Labour troffers - underpants, golf clubs, wine and private planes - all on our money.

[phill-k]

many of the expenses have been reimbursed, don't have a problem with that, but check out Murray mccully's alcohol expenditure, that boy does serious drinking on us when overseas, check his dates as well its usually either daily or every second day. Obviously works at 110% not

[SS90]

I have no problem with the dude watching porn, none whatsoever, and, let's face it who hasn't?

It's far better than him renting a prostitute or some such thing.

The issue is that he was (clearly) warned, in written form that it was not legal, and, he must pay it back.

He did not (until this became available t the public)

That is the problem I have.

The legality of the whole thing.... he was hoping he wouldn't be caught (for the sake of a few hundred $'s as far as the porn is concerned), and the other items are not really that much in the big scheme of things.

He was warned, several times, by an office specifically set up to avoid such problems (I have no problems with them charging personal items to their credit cards, it is common when you have a business card to charge personal items to it, you just have to reconcile your personal expenditure at the end of the month.)

In this case, despite repeated warnings (his own admission), he failed to do so.

Sack him, cancel his pension, and give him 200 hours community service.

[red mermaid]

This little furore is interesting. I'm sure if I did the same as this lot of Honourable Members with my Government supplied credit card I would be down the road that fast I would leave skid marks at the exit door, but them....

[rustic101]

Take Carter (not literally) O but I paid it back when I realised....

Hang on - If I stole a box of chocolates from New World, then a few days later realised I fucked up and took them back, would I still be charged with theft?? Yip!!!

What Carter has done is misappropriation of Public Funds, whether that is one cent or a thousand cents, its still theft as a Servant...

He should hand him self in and say I'm a dirty thieving bastard and so is my man bitch...

[rustic101]

Wonder how Shane cleaned up afterwards????
Was he sitting or laying down when he shot his load????
What type of porn was it????
Can we request a copy of the DVD under OIA?

So many questions

[slofox]

I wonder how the total cost to taxpayers of these revelations compares with the cost to the taxpayers of Nick's Myth's settlement and court costs over the defamation suit he has "settled out of court?"

I also wonder which movies Mr Jones would recommend..?

[Mudfart]

Have to disagree, it will be the usual boring circlejerk that passes for political analysis around here.

Rorting, whether expenses or allowances or kickback or conflicts of interest, is bad, whoever does it. Does anyone actually disagree with this? Even the guys doing the rorting?
That there is almost no-one in parliament that is not vulnerable to this sort of criticism says something.



Works for me - but the problem is you would quickly run out of pollies, and there would be few willing to put their hands up to follow in behind those departing. I would never stand for political office in NZ - I'm a fairly principled and well-behaved lad but I'm certain there are enough skeletons in my cupboard that some bugger would crucify me over. Not worth it.

Of course, I would have to say that the one party that has had less controversy than the others would be the Greens. Not perfect by any means, but better than Nat/Lab/Act/NZ1 and to a lesser degree Prog/UF/... So there's a solution for you

yep, i think greens is the best vote in NZ. I would hope that kicking all the retards out of politics would force us to use our wisest, most intelligent people who live in NZ. Politics seems to be all about jostling for position, backstabbing and the such. I would have thought that we, as the people whom they represent, and for whom their prestegious titles of "Honourable" hold such valour, would demand a little more maturity from these fucktards. They are fucking around worse than little kids, on taxpayer money. Lets concentrate on making decisions that better our communities and way of life, (which we hold so dear in NZ).

[Mudfart]

Wonder how Shane cleaned up afterwards????
Was he sitting or laying down when he shot his load????
What type of porn was it????
Can we request a copy of the DVD under OIA?

So many questions

Yeah, if he uses taxpayer money to buy the movie, then surely every taxpayer has a right to view the movie? And we can all wear tuku's undies?

[Tank]

yep, i think greens is the best vote in NZ.

How do you work that out? a Vote for the greens is a vote for labour (they have said as such) - and they are pretty much a mindless single issue (focus) party. So you still end up with the twats that are labour and a group of tree huggers having waaaay to much power over them because they need the votes to get a majority.

