Well done Rodney
Rodney’s announcements speaks for itself. In full:
I have asked you here today because I want to apologise. I want to apologise to the public. I want to apologise to my colleagues and to my supporters.
But most importantly I want to apologise to the people of Epsom. I promised the people of Epsom I would make them proud of me as their MP. I have let them down.
I have made mistakes.
I have shown poor judgement. For that I am very sorry.
I accept that I have failed to live up to the important principle that I have set, that politicians should always remember that they are spending taxpayers’ money, and therefore must spend it carefully.
I am proud of the work I have done on behalf of taxpayers.
I am proud of the work I am doing in my local government portfolio on behalf of ratepayers.
I am not proud of my casual use of taxpayers’ money to take a holiday in Hawaii with my partner. That was wrong. My decision to repay that money ($10,022.40) was easy when I took the time to reflect on what I had done.
I can well understand why hard-working New Zealand families are appalled that I took such a holiday at their expense during these difficult economic times, even though no rules were broken.
I have also decided to repay the cost of my partner’s airfares for the trip to London, Canada and the United States that she accompanied me on in September. I will be providing Parliamentary Services with a cheque for $11,952.00 in the morning.
I want to publicly apologise to John Key for distracting attention away from the important job his government has in lifting New Zealand’s economic performance and providing the standard of living we all aspire to.
The Prime Minister has entrusted me with a big and important job. He is excellent to work with, and I appreciate his very generous support, especially over the last two weeks.
I have always been conscious that every dollar a government spends is a dollar out of the pocket of a hard working kiwi. But in the challenge, the hard work, and the excitement of my ministerial job I lost sight of that for myself. I fully accept that I can only demand high standards of others if I always meet the same high standards myself.
It’s not about the rules – it’s about doing the right thing.
I want to conclude by making two important commitments to the public, my colleagues and supporters.
- I will never again use taxpayers’ money for any overseas holidays.
- I will continue to work hard to do the very best job I can as a minister and a member of parliament to honour the trust that the people of Epsom have shown in electing me to represent them.Thank you.
Very pleased to see Rodney do this. I think it is great we have a Minister who wants to keep rates down and slow down the rate of regulation. The events of the last week were threatening to undermine his work, so he has done what is necessary to move on.
I think MPs from all parties should be wary of using the subsidised overseas travel perk that exists for MPs who entered before 1999. It got abolished for more recent MPs for a reason, and any current MP who uses it for personal travel is going to possibly find the cost of using it is more than the “saving”.
November 8th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
It’s good that he’s apologised and good that he’ll repay the money. Obviously he wants to get this out of the way so he can continue his supercity work, though I highly doubt he’ll get a second chance.
Now, Hone, what have you to say?
November 8th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Well done for taking responsibility Rodney
Your turn Hone
November 8th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
That’s quite a mea cupla.
It’s takes years to build trust, and only one momentary slip-up to destroy it, as Rodney has discovered.
I think he can recover from this, but he’s going to need lots of +ve runs on the board in the months ahead.
November 8th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
The fact he’s apologised is one thing.
The fact he thought it was ok to do it until he got caught means it’s not worth shit in my opinion. He didn’t know how to do the right thing before he was outted?
His only regret seems to lie in getting caught.
November 8th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Fucking hell!!!
I cannot remember ever seeing such a full and frank apology in the last ten to fifteen years from a politician.
Rodney may well have won back my support.
November 8th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
He’s only sorry cause he got caught. He has a case of the Winstons, too long in parliament breeds arrogance. And as for Hone, fuck all will happen there. It just isn’t PC to go after the Bros.
November 8th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
He is still a hypocrite and Murray is right. He is only paying it back because he was caught. To claim it in the first place shows a cynical disregard of the principles he supposedly believes in.
Perk busted!
November 8th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Oh fuck off Mickey – how long until your lot apologize for the last nine years? I wont hold my fucken breath!
November 8th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Yo pricky, a year since the salvation and I haven’t seen Hulen’s awful face since. She says her Premiership was “a distant memory.” It isn’t with me.
