The Rule of Law
One of the reasons New Zealand is a sucessful democracy is that we have separate, independent arms of Government. Our Justice system is no under the control of any politician. In fact, our Justice system has taken legal steps against a number of MPs:
Donna Awatere-Huata (convicted of fraud)
Shane Ardern (charges of disorderly behaviour dropped when it was clear no conviction could be obtained)
Nick Smith (contempt of court)
Ruth Dyson (Driving while under the influence of alcohol)
John Banks (broke civil aviation law)
(There was also an MP in the 90s banned for accumalting too many speeding tickets and another charged after he fell asleep while driving injuring a passenger - but I can't recall their names.)
Police have also issued a stern warning to the Prime Minister over Paintergate, and to David Benson-Pope over his inappropriate disciplining of students.
So today I was a little disappointed that National attacked the Police for not charging the Labour Party over it's breach of the spending cap. The Police investigated and found that there was insufficient evidence to charge the Labour Party. I haven't seen the evidence, so don't want to second guess the Police in this matter.
If National really thinks Labour should have been prosecuted, and that the Police were influenced by political pressure, they should get and review the evidence that was presented to the Police first before making accusations.
However, I am totally behind National's call for Labour to refund the taxpayer for the pledge card. The Pledge Card could only be described as a request for votes as it was setting out Labour Priorities for Government if it won the election. If it was only about Government policy, then it would not have included the Student Loans promise which specifically was called 'Labour Party' policy, not 'Government Policy' by Labour before the election to avoid Government agencies scrutinising the plan.
Donna Awatere-Huata (convicted of fraud)
Shane Ardern (charges of disorderly behaviour dropped when it was clear no conviction could be obtained)
Nick Smith (contempt of court)
Ruth Dyson (Driving while under the influence of alcohol)
John Banks (broke civil aviation law)
(There was also an MP in the 90s banned for accumalting too many speeding tickets and another charged after he fell asleep while driving injuring a passenger - but I can't recall their names.)
Police have also issued a stern warning to the Prime Minister over Paintergate, and to David Benson-Pope over his inappropriate disciplining of students.
So today I was a little disappointed that National attacked the Police for not charging the Labour Party over it's breach of the spending cap. The Police investigated and found that there was insufficient evidence to charge the Labour Party. I haven't seen the evidence, so don't want to second guess the Police in this matter.
If National really thinks Labour should have been prosecuted, and that the Police were influenced by political pressure, they should get and review the evidence that was presented to the Police first before making accusations.
However, I am totally behind National's call for Labour to refund the taxpayer for the pledge card. The Pledge Card could only be described as a request for votes as it was setting out Labour Priorities for Government if it won the election. If it was only about Government policy, then it would not have included the Student Loans promise which specifically was called 'Labour Party' policy, not 'Government Policy' by Labour before the election to avoid Government agencies scrutinising the plan.
posted by Michael at
6:49 PM
1 Comments:
Only one Labour MP and she has always claimed she had only two glasses of wine. Yeah right!
And what hardship as an MP did she face - unlimited taxi chits and Crown limos to drive her around.
I think the real problem is that if an ordinary citizen had engaged in the sort of behaviour that a lot of Labour MPs have been involved in then there would be some very serious penalties for that behaviour.
Whereas Labour MPs have told lies to Parliment and to the public of NZ, and/or have engaged in some very shocking behaviour and seem to get away with it time and time again.
They look like the government of sleaze and corruption.
I would expect MPs to have the same standard as the average hard working tax paying NZder.
This Labour government doesn't meet that standard.
How can we expect a welare beneficary to declare on his/her benefit application the correct details when a Minister of the Crown makes a false declaration and his only sanction is losing a portfolio.
What's his penalty less work, the same benefits.
I saw the interview with John Campbell tonight and David Parker first tried to make it out that he mistakenly ticked the wrong box.
When pointed out by John Campbell that it wasn't a tick box but that he deliberately entered the date of when the meeting occurred that all shareholders had agreed not to audit the books he said that wasn't his words.
As John Campbell pointed out that's what he said at the start of the interview (therefore he's a liar).
The David Parker spent the rest of the interview trying to put a spin on the story, slandering the complaint because he currently is bankrupt (all three were involved in the company), and then trying to muddy the waters around the whole issue.
Classic Labour tactics which I found disgracefully but so familiar.
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Anonymous, at 9:51 PM
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