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No surprises and a good outcome. That man betrayed everyone who ever supported and trusted him. He exemplifies how power can corrupt, something that evidently still afflicts government. Good on Clark for sacking him as a minister when the allegations first came out. Different standards…
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An old favourite.
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Then: Labour Minister David Parker accused of financial wrongdoing (filing incorrect returns). He resigns Ministerial portfolios and as Attorney General while the Companies Office investigates. Cleared of all wrongdoing (the returns were correct) and later reinstated as a Minister. Now: National Minister Richard Worth accused…
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Late last week households around the country received their referendum envelope that asks "Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence?" Leaving aside the ambiguity and lack of clarity in that question, the lack of opinion based on fact and…
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More Nats have been exposed rorting the out of town allowance for ministers. Bludger Bill is claiming the allowance for living in his own house. The others are claiming because they felt like fancier digs. McCully, Groser, Heatley, and David Carter all own homes in…
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One of these things is not like the other One of these things is not quite the same. Can you guess which one is not like the other Can you tell me before I finish the game?
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We've been puzzling over how Bludger Bill can be spending all the $920 a week he is rorting for living in his family home in Wellington on an allowance meant for out of town ministers. I mean, $920 is a crap load of money. If…
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Evidently just as fed up as I am with main-stream-media "news" - which increasingly seems to consist of shallow, sensationalist stories broken up by the song and dance of weather reports* - a group of rape crisis campainers decided to conduct an impromtu press conference…
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Treasury's man on the tax reform working group, Professor Norman Gemmell, has laid out some changes that Treasury would like to see: GST up to 15%, the top tax rate down to 30%, and a capital gains tax. In my first draft, at this point…
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"What price citizenship?", asks Heather Roy. "$10 million", says Jonathan Coleman.
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What gets me is the entitlement mentality from these senior members of Key's government. Exactly the same mentality they claim afflicts 'bludgers' who get benefits and public servants. Their only response is 'I'm entitled. I'm not breaking the rules' English won't even dip into his…
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Bill English is unrepentant over his $47,000 a year rort of the ministers' Wellington accommodation allowance. He is claiming the allowance, which is intended to compensate non-Wellington-based ministers for the cost of accommodation in the city due to their ministerial duties, for living in his…
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Paula Bennett appears to have broken the law in releasing private information on members of the public who were critical of National's "ambitious" cutting of the Training Incentive Allowance. Bennett says she did this to "round out the story". John Key is "comfortable" with this…
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Is the blogging world becoming more gender balanced? This story in the Times indicates there's a group who are wanting to get some space. But what interested me was that some big business names are getting involved: Not only have attendee numbers increased from just…
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17,000 youth jobs. That's what Key has promised with a $152 million programme (some of this is existing money). Like Colin Espiner says "ambitious plan". We'll see if he manages to deliver. The record so far has been big promises and bigger failure to deliver…
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Paula Bennett has claimed nearly $22,000 in six months for her Wellington accommodation. That's more, just for a second home Bennett uses maybe half the time, than Natahsa Fuller whose personal details she illegally released in a effort to embarrass her into silence gets in total to raise her…
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National and Act getting ready to sell our assets. Don McGlashan, joining Phil Twyfords 'Not Yours To Sell' campaign, says 'I don't think so'. Incidentally, Phil's campaign is hosted on issues.co.nz, a new website for groups of all political websites to run campaigns on. SAFE,…
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According to the Herald Paula Bennett has said she will apologise if the complaint to the privacy commissioner is upheld. I would have hoped that if a minister of the crown is found to have broken the law there would be a bit more accountability…
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Tomorrow John Key will be announcing policies on youth unemployment. Looks like rehashing of the already announced Youth Guarantee and probably something more. Whatever Key comes up with it will be tinkering around the edges. The Nats aren't willing to spend any money and they…
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NZPA reports: Taxpayers are contributing nearly $1000 a week to allow deputy prime minister Bill English to live in his own million-dollar Wellington home. According to the title, the Karori home was bought by Mr English and his wife, Mary, for $800,000 in 2003. However,…
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Couldn't resist some weekend humour