Oh well, there’s always the by-elections!
November 8th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
At least he has shown remorse.
How is it that one politician can get caught in the trough (a perfectly legal trough) get hounded by the media for weeks, and then apologise and pays it back.
Yet another politician gets caught twice, it gets two stories in the media, to which the politician says “I don’t give a shit”, later followed by a tirade via email which includes the phrase “white motherfuckers”.
Left wingers still treat politician 1 with contempt, left wingers defend politician 2 to the hilt.
Says it all about the state of NZ, really.
November 8th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
I’m always a bit conflicted by these political apologies. They really cost nothing and are obviously designed to get you out of a tight spot. And they’re insincere: “a moment of madness” or “I have shown poor judgement”.
Actions speak louder than words. And the actions have spoken for Rodney. We wouldn’t have had the apology if he hadn’t been caught out, so how sincere can it be?
I’d like to see Rodney step down and Heather Roy stand for leader. I’ve always thought of him as a bit of clown so part of this is a pre-existing bias against Mr Hide.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
For those who think he apologised solely because he was caught, think again.
He knew he would be caught. He was caught because he was responsible for changing the rules to ensure there was transparency in MP’s perks. He knew it would be made public – he was responsible for making it so!!!
He erred because he underestimated the public backlash. That’s all, and that’s human.
If you want robots then go and play with your Meccano sets.
I’ve been told the relationship between National and ACT has never been better. That hasn’t necessarily been the case in the past. This is very good for governance. And so is Hide’s apology.
And as he says, now he can go on with the excellent work he is doing both in Epsom and in his portfolios.
Onwards and upwards fellas.
My final comment is this: Labour spent $800K in the 2005 election “within the rules”. Then the A-G said it was outside the rules. Did you ever hear a single utterance of contrition from those thieving scumbags? Never. They changed the law to make it legal which made it doubly worse.
There are new standards now and it’s showing with this apology.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Sorry Rod. You’ve shown only one thing, and it something that has been shown time and time again, you can never trust politicians. I wouldn’t accept the apology from any other politician and I won’t accept it from you.
.. and how can you today say Key is “excellent to work with” after what you said “off the record” just a few days ago?
To me this looks like just another exercise in self survival from just another conniving troughing MP.
NZ is knee deep in political corruption, and it won’t change until the socialist syndrome has run its course.
Let’s just reduce MP numbers to 20 or so. At least then we can keep a better eye on the thieving wasting lying pack of bastards.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Although this was an unfortunate incident, in the scheme of things, (certainly considering the litany of lies from the past nine years) it is but one more addition to the now exorbitant list of trivia that seems to occupy way too much time in this nation.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
This is a quite different apology from the type of Clayton’s apology that we came to expect from Helen Clark on rare occasions. In Hide’s position she might have been moved to say something like: “No offence was intended, but if anyone took offence then I regret that outcome.”
November 8th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
SO rodney has to apologize unlike another so called mp who wont and who is a WHITE PEOPLE HATER(even though he is of mixed race)…………Hone i hope you get VITILIGO……….
November 8th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
I agree with RedBaiter. Not sure about the 20 MPs though – we’d need at least twice that number to ensure there were actually any in NZ at any one time. A single tsunami could see the whole government out for weeks.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
It’s quite good to see Rodney admitting his mistake (second time in a week). What will now matter is whether he can deliver some results in both his portfolio and as an MP. Given the closeness of both mistakes, I think people will lump them together (in mental terms, probably forgetting his remarks about Key) and be willing to forgive him, but I think he’s now operating on a no margin of error basis. It will be interesting to see if Rodney can use such forgiveness and make something of his current position.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Lets consider the human element of what he had done, he used entitlements he had gain from his employer, which happens to be the tax payer, to his benefit. Now lets consider what Joe Average does, he will make sure he gets every cent and perk he can from his employer, and he will try his dambest to pay as little tax and get as much entitlements he can from the government (I certainly have). Rodney Hide is human.