The sooner they fall under 5% the better for NZ.

[Tank]

oh - Mudfart - lets not forget how the greens know better than you or I - and need to treat us with kid mittens - thus to save us from ourselves they must ban everything.

Here is a list of items that they HAVE STATED that they will ban if they had the power to do so:

Ban fizzy drinks from schools
Ban Plasma TV's
Ban fuel inefficient vehicles
Ban all gaming machines in pubs
Ban the GCSB
Ban violent TV programmes until after 10 pm
Ban feeding of antibiotics to animals that are not sick
Ban companies that do not comply with a Code of Corporate Responsibility
Ban ACC from investing in enterprises that provide products or services that significantly increase rates of injury or illness or otherwise have significant adverse social or environmental effects
Ban commercial Genetic Engineering trials
Ban field testing on production of GE food
Ban import of GE food
Ban Urban Sprawl
Ban non citizens/residents from owning land
Ban further corporate farming
Ban sale of high country farms to NZers who do not live in NZ at least 185 days a year
Ban the transport by sea of farm animals, for more than 24 hours
Ban crates for sows
Ban battery cages for hens
Ban factory farming of animals
Ban the use of mechanically recovered meat in the food chain
Ban the use of the ground-up remains of sheep and cows as stock feed
Ban animal testing where animals suffer, even if of benefit to humans
Ban cloning of animals
Ban use of animals in GE
Ban GE animal food
Ban docking of dogs tails
Ban intrusive animal experimentation as a teaching method in all educational institutions
Ban smacking
Ban advertising during children’s programmes
Ban alcohol advertising on TV and radio
Ban coal mining
Ban the export of indigenous logs and chips
Ban the use of bio-accumulative and persistent poisons
Ban the establishment of mustelid farms
Ban new exploration, prospecting and mining on conservation land and reserves
Ban mining activities when rare and endemic species are found to present on the mining site
Ban the trading conservation land for other land to facilitate extractive activities on.
Ban the further holding of marine mammals in captivity except as part of an approved threatened species recovery strategy
Ban the direct to consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals
Ban sale of chips and lollies on school property
Ban any additional use of coal for energy
Ban fixed electricity charges
Ban further large hydro plants
Ban nuclear power
Ban further thermal generation
Ban private water management
Ban imported vehicles over seven years old
Ban the disposal of recyclable materials at landfills
Ban the export of hazardous waste to non OECD countries
Ban funding of health services by companies that sell unhealthy food (so McDonalds could not fund services for young cancer sufferers)
Ban healthcare organizations from selling unhealthy food or drink
Ban advertising of unhealthy food until after 8.30 pm
Ban all food and drink advertisements on TV if they do not meet criteria for nutritious food
Ban the use of antibiotics as sprays on crops
Ban food irradiation within NZ
Ban irradiated food imports
Ban growth hormones for animals
Ban crown agency investments in any entity that denies climate change!!
Ban crown agency investments in any entity that is involved in tobacco
Ban crown agency investments in any entity that is involved in environmentally damaging oil extraction or gold mining
Ban non UN sanctioned military involvement (so China and Russia gets to veto all NZ engagements)
Ban NZ from military treaties which are based on the right to self defence
Ban NZers from serving as mercenaries
Ban new casinos
Allow existing casinos to be banned
Ban promotion of Internet gambling
Ban advertising of unhealthy food to children
Ban cellphone towers within 300 metres of homes
Ban new buildings that do not confirm to sustainable building principles
Ban migrants who do not undertake Treaty of Waitangi education programmes
Ban new prisons
Ban semi-automatic weapons
Ban genetic mixing between specieis
Ban ocean mineral extractions within the EEZ
Ban limited liability companies by making owners responsible for liability of products
Ban funding of PTEs that compete with public tertiary institutes
Ban the importation of goods and services that do not meet quality and environmental certification standards in production, lifecycle analysis, and eco-labelling
Ban goods that do not meet quality and sustainability standards for goods which are produced and/or sold in Aotearoa/New Zealand
Ban new urban highways or motorways
Ban private toll roads
Ban import of vehicles more than seven years old unless they meet emission standards
Ban imported goods that do not meet standards for durability and ease of recycling
Ban landfills
Ban new houses without water saving measures
Ban programmes on TVNZ with gratuitous violence

[Bald Eagle]

You missed the most important one

Ban thinking for yourself.

