So how the f($k do you spend $47m on renovating even a large house??? Who signs off on these decisions???

DPF … that $47m figure needs a lot of further investigation. Seems like plenty of ammunition for an Opposition looking to point to profligate public spending.

And home again afterwards, which was rather dangerous given the volume of drinking in Parliament in those days. On the night he announced the Schnapps Election, kindly Don McKinnon snuck down to the Beehive carpark and let the air out of all four of Muldoon’s tyres, to ensure the roads were safe that night.

Nowadays, of course, the incumbent would whoosh down the emergency lane with a police escort – unaware, naturally, of her speed or our plight.

What do you mean, your plight? Don’t you live in Perth?

In any event, our politicians are not driven around with police escorts. The one time this happened, the outcome was such that it made it highly unlikely ever to be repeated.

There was a time when the PM walked to work from 41 Pipitea Street, had haircuts at a Molesworth Street hairdresser (Maggies or predecessor?), and his 41 Pipitea St phone number was in the phone book. Mat Rata took it over in 1972 and AFAIK it was subsequently used for offices.

Tell us all what a cool place it is nowadays!

“I’m concerned that this thread has turned into a let’s bash Lower Hutt.”

Whats wrong with that? …bashing the Hutt Valley is about the best thing the place has going for it, the sooner Wellington gets full independence from Upper and Lower bogan the better.

Perhaps you could all compare Lower Hutt’s rate rises with your own – over the past four years we’ve gone up at less than the rate of inflation without jacking up lots of debt. And unlike Wellington, you can bike and walk everywhere because its flat. And it’s warmer, has better recreation facilities, more parks, more bush reserves, the best public transport in NZ. (I could go on for hours)

Although I can’t deny that SH2 from Ngauranga to Upper Hutt needs major upgrading!

Its about time the bastards were told “this is your place and you will like it or find something yourself at your OWN cost”

Premier House had been the official PM’s house until Savage, who didn’t want to live there, so it was turned into a dental clinic

So when politicians moved back in it went from giving people pricks to housing them?

It is a lovely house, far nicer than Premier House, which always seemed to me like the setting for a Stephen King horror film. As for PMs driving themselves, I recall sitting in the traffic on the Hutt “motorway” fuming at poor planning and Wellington’s laughable roads when I glanced over and saw a bloke with an equally infuriated expression. It was Lange. Knowing that the high and mighty had to put up with it somehow made it easier to bear. Nowadays, of course, the incumbent would whoosh down the emergency lane with a police escort – unaware, naturally, of her speed or our plight.

Looking at this with Modern Eyes I tend to agree with you however you must remember the time and how innocently naive we as a country were. Personally I have very fond memories of Dave Lange doing exactly the same thing (driving his own vehicle) around Mangere along dropping off my Father at home after work, going to skating lessons with his kids at a public skating rink, and him even having him join us once or twice to have fish and chips.

I don’t know if the Diplomatic Protection Squad were sitting outside somewhere (I doubt it) but either way I doubt these sort of ordinary and mundane events would ever be allowed to happen these days regardless of the actual person in that position.

Is it true that very close to the election Andterton is going to retire (as he cannot stomach oposition) and he will instead try to annoint that Commie Robson as his successor?

That is why he does not mind giving up the house in shitty Lower Hutt?

I heard it on radio this morning, but I thought they said $4-7 million…..

In fact, while we’re at it why don’t we hock off the Parliament buildings for private development as well, and move the House and the ministerial offices and all the government departments out to the old Todd park complex in Porirua? Imagine the tax cuts that would pay for!

On a more serious note, does any one have a picture of Vogel House, it sounds quite nice but I cant seem to find anything on line?