Brash beatup stories
The Herald and NZPA have both done major stories on the fact that shock horror Don Brash has taken a holiday, while still an MP and drawing a salary.
The headlines are only to do with Don Brash, despite Georgina Beyer beying in exactly the same scenario – she has announced her resignation but isn’t leaving until next year also. This only gets a mention at the very end of the story. A double standard for Dr Brash compared to a Labour MP.
And this is of course nothing new. Dr Brash made it very clear he “intended to spend the remainder of his time as an MP answering letters and emails and taking a holiday”. What suddenly makes this a story?
Also this of course doesn’t cost the taxpayer one cent extra as Dr Brash’s replacement MP doesn’t start getting paid until he leaves.
Beyond any doubt it does take a few weeks to tidy up an office and all loose ends, especially when you have been a party leader. Likewise I suspect the incoming MP finds it bloody useful to have time to leave their former job and prepare for becoming an MP.
Anyone who knows Don also knows that money is not a motivation. He took a massive pay drop of over $350,000 drop to become an MP, and despite being eligible hasn’t been claiming NZ Superannuation.
January 6th, 2007 at 10:49 am
“Also this of course doesn’t cost the taxpayer one cent extra as Dr Brash’s replacement MP doesn’t start getting paid until he leaves.”
Not entirely true.
She doesn’t start getting paid until she’s sworn in. If Brash had resigned the day after parliament rose for the year, then the taxpayer would have saved a couple of months’ salary (maybe even a couple of months’ of National Party expenses?)
“Likewise I suspect the incoming MP finds it bloody useful to have time to leave their former job and prepare for becoming an MP.”
I’m sure she does, but had Brash resigned the day after Parliament rose, she’d have had just as much time.
p.s. I’ll add that I don’t care, but I do think it’s news (and I think the papers should run it, and allow us to make up our minds, which, for each of us is that we don’t care). What specifically makes it more newsworthy in this case, is that Brash told everyone he was staying on to tidy up loose ends – which would not generally include an extensive holiday. I don’t begrudge him a holiday, but when his public statements suggested he was staying on for the purpose of work, then the fact he was/is holidaying in America makes this newsworthy again.
January 6th, 2007 at 10:56 am
Read these stories and weep for our press…now maybe you have some idea of just the media really only serves it’s own commercial interests; not it’s reader’s, not the nation’s, and certainly they only use political parties as a ready source of fodder for sensation and scandal stories.
This feeble Brash beat-up is a classic case…even as a hard-case leftie I find this story a demonstration of their lackidasical commitment to truth.
January 6th, 2007 at 10:59 am
I was somewhat amazed at the story too… must be a very slow news day.
It is a clear demonstration of the bias Dr Brash has had to fight all the way through.
January 6th, 2007 at 11:02 am
I’d be ashamed to put my name to this piece. Plainly it is intended to appeal to the most peevish, small-minded, grudging, tall poppyist types. The herd mentality is alive and well.
January 6th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Graeme – I am 98% sure you are wrong. MPs start getting paid from the day they are gazetted as an MP, and the swearing in has absolutely no relation on this.
And secondly Dr Brash had made it very clear he would be taking a holiday – I even quoted his words.
And thirdly while the story could be of minor news value, it should be about both Beyer and Brash.
January 6th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Lindsay Mitchell said: “Plainly it is intended to appeal to the most peevish, small-minded, grudging, tall poppyist types.”
Well said Lindsay. What then do you say about the peevish small-minded grudging behaviour of the MP who complained about a $76 horoscope in an Army newsletter – namely your leader, Rodney Hide?
January 6th, 2007 at 11:57 am
Even after his demise, he continues to embarass as he stumbles about but I guess some mug has to defend him…
What salary he was previously earning is neither here nor there. What a complete strawman.
Christmas has softened your capacity for sensible argument.
This is a rort; you’d say so if the shoe was on the other foot.
January 6th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
and david..is st don going to also forgo his parliamentary pension..?
and how much a year would that be..?
what sized tit has he qualified to suck on..?
and when did he become eligible for any upgraded parliamentary pension..?
hey..!..i’ll tell you what..
how about if st don does a swap…
takes his state pension..
and forgoes the parliamentary one..?
he’d have mega-super schemes from his earlier years at the govt trough too..eh..?
whoar..!
how much does he earn for just waking up in the morning..?
eh..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
January 6th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
I think the difference between Brash and Beyer is that Beyer has not made a valedictory speech yet, whereas Brash has. But it is really a non-issue in the long-run.
However, Brash did say that he was going to spend the time clearing emails etc, which is very different from holidaying in America. At least with Beyer you know she will do nothing, as she has never done anything!
January 6th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
The real story on MPs drawing salaries and not providing representation is Phillip Field. He has ignored the good people of Mangere for months and months because of the internal politics of the Labour Party. He should front up to parliament or forfeit his seat and let the people of Mangere get proper representation.
January 6th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
So Field is on garden leave on full pay for how long… And Dr. Don takes a holiday and the MSM go crazy about it.
Just shows how partisan they really are – simple solution – stop buying or subscribing to them.
January 6th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Must be a slow news day – at least for political stories.
Dr Brash wasn’t exactly afforded the most positive news coverage when he was leader and it wasn’t going to change now that he’s not leader.
Media beat-ups & partisan new stories is one of the reasons for the rise in blog readership. They’ve only got themselves to blame for the decline in popular media.
January 6th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Shockingly the PM is currently drawing a salary and on holiday leaving a duty minister to deal with the Fiji crisis…
Very petty.
January 6th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
I assume he’s taking annual leave for his holiday?
