15 Ethical “Fails” Under National!

• notices and features
• 12 years ago
• Categories: Ethics, national
• Tags: local bodies

Reprinted with permission from Dave Kennedy (bsprout) at Local Bodies:

15 Ethical “Fails” Under National!

What is ethical behaviour?

Answer 

Ethical behaviour is characterized by honesty, fairness and equity in interpersonal, professional and academic relationships and in research and scholarly activities. Ethical behaviour respects the dignity, diversity and rights of individuals and groups of people.

Answer

Ethical behavior is the standards that you hold for yourself of the attributes of honesty, responsibility, and how you treat others in all facets of your life. The same standards are applicable to whatever position you hold in commerce, in your community, and even behind your own doors where only you know what you do. Ethical behavior is applying these standards even when it is inconvenient to do so.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_ethical_behaviour#ixzz23gEayLmo

I am continually astounded by the National Party Ministers who brazenly approach their responsibilities as if governing should only only involve the barest legal or fiscal considerations. Conflicts of interest are brushed aside, abuses of power are common and the recognition of human rights and human dignity are considered unnecessary extravagancies:

1. How can Paula Bennett claim no abuse of power or breach of privacy in releasing the details of a beneficiary (and show no inkling of remorse)?
2. Did Bill English ever believe that claiming $1000 a week for a housing allowance for living in his own home was ethical when the median wage is less than $550 a week?
3. Does John Key really feel comfortable about advancing a bill that embeds travel perks and annuities of around $250,000 a year for past Prime Ministers?
4. How could Nick Smith have ever believed that writing letters to ACC on behalf of a friend (and using his Ministerial letterhead) didn’t constitute a conflict of interest?
5. How could Kate Wilkinson promote the erosion of worker rights when employers already have an unfair advantage in today’s employment climate?
6. Why did Gerry Brownlee denigrate a friendly country to make a political point and why does he allow landlords to profit out of desperation?
7. What caused Lockwood Smith’s difficulty in understanding why a deaf MP shouldn’t have to use her own funds to be able to fully engage with parliament?
8. What allows Judith Collins to believe that it is reasonable for ACC case workers to be paid incentives for refusing services to clients?
9. How can Hekia Parata stand by her policy of increasing class sizes to improve the quality of teaching when most of her colleagues send their children to private schools that actively promote the benefits of small classes?
10. Why do John Key and Hekia Parata allow “ropey” National Standards data to be made publicly available so that flawed judgments can be made about school performance and also allow individual children to be identified in small schools?
11. How does Steven Joyce sleep at night when he supported lending $43 million to his old company, “Media Works” despite receiving advice not to?
12. What justifies Gerry Brownlee’s  request for more borrowing to extend the $12 billion already tagged for motorways that do not pass simple cost benefit analyses?
13. How can John Key believe that honesty and ethical behaviour are not necessary for John Banks to continue as a Minister in his government?
14. Why would Anne Tolley believe that gloatingly standing on the crushed car of a teenage offender are the dignified actions of a Minister?
15. How can Murray McCully not take responsibility for the failure of the Rugby World Cup “Party Central” celebrations, that were his idea, or the MFAT debacle that he initiated.