Key’s piggies at the trough

Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, October 31st, 2009 - 14 comments
Categories: corruption, national/act government - Tags:

A few months ago, John Key said of ministers taking their partners travelling on the taxpayer dollar: “I’ve told them if they want to take their partner, they can do it, but they pay for it’.

So he must be furious that Rodney Hide, David Carter, Peter Dunne, and Phil Heatly have all had the taxpayer pay for their partners’ flights with them since he issued that edict, eh?

key pig farmerNope. In fact, he approved the travel.

It’s another in the seemingly endless lines of corruption and double standards from this government – all presided over by Key, who promises the highest of standards only then declare himself ‘comfortable’ with any breach of them. He’s not merely turning a blind-eye to his ministers’ rorts, rip-offs, and dodgy practices, he is enabling and permitting it.

What’s so shocking (at least to anyone who doesn’t understand the nature of the National Party) is the pervasiveness of the corruption in Key’s government. From Bill English to the most junior minister, they have been caught with their fingers in the till. And Key is ‘comfortable’ with it all.

14 comments on “Key’s piggies at the trough ”

  1. roger nome 1

    lolz – great photo edit. What an abjectly hypocritical wee piggy Mr Hide is. Burt – you must be disgusted at your prancing free-market crusader?

    • Eddie 1.1

      cheers. i was hoping people would be able to make out it’s him. with the loss of detail around his eyes and because cutting out around his nose didn’t quite go right he looks a little freddy krueger.

      the gray around the ears is pretty distinctive though.

  2. RedLogix 2

    As I’ve said before on a number of occasions as a people we operate a big fat double standard. If the left had done any of these things there would have been blood in the streets; but when the right does it… we quietly applaud them for being ‘successful’. All of these hypocritical rorts and rip-offs have merely served to increase Key’s popularity.

    The truth is that the majority of the people admire ‘success’ far more than they respect ‘fairness’.

    • gitmo 2.1

      Yes they are rorters but for you to talk of double standards after the drivel you’ve written about Phil Field is frankly laughable.

      • RedLogix 2.1.1

        Umm let me see.

        Field’s maximum possible personal benefit = $40k (Probably over-inflated and made no allowance for the free rent many of these people received.)

        Result = 6 years in prison.

        Blinglish’s maximum possible personal benefit = $440k (Ten years worth of claiming based on the lie that his ‘primary residence’ was Dipton.)

        Result = Pays back less than 10% of his rort, keeps his very well-paid senior job… with freeby TVNZ promo blowjob thrown in.

        Spot the double standard if you can.

        • gitmo 2.1.1.1

          So in your bizarre mind troughing MPs have committed a more serious crime than Phillip Field an MP found guilty of bribery and corruption… mmmmmmm ok walks away slowly.

          captcha Bizarre ….. very apt

          • RedLogix 2.1.1.1.1

            Oh I’m so cut by the tired old put down.

            I know that much of the time you substitute cliches for actual thought, but just for once try and think it through.

            Field was stupid and disorganised. There was never any evidence presented of a overt, intentional pattern of bribery, no-one ever said “do this job for me and I’ll get you residency”. Blindsided by cultural habits and a lack of thought, Field failed to spot the serious mistake he was making until too late and then worse still attempted a clumsy cover-up.

            By contrast English intentionally misrepresented where his place of principle residence was for a sustained period of 10 years, and paid an expensive lawyer to attempt a justification when he knew he had been blown.

            But the rules were smoothly changed by the ‘ninth floor’ to cover up English’s rort … so that makes it all ok.

            • gitmo 2.1.1.1.1.1

              So Field was only guilty of being stupid and disorganised ……… mmmmmm OK right.

              I’ve got this really great bridge for sale that goes over Auckland harbour interested ?

  3. Gooner 3

    Corruption? How so?

    You can’t keep using this word simply because your opponents used it against you, unnecessarily I say, over the last few years.

    [English’s housing, Hide’s breakfast-gate, corruption]

  4. tc 4

    Piggies at the trough…absolutely but corruption, no I think you’re going about this all wrong.
    It’s not a government it’s the parliamentary wing of NZ Business Inc and as such behaves like a corporate as that’s what it’s full of whilst crosy textor take care of the media and political advice.
    There are sadly very few in NACT who serve the actual people just execute the business inc strategy, take every available perk and do the bare minimum to hold the seat.
    So expecting guilt, morality, contrition etc is misplaced…..it’s the ‘born to rule’ turn at the wheel and by crikey you aint seen nothing yet.

  5. illuminatedtiger 5

    Make no mistake: John Key’s government will go down in history as one of the most, if not the most corrupt governments ever elected in this country. Take that righties!

  6. Ms M 6

    Key’s a marketing man, a salesman and as they push in the sales world to would be purchasers who are questioning whether or not to consult their beloved about the purchase, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is permission.

    Have absolutely no doubt in my mind that this type of fall out was discussed and suitably agreed on how it would be managed in media land.

    How’s those jandals feeling people?

  7. Homo Domesticus 7

    Hypocrites all. Hyde is no perk-buster but he is a bludger. Heatley is corrupt like English. Dunne self-serving as usual, what’s new. Carter’s trips disgraceful, but in his case it is best he is out of the country as often as possible. He cannot do any damage if he is not here. I believe Carter is one of the most incompetent buffoons to ever step into parliament, and that is saying a lot when you look at the calibre of some of his present Cabinet mates, luminaries including McCully, Lockwood Smith, Dr Nick Smith, Maurice Williamson, Bill English, John Carter and Gerry Brownlee.

    No wonder the country is stuffed.

    Homo d.

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