Cabinet minister caught redhanded.

[Mudfart]

So he resigns from cabinet, and gives the comment he will have to spend many years on the back benches. Oh you poor bastard. If I got caught stealing from my employer, I would be sacked, find it really hard to ever get another job, and face criminal charges. Even if it was $20.
I call for dismissal of disgraced MP's. Isn't it logical? Because they make the laws, they are above them?

[Love my Bonnie]

Wot I want to know is...
if he's earning $250000 a year (thats what the news said last night) how come he has to put $9.50 burger king meal on his credit card?
What a tosser, & then to cry when he is caught
A tosser & a poof!!!!!

[Toaster]

Wot I want to know is...
if he's earning $250000 a year (thats what the news said last night) how come he has to put $9.50 burger king meal on his credit card?
What a tosser, & then to cry when he is caught
A tosser & a poof!!!!!

Alot of people use credit cards to earn rewards with their bank and defer payment. I wonder if the MPs accrue credit card rewards points/airpoints? If they do it should be forfeit or subject to taxation like the rest of us plebs.

[Winston001]

I admire the guy for taking responsibility for his actions. Ministerial responsibility used to be taken for granted in NZ up until the late 1980s. If a Minister or his Department got it badly wrong, the Minister resigned. It's an unwritten core value of Westminster constitutional democracy.

I have often used the wrong credit card - personal spending instead of business. No-one has ever threatened me, and the accountant sorts it out. Its almost an annual story here that Tim Shadbolt makes the same mistakes - but he gets re-elected anyway.

The sums of money involved are small but I agree that is not the point. We have had too much of bureaucrats and politicians extending their "expenses" into illegitimate spending and for that reason Phil Heatly did the right thing.

Pity really, he is an effective politician and was doing a good job.

[Mully]

how come he has to put $9.50 burger king meal on his credit card?

Apparently the BK meal was legitimate - it's meals and a South Island trip (and wine??) that was the issue.

Alot of people use credit cards to earn rewards with their bank and defer payment. I wonder if the MPs accrue credit card rewards points/airpoints? If they do it should be forfeit or subject to taxation like the rest of us plebs.

IIRC, years ago there was an "outrage" about MPs keeping their frequent flyer miles (accrued on business) for personal use.

I don't think I ever heard what the outcome of that was.

[Mudfart]

I hear that after A TERM of service (12yrs) in parliament, an MP can retire with lifetime perks? Anyone confirm?

[riffer]

Yes, that's true but I thought it was after THREE terms (9 years).

[Skyryder]

Yes, that's true but I thought it was after THREE terms (9 years).

Some start early................like on the first day.


Skyryder

[pete376403]

IIRC, years ago there was an "outrage" about MPs keeping their frequent flyer miles (accrued on business) for personal use.

I don't think I ever heard what the outcome of that was.

AFAIK, nothing came of that. Noises were made that the points should not be kept, but it was not enforced so ultimately nothing was done

[Pixie]

Some geeky type should hack Nick Smith's account and run up some hookers and porn on it.

[Mully]

AFAIK, nothing came of that. Noises were made that the points should not be kept, but it was not enforced so ultimately nothing was done

Shocker. I suppose none of them wanted to get their snouts out of the trough.

Some geeky type should hack Nick Smith's account and run up some hookers and porn on it.

No-one would believe it - unless it was transsexual, lesbian, midget, asian donkey porn.

[mashman]

Would it follow that those Ministers who are caught are shifted to the back benches, primarily because they know where the bodies are buried? It would certainly seem that the Politits close ranks when there's a "scandal"... and Politits being the type that they are (i'm not sorry for the generalisation) would happily take everyone down with them should they "fall" too far...

[Mully]

Would it follow that those Ministers who are caught are shifted to the back benches, primarily because they know where the bodies are buried? It would certainly seem that the Politits close ranks when there's a "scandal"... and Politits being the type that they are (i'm not sorry for the generalisation) would happily take everyone down with them should they "fall" too far...

Yep - that certainly follows. Also, if it's an Electorate MP, sacking him (or her) completely would result in a by-election (and the risk of losing the seat)

What also follows is that the Opposition haven't screamed too loudly about this cos they're secretly shitting themselves that the Auditor General will decide to have a look at previous stuff. I think I've seen Annette King once on this subject and Phail Goof not at all.

[Mikkel]

No-one would believe it - unless it was transsexual, lesbian, midget, asian donkey porn.

Dr. Nick Shit's gotta be into coprophilia.

[allycatz]

Ha ha Tim Groser was at work this week visiting his Mum. We all had to fight the urge to ask if he was taking her out to lunch. We kept all copies of the Dominion post away from her so she couldn't see what her wee darling had been up to