If so, he’s enjoying the right we all have to paid holidays. In fact, he’s actually saving us money, if he worked through the Christmas break (where there’s no work to be done) he’d be paid for that AND get his leave entitlement paid out upon leaving.
January 6th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Pathetic yet again from the Herald. All wage and salary workers get paid while on annual leave.
Yet another reason NOT to buy this lame excuse for a newspaper. In my neighbourhood they’ve been boosting their “circulation” figures with lots of free “sponsored” newspapers followed up by some poor sod trying to flog subscriptions.
January 6th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Surely a better story would be the ongoing one that a corrupt former Minister of Immigration is still holidaying six months later on full pay and perks. There is obviously an enormous amount availiable for investigation here. Likewise there is an Assistant Commisiioner Of Police who has been on full pay and perks for at least two years yet there has been little criticism of a system which allows this.
January 6th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
The MSM reveal themselves as Left wing pawns ….surprise surprise! What a non story. After the theft and pillage this Labour crew have indulged in this is beyond pathetic.
After that fat arsed ho Clark has climbed another mountain at my expense they pull this shit…..ahhhhh!
January 7th, 2007 at 1:11 am
Brash deserves his holiday. Regardless of whether you agree with his policies, he served in a high profile, high pressure role in order to serve the public. Democracy functions best when there are a wide range of perspectives being put forward, and while I don’t agree with Brash on most issues, he was willing to participate and good on him for that.
I do find it ironic that many of the so-called ‘perk busters’ rally to Brash’s defence, when a year or two ago they were rallying behind Rodney Hide who wanted to do away with all such benefits for MPs. As already noted, being an MP isn’t all sunshine and light, and if having an overseas holiday every now and then helps our elected representatives keep some sense of perspective then surely that is a good thing?
The most interesting part of the Herald article was that John Key thinks $2,300 a week is ‘nickel and dime stuff’… not for most ‘mainstream’ kiwis!
January 7th, 2007 at 2:11 am
It is ridiculous bias but not totally unusual from our press to jump on something and ignore their double standards when it comes to Labour.
Remember, they have to keep their union happy!
January 7th, 2007 at 4:24 am
Now where is the Don holidaying ? Who with?
Surely he can do what Tony Blair does and find a rich celebrity like one of the Bee Gees or Cliff Richard?
I can only imagine the scandal if Dr Brash took a break at some luxury retreat owned by a member of the BRT.
But for Blair, it is all par for the course, the perks of office, while he still has it.
As for me, I’m leaving cold wet Britain tomorrow for a week in the Costa del Sol with my parents.
Spain is a winter bolt hole for retired Brits.
I’ll be back in Perth at the end of the month.
Hope the NZ weather picks up for you all.
January 7th, 2007 at 8:49 am
Electoral Act 1993
s54 – Term of office of member of parliament
(2)Where any person whose name is entered on a party list submitted pursuant to section 127 of this Act, is declared by the Chief Electoral Officer to be elected as a member of Parliament, the person shall, subject to this Act,—
(a)Come into office on the date after the date of the return made by the Chief Electoral Officer pursuant to section 193 of this Act;
January 7th, 2007 at 10:53 am
For once I agree with DPF. Virtually all MPs are currently on holiday – are they still drawing salaries? Of course they are. The fact that Don Brash has resigned and is taking a holiday is irrelevant. He made his resignation effective from a specific date – if he was drawing a salary after that date, then there would be cause for concern.
A more interesting question is why is parliament shut down for so long? We regularly hear politicians saying how hard they work and the hours involved in the job, etc. Surely the answer is simple. Work the same number of hours during more weeks of the year. If you stop working for months, then of course your workload is going to be higher than if you didn’t have such a long break.
January 7th, 2007 at 10:55 am
I agree that this is a stupid beat-up, what a waste of front page space (not to mention valuable investigative journo time). The man is entitled to a holiday. I imagine it’s been a while since he had one.
January 7th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
So it looks like I’m wrong (or atleast very inept in my rather quick analysis), so let’s have anonther punt (I’ll probably get my ass handed to me again, but this one’s quite fun).
DPF said: “Graeme – I am 98% sure you are wrong. MPs start getting paid from the day they are gazetted as an MP, and the swearing in has absolutely no relation on this.”
Well I may have been wrong, but you possibly were too.
MP’s get paid because the Civil List Act 1979 appropriates money for them to be paid, s 18(1) states:
“The salary … of each [MP] shall be payable in respect of the period commencing on the day after polling day for the election at which the member is elected…”
And s 18(2) states:
“Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, where a member is returned unopposed at a by-election that is not contested, the period in respect of which the salary and allowance of that member shall be payable shall commence on the day on which the Returning Officer publicly declares that member to be elected.”
And s 18(5) states:
“In this section the expression polling day, in relation to any election, means the day appointed in the writ for that election for the polling to take place if a poll is required.”
My (new) theory – list MPs assuming office between elections are not entitled to be paid at all. MPs winning by-elections are, MPs winning uncontested by-elections are, but new list MPs? There’s no provision to pay them, and we all know that without an appropriation taxpayer money cannot be spent.
January 7th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
This story is much the same sort of partisan crap which has been peddled by the NYT, LAT and Mineapolis Star Trib – in this case, anti-Bush. The Strib has just been sold off to an asset stripper for a song and the NYT dynasty has been forced to sell off half a bill of assets to stay afloat as their readership and value plummets. The LAT is rapidly going broke as its owner strives to shore up the sinking ship.
If you alienate half your potential market you have to double your market share just to stand still. Not an easy chore, folks.
The same fate will come to the Herald if it it continues with this nonsense.