Cabinet minister caught redhanded.

**mashman** · 26th February 2010, 09:30

Originally Posted by Mully

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)

Bloody good point... is there anyway to force this? can a member of the public can press criminal charges? because "these people" are using my tax $ for a purpose other than what it was meant for... i.e. fraud

Originally Posted by Mully

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.

ha ha ha... if they've got something to hide they should be shitting themselves. I would love to see "these people" imprisoned (fraud maybe)... None of this i forgot nonsense... after all ignorance is not an excuse in the eyes of the law...

**freedom-wedge** · 26th February 2010, 13:01

Originally Posted by 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!!!!!

Like your style, slipping in the poof, is that for eating at BK in the first place ?? they are making fools of us all unfortunately and it will all be replayed again tomorrow, it might be that other Scottosh restraunt where the card is used however :-).

pedro

**freedom-wedge** · 26th February 2010, 13:05

Originally Posted by Pixie

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

Truth be known they probably already exist grin,

**Bikemad** · 26th February 2010, 13:14

the only reason wanker heatly resigned is theres probably worse shit to come and hes hoping it will go away if he quits

**freedom-wedge** · 26th February 2010, 13:16

Originally Posted by Mully

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.

A little whispering and some nervous shuffleing is all to date with a look to suggest sympathy for the opposing batsman thats just taken on in the nuts.

**Winston001** · 26th February 2010, 13:43

Originally Posted by Mully

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

IMHO this is small stuff. My wife occasionally has to fly to Wellington for her work and I think she is able to keep the points. They aren't of any use to her employer organisation.

The NZ Government is borrowing $250 million a week to keep us in the style to which we have become accustomed. That is a real issue worth worrying about.

**mashman** · 26th February 2010, 13:51

Originally Posted by Winston001

The NZ Government is borrowing $250 million a week to keep us in the style to which we have become accustomed. That is a real issue worth worrying about.

So every cent has to count (it certainly does in my household and not by my choice

)... shouldn't those that are holding the public purse strings be a little more careful in regards to how they spend it... especially when they know they can get "demoted" for it? Whilst it seems a trivial amount, petty even, they already have a bloody good salary, so why screw the tax payer at the same time... these guys don't have a social conscience... if they did they wouldn't be doing it... they know it's wrong... they're forever getting stung for it and yet not 1 charge has been laid... and they all do what they like safe in the knowledge that there are no consequences...

I take it a back bencher's salary is lower than a Ministers? Does that mean he's taken a pay cut? I bet not, but am ready to be proven wrong...

**Skyryder** · 26th February 2010, 15:54

Originally Posted by Bikemad

the only reason wanker heatly resigned is theres probably worse shit to come and hes hoping it will go away if he quits

Could be but his resignation has taken the heat of Gerry (the mad miner) Brownlee. If Heatly had not resigned I think there would have been much more media attention to Brownlee as he is a senoir minister.

Some may think that this would be a smart move if this is what happened but all it does is give Labour some time to realy have a good look at Brownlee when all the fuss over Heatley has gone. Whether they can deliver a killer blow is another matter.

Another issue that has been forgotton is that of Ministers deliberalty flouting the law by giving their cards to staff. Ihave mentioned this in another post and if this is true then this amounts to fraud. That is a criminal offence. Personly I don't give a toss if both Labour and the Nats or anyone else for that matter gets the full force of the law thrown at them. Such people should not be in Parliment no matter what Party they are in or who they represent.

Skyryder

**SPman** · 26th February 2010, 16:36

Originally Posted by Mully

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

Yeah - that'd do!

**Brian d marge** · 26th February 2010, 16:45

he didnt use enough tears like a real pro , such as Mr Toyoda

Stephen

**Winston001** · 26th February 2010, 17:24

The latest saga involving Phil Heatley improperly using his expense account is just one in a continuing stream. Remember we had an Auditor-General who racked up huge bills having a jolly fine time. Jonathan Hunt enjoyed the taxpayers largesse while being our ambassador in London. CYPS had a $50,000 retreat in Rotorua. Students were sent overseas to do hip-hop research.

Today we are told of a health official who chartered a yacht - paid for by you and me!

Words fail me. Has "Me first" become the predominant thinking of New Zealanders?

Whaddya reckon? If you had a work expense account would you go for it - or hold back?

**Winston001** · 26th February 2010, 17:37

Originally Posted by mashman

So every cent has to count (it certainly does in my household and not by my choice

)... shouldn't those that are holding the public purse strings be a little more careful in regards to how they spend it...

I take it a back bencher's salary is lower than a Ministers? Does that mean he's taken a pay cut? I bet not, but am ready to be proven wrong...

Agreed, I was a bit off-topic, referring to Flybuys and Airpoints which I think are trivial. Good luck to anyone who has to travel and gets some points.

But yes, we should expect our leaders to be responsible with their personal expenses but lets not be over-zealous. I'm just reading a Listener article about a Kiwi Oxford professor, Ngaire Wood. She points out that in the UK people are (rightly) screaming about moats being cleaned - but completely ignoring the ginormous bonuses being paid by banks. Banks which only survived because the taxpayer bailed them out!!

Maybe the sums of money in the big expenditure are too difficult for us to comprehend whereas $123 for a meal is easy to pick on. I don't know.

Oh - and yes, as a backbencher his salary will reduce.