Finally, we’re getting to the meat of the Pansy Wong affair. Stating her occupation as a Minister when witnessing a form for her husband’s business deal was no major problem. But Wong’s flights for the deal were paid with her MP’s travel perk. That is a serious problem. The rules “expressly forbid MPs from using their private travel perk to pursue their own or their spouse’s private business interests”.
Pete Hodgson has played a clever game of bait and switch on National. John Key has been suckered into expressing his support for Wong. Now, he’s going to either have to defend her for clearly breaking the rules or flip-flop and call her to account. Based on his track record, I think we know which way it will go. There is no accountability in the Key Government.
Update: Radio NZ report Wong’s ‘future in doubt’.
It all looks decidedly dodgy. A Minister uses taxpayer money to fly to Chian with her husband, witnesses a deal as minister.
It can only be seen as using her privilege and prestiege as a minister for private gain.
But, like you say Eddie, can we really expect old Smile and Wave to do anything about it?
Right now, he’s too busy hanging around Japan hoping for a couple of minutes to share a few corny jokes with Obama
Make that hoping to share a few corny jokes with Obama… No planned meetings, no white house visit… but he should be able to trap him into an impromptu side chat.
As for Pansy Wong… this is all looking very like Richard Worth’s first troubles that got him his warning. Of course we still don’t know what the thing was that actually got him sacked…
When it comes to sordid affairs to do with money NACT makes Clintons fly zip look stationary.
Bet the MSM pursue this with the same zeal a teenager approaches a family outing with over hanging out with their mates…….whose a good lap dog then.
And Wong is trying to claim it was a holiday, and she was therefore entitled to use the travel perk.
The difficulty she faces with that argument is that her husband told the NZ Herald:
So did we pay for his travel? Why refuse to confirm this?
How does Kev feel now calling Pete a fuckwit?
Key got well and truly snookered.
Where all the righties at?
To be fair though, dpf hasn’t posted on it yet.
Yeah and until that happens their brains have no idea what to repeat.
Busy putting out pants on fire?
panic pants on the wire,
tending to the pyre
money bag smiles
and walks away
Farrar waiting for his masters’ instruction on what to say.
RNZ midday breaking news. Rumours that Wong may be standing down as minister, while the matter is investigated. Government sources seem twitchy & none want to rule out Wong standing down
Granny says so, too:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10687130
And Stuff:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4337061/PM-tackles-Pansy-Wong-affair
For some reason, Queens’ Another One Bites the Dust has just popped into to my head. Which is annoying, coz I hate Queen.
Well, it could just be a temporary stand down. But if she does go, I hope they replace her with someone who acts like they actually give a s**t about gender equality.
who acts like they actually give a s**t about gender equality.
She’s also the Minister of Ethnic Affairs, and she was shamefully silent on Paul Henry.
It’s sad that Ministers only resign because of stuff like this. Nobody resigns on policy any more. Let alone reasons of (in)competence.
Oh for a PM (of any party) who says: “You haven’t broken the rules, you’re sacked because you’re rubbish”.
Agreed, gobsmacked. I’m a little sad that this travel perk, misuse of ministerial title issue has overshadowed the census on women’s results that showed women are falling backwards on many measures. Discussion of this in the House was when these other rule-breaking issues arose.
And Stuff is already reporting that Wong has stood down, with RNZ 7 NZH still saying it’s likely to happen:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4337061/PM-tackles-Pansy-Wong-affair
Did Lockwood Smith know something we didn’t? And is he any closer to sorting out travel perks for MPs? And who is going to sort out travel perks? And when? I don’t need to ask why do I?
Good point.
Ouch. I shouldn’t have shot my mouth off about Hodgson yesterday.
That’s ok mate, I’ll still make you a cuppa. Kettle’s on.
And I thought that things were going to be different under Key?
I guess they are different. They are worse …
How does it go?
Something like ‘two wongs don’t make a …..?
Great minds, etc., Rodel. I mistakenly referred to Richard Worth as Wright on Weds and corrected myself thus:
“Worth, dammit. I really shouldn’t comment before the second cup of coffee, because clearly, two Wongs do not make a Wright.”
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-10112010/#comment-268893
I think it’s ‘two wongs don’t make a wit’ …….(f***wit that is)
Here’s a simple test:
You work in the Prime Minister’s office. Say, Chief of Staff. Or Press Secretary.
You hear that a Minister was overseas, doing private business. You check the rules on the Minister’s signature, and you think that’s OK. Do you now:
a) ask the Minister if there’s anything else you should know – like who paid for the trip?
b) “relax”?
Did nobody in the PM’s office have a little light bulb saying “MP and spouse … 90% subsidy … check rules … problem”? Really?
There’s relaxed, and there’s incredibly stupid.
c)Tell the press that they can quote you on ‘fuckwit’.
…or flip-flop and call her to account.
Only it is not a flip-flop if he didn’t know about the perk abuse when defending her initially.
true – in this case Key might be incompetent rather than two-faced.
After all, if the opposition knows more about what his ministers are getting up to than the Prime Minister does then it suggests that either the opposition are exceptionally good or he is woefully inadequate.