The scandal that wasn’t there and the one that was

Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, June 19th, 2009 - 15 comments
Categories: corruption, im/migration - Tags:

The Herald really really wants to uncover an expenses scandal like in the UK. Think of the fun they could have. But they’re not finding anything for two reasons: 1) our expenses system is much tighter than the UK’s 2) MPs in the UK are paid £67,000, not much by London standards, while the $131,000 a backbencher gets here is more than most of them know what to do with. That gives an incentive to play the expenses system in the UK that does not exist here. In fact, that’s reason to pay MPs well: to remove incentives for corruption and let them concentrate on their work with their income as a non-issue.

Nonetheless, the Herald is trying. Today they reveal that Labour’s Iain Lees-Galloway used hire cars and accommodation when helping the Mt Albert campaign… but, um… paid for it himself:

“Mr Lees-Galloway said that on some days he went to Auckland solely to campaign. He did not claim expenses and stayed with friends.
On other occasions, he was visiting community alcohol and drug centres as part of his associate health portfolio.
He charged for accommodation only once, when the bulk of his time was spent on portfolio business.”

Next shock revelation: MP eats sausage roll at ministry function then goes to a restaurant and buys dinner with his own money.

Meanwhile, the political pressure on the public service to toe the National line continues. Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman launched an internal investigation  to find out who released information in response to a Herald OIA request that suggests National’s Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi was involved in an immigration scam and paid-off his accusers. The request wasn’t approved by Coleman’s office as it should have before release. OK, procedures not followed but no big deal, not worth a public witch-hunt. Except that Coleman’s office would almost certainly have blocked release of this politically damaging information. The witch-hunt is meant to scare officials into playing along.

Secretiveness is becoming a trademark of this government; many media organisations have had OIA requests turned down for no good reason. On several occasions already the Ombudsman has reprimanded ministrial offices for blocking OIAs without cause and forced them to release information.

15 comments on “The scandal that wasn’t there and the one that was ”

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  1. Tom Semmens 1
    19 June 2009 at 8:39 am

    Secrecy is the first line of defense for incompetence. When was the last time Anne Tolley gave an interview? And I see Key and McCully refused to front on RNZ this morning to discuss the Queens Wharf purchase. You would have to go a long way to find a bigger bunch of lazy, born to rule incompetents.

  2. Rakaia George 2
    19 June 2009 at 8:42 am

    Point 2) I disagree, the salaries are actually very comparable 2:1 ($:GBP) is a pretty accurate comparative exchange rate in terms of cost of living etc. (Speaking as someone who’s made the move from one job market to the other).

    As an interesting counter to your contention that paying MP’s more would tend to combat corruption:

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/daniel_hannan/blog/2009/06/10/the_most_significant_resignation_of_all

    Dan Hannan (yes, conservative MEP of Brown-bashing fame) on Paul Goodman’s resignation.

    • craig 2.1
      19 June 2009 at 9:30 am

      I like the idea of part time MPs – a lot of US state legislatures are part time I believe, and we’re certainly comparable in size.

    • Maynard J 2.2
      19 June 2009 at 11:14 am

      London is the 3rd most expensive city, Wellington 93rd or so.

      The index, with NY as a base 100, is 77 – Wlg and 125 – Ldn.

      135k $nz will go a helluvua lot further here than 67k stirling (which would barely cover maintenance on ones’ moat 😉 )

  3. craig 3
    19 June 2009 at 8:59 am

    I thought the average wage in the UK was like £22, £25k?

    • Merlin 3.1
      19 June 2009 at 9:21 am

      In London it’s much higher – £41K – and cost of living is higher too. MPs have to spend a lot of time in London. The coverage of the pay scandal has pointed out that MPs are comparatively lowly paid there and haven’t had a pay rise in a long time.

      Average wage in NZ is something like $39K I think..

      • craig 3.1.1
        19 June 2009 at 9:29 am

        Is there a reason that their parliament needs to be in London? Maybe they should move it to like Leicester or somewhere cheaper and more central?

  4. Pat 4
    19 June 2009 at 9:14 am

    “The witch-hunt is meant to scare officials into playing along.”

    The internal investigation is to find out why some public service employees are not following procedures. The obvious question raised is are procedures deliberately being ignored by some employees so that information is released for political purposes.

    A Labour government wouldn’t put up with this. Why should National.

    • Pascal's bookie 4.1
      19 June 2009 at 9:28 am

      heh.
      Just yesterday I heard English saying in the house that, unlike the last government, this one doesn’t get hung up about process. They are focused, like decisive swift moving snakes, on the outcomes…

      😉

  5. Duncan 5
    19 June 2009 at 9:18 am

    “The documents also show that the Department of Labour called off a planned interview with the Herald about the investigation after Dr Coleman’s ministerial adviser James Watson intervened.”

    There’s your political interference Pat.

    • Pat 5.1
      19 June 2009 at 9:29 am

      NZ Herald: “They name nine staff involved and say there may have been a number of breaches of the department’s policies and practices.”

      That’s the crux of this issue. If there have been breaches, then the question is whether they were deliberate or accidental.

      • Merlin 5.1.1
        19 June 2009 at 11:03 am

        sure, investigate whether employees have breached their procedures but don’t splash it all over the papers, that’s just done to intimidate

  6. doc Whose Asking 6
    19 June 2009 at 12:02 pm

    the $131,000 a backbencher gets here is more than most of them know what to do with.

    Sure looks expense to me. So why can’t the NZH get after this.. in the real world, prices are falling in line with lower demand and folks’ capacity to pay.. yet in bubble Wtn the price is up.. and from the foregoing blog and comments there’s no sign of commensurate workrates and/or quality decisions or policies arising..

    Surely a main organ of msm is not dodging its traditional duty in this regard..?

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