
I think they all need to do a course on what is a conflict of interest, how to identify it and why it is wrong. Seems to be a basic lack of understanding of fundamental ethics.
meanwhile the Taeaomanino Trust Operations situation looks fishier by the hour – perhaps Key will be giving some straight answers about this soon – or maybe not!
As Pansy is the MP in my electorate of Botany I certainly do not appreciate being represented by someone who has been blatantly rorting the system to advantage her business interests.
I’m sure that the voters in Botany of whatever political persuasion didn’t vote her into Parliament in the belief that she would represent her own interests over those of the electorate.
I am also of the opinion that no one wants to be represented in the House by someone like Key who will only admit to a problem if the right question is asked as this extract from the debate in the House reveals:
Hon Trevor Mallard: Does he (Key) stand by his statement on Breakfast this morning in relation to the Hon Pete Hodgson: “If he’d asked a question that was the right one, I’d at least, um, even—even reluctantly give him some credit.”; if so, is he suggesting that if the public want transparency around his Ministers’ misuse of taxpayers’ funds, that depends on the right questions being asked rather than his Ministers’ honesty?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes
Botany certainly deserves better than an MP, of whatever ethnicity, who acts in the belief that the taxpayers’ money can be used to shore up the family businesses and whose transgressions can only be revealed if “the right question” is asked of the Prime Minister.
“ohn, the KEY difference between your list and Chris’s list is that John key campaigned on a HIGHER standards than the one set by Labour.”
Oh, so it’s ok for Labour MPs to rort the system if their leader has promised less?
“I think they all need to do a course on what is a conflict of interest, how to identify it and why it is wrong. Seems to be a basic lack of understanding of fundamental ethics”
Maybe Shane Jones can teach them, I hear he’s making an instructional video
I think key has handled the whole thing appallingly. His answers on Breakfast and his rude words about Pete were a disgrace and highlight this – grow up comes to mind. He is the leader of the country – whether I like it or not – and to drop to a gutter approach in his description of Pete was something that was less than role modelling for our young people.
It was gutter politics – and disgraceful. That should have been handled far better – any good leader would have diffused it and chastised so that Pete looked petty – instead I thought it ended up making key look childish and petty. eg: ‘he lives his life in the sewer….” Even the host looked like he thought it was sad as he tried to move him on from the ‘muckraking’ comments.
For once it was good to see a reporter on breakfast give key a hard time (and before the righties bleat on – Goff got as equally a hard time this morning). As for saying he would not be surprised if lots of people get their mail sent to work and using that as an excuse for Wong, that was also pathetic.
Is it to much to ask that MP’s simply use their entitlements honestly and morally. If they need rules or public scrutiny, to show them what is the right thing to do, then they are not the people I want running my country.
Chinese style corruption! (No really)
In china this is how many officials game the system. Especially on the fringes of the country, miles away from the oversight of Beijing.
Another example of the true Key, some one who to scared to stand and draw the line. The smile and wave only gets you so far! Strangely the media and national gave Goff a hard time about being ‘ineffective’ with Chris and Key is even worse.
Us the tax payers to have a some right to know where our tax dollars go and deserve a more transparent system.
If MPs want to go some where on private business, you have your large salary to pay for it!
Born to rule attitude is a sign that a class system is slow sinking in! It a sign that some NZers think they have entitlement to special rights/privileges over the average kiwi, some how the are above us and the law!
Right now many middle and lower class people are tightening their belts up in face of the economic situation yet many of these rightest seem to think some how this behavior is ok! They cut government spending in key areas, give tax cuts to the wealth, put GST and ACC up and complain about ‘bludgers’.
Yet they go and do something like this…. it insulting to the many people out their who work hard, pay their taxes and try to makes ends meet despite what going with the economy.
National gave labour a hard time over the last 9 years yet they are no better, mabye even worse, more will come to the surface!
Yes, things are sliding away for National now. Given the recession they’ve done rather well to maintain public confidence. However the Pansy Wong affair has been a huge blow to the credibility of all concerned.
Really they are a bunch of ordinary guys and gals. Not unlike the other political parties. Honeymoon may finally be over.
sammy
“Oh, so it’s ok for Labour MPs to rort the system if their leader has promised less?”
Of course not it was JOHN using someone else’s bad behaviour to defend national’s not me and not vice versa.
KJT
I believe most do just that. It’s why it shouldnt be too hard to put those who dont, every last one out to pasture.
I would hate to be in an organisation where the minority are setting the scene for judgment of the majority… Oh that’s right, I do, I’n in Law.
Well said Hilary.