John Key says we shouldn't be talking about the number of people going on to the dole. He reckons that mentioning the fact that thousands of people are losing there jobs will cause people to lose confidence and hurt the economy. Isn't the real problem for…
What would you call it when you collect $900 a week by false pretenses? What would you call it when you tell the Electoral Commission and Ministerial Services that you live somewhere other than where you, your partner and your children actually live and work? And if…
Over at Kiwiblog DPF has wet himself with excitement at the Field verdict. Sadly however, he doesn't get two bullet points into his post before he starts lying. DPF damply reports: 13 Sep 05 PM Helen Clark says 'the only thing of which Taito Philip…
3News covers the story of National Ministers double-dipping at the taxpayers' expense. UPDATE: 'BLiP' has bestowed a new title on Bill English: "Sir Double Dipton". Gold.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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?
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…