[Swoop]

Phill-in Goff has ducked for cover. Annette King is running away and hiding.

A "verbal bollocking" has been given to Jones from Phill-in. Wouldn't that be similar to being savaged by a small kitten??

[rainman]

a Vote for the greens is a vote for labour (they have said as such) - and they are pretty much a mindless single issue (focus) party.

And Tank as usual comes along to trot out the same old baloney. The Greens said last election (before the election) that they would not enter into a formal coalition with National as the differences between the two parties is too great. Yet they have managed to work with the government to get some useful things implemented (much as they did with Labour, despite not being in coalition then either). This is called integrity and is therefore hard to understand by those used to normal political behaviour.

Sure they have more in common with Labour than National (they are a sensible party after all) but if you actualy watched the reality of what the party has been doing lately rather than just repeat spin you would see they are a lot more free-standing.

oh - Mudfart - lets not forget how the greens know better than you or I - and need to treat us with kid mittens - thus to save us from ourselves they must ban everything.

Here is a list of items that they HAVE STATED that they will ban if they had the power to do so:

...

I've seen this list of "bans" before and it's largely crap. Half of it is justcommon sense - either good risk management or good science (GE, pesticides, coal, mustelids, etc), or cases where the costs of the apparent "good" outweigh the benefits (fizzy drinks, unhealthy food, fuel inefficiency, water saving etc), but the rest is largely made up.

Although some things should be banned (and I'm sure several Green people would agree with many of these faux policies) almost all of this is exaggerated. Tel me where the Greens said they would BAN urban sprawl? How does that even make sense? It's already there... (and a fucking stupid idea, as it happens). I searched their policy page for "urban sprawl" and found some comments opposed (like I said, it's a fucking stupid idea) but no policy of banning it. So, Tank, are you guilty of copy-pasting lies with an agenda, or do you actually think for yourself?

When National BANNED the sale of flu pills that work, did you write to your MP saying he was infringing on your liberty? Did you post complaints all over the web about the nanny state? Or are you a hypocrite too?

Ban thinking for yourself.

Yeah, 'cos we do that really well and always make good decisions.

If it were not for the rudimentary regulations that we currently enjoy, we would have probably gone extinct by now.

[mashman]

oh - Mudfart - lets not forget how the greens know better than you or I - and need to treat us with kid mittens - thus to save us from ourselves they must ban everything.

yeah right! it's just the greens that treat us with kid mittens and save us from ourselves... at least they're up front about what they'd do...

[oldrider]

I have no problem with the dude watching porn, none whatsoever, and, let's face it who hasn't?

It's far better than him renting a prostitute or some such thing.

The issue is that he was (clearly) warned, in written form that it was not legal, and, he must pay it back.

He did not (until this became available t the public)

That is the problem I have.

The legality of the whole thing.... he was hoping he wouldn't be caught (for the sake of a few hundred $'s as far as the porn is concerned), and the other items are not really that much in the big scheme of things.

He was warned, several times, by an office specifically set up to avoid such problems (I have no problems with them charging personal items to their credit cards, it is common when you have a business card to charge personal items to it, you just have to reconcile your personal expenditure at the end of the month.)

In this case, despite repeated warnings (his own admission), he failed to do so.

Sack him, cancel his pension, and give him 200 hours community service.

Absolutely correct, good post. IMHO.

Got it in a nut shell, it's not the what, it is the how!

Not suitable to hold the position at that "base level", then they are not suitable candidates for the position they "hold"! (OUT THEY MUST GO!)

It's easy to get confused "once" but after having been corrected and warned, they should be held accountable for their actions and dismissed!

It goes to show just how slack the (once rigidly enforced) parlimentary monitoring system has become, probably due to lack of action at the top, like our justice system et al!