Although, what he did was stupid and hypocritical (and as his perkbusting campaign was distracting and populist), at least he has apologised. ACT still are the best and most common sense party in parliament despite Rodney’s recent stupidity.
Hone, do the right thing and apologise then quit you deluded racist turd.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
I have always been conscious that every dollar a government spends is a dollar out of the pocket of a hard working kiwi. But in the challenge, the hard work, and the excitement of my ministerial job I lost sight of that for myself. I fully accept that I can only demand high standards of others if I always meet the same high standards myself.
It’s not about the rules – it’s about doing the right thing.
Hope this was cc’d to Bill English and the Greens.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Sadly, I don’t agree that Rodney Hide has “done well” – as this thread suggests.
Let’s be realistic – the only reason why Rodney Hide has come out with an apology is blatantly because he was caught and his reputation was literally sinking.
I personally believe that the entire storm created by Hone was seen as a strategic scape goat by Rodney for a quick and easy apology and although this seems to be done successfully one does not easily forgot the gloom of public theft and miss use of funding as well as defiance of his leader – the Honourable Prime Minister.
It’s a bit like a thief apologizing for wrong-doing in the court of law – however admirable the act of justice maybe, the wrong doing in every sense will continue to loom above the head for as long they live. Rodney Hide will never be seen in the same light again and this is one of the factors that politicians need to accept. Their actions will always carry consequences and simple apologizes will not change this.
The only “admirable” act Rodney has done within the last week is his proposed check to pay back in full what simply wasn’t his to spend…
November 8th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Im wondering why he’s getting a hard time for his comments re key.He was bang on and many here have been saying the exact same thing.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Rodney was wrong to use the perk and it was the only honorable thing to do to pay it off. His integrity is still damaged. He will have to function well as a minister to regain my faith (I voted ACT on the basis of reducing governmental perks and spending and now feel betrayed). I congratulate Lockwood Smith in making these details public and I would challenge other MPs from a bygone era to detail travel Perks they claimed. For instance, How much did the tax payer spend on Peter Davis so he could go through LAX and other airports around the world?
November 8th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
He has done a whole lot better than any Labour MP especially Chris Carter who used and abused this perk over and over again. Well done Rodney now get on with the work of the Government.
November 8th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Mr Hide may well mean everything he says. We’ll never know, for he has been forced to abase himself in order to survive. What is incontrovertible is that his credibility is shot. And this is the contrast with Mr Harawira. The latter has never made a principle out of perk-busting. Indeed. he seems to think that membership of Parliament involves some sort of pay-back for past expropriations. The two issues are not commensurate, as a moment’s thought would confirm.
November 8th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
“Im wondering why he’s getting a hard time for his comments re key.”
Well, on which occasion was he speaking the truth??
November 8th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Perfect apology, apart from “…even though no rules were broken”. A bit of a sickening qualification, Rodney.
There’s a reason I voted National instead of ACT Rodders…
…after two wasted votes for ACT it was better to have half a “no more Labour” instead of none of a mid life crisis.
Are you hearing me?
No matter your age, there are things to learn.
Learn Rodney.
And perhaps next election’s vote will be ACT’s again?
November 9th, 2009 at 1:47 am
“I congratulate Lockwood Smith in making these details public”
He didn’t.
ACT and the Greens voluntarily disclosed the details earlier in the year which forced the other parties to do so too.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:46 am
Keha Kaha Rodney…our warrior returns from the battlefields undaunted….tin of coco cartour!
But seriously….Bad boy Rodney,take it on the chin.But you are still on the right side of the ledger with taxpayers who seem ignorant of the hundreds of millions you have saved them over the years standing up to dopey shit like the parlimentary palace as well as taming the IRD under the monster Birch who seemed to thrill to the suicides of taxpayers (Ian Mutton and son) under his watch.Not to mention taking down a real crook in one Winston Peters which should have earned you a greatest living New Zealander nomination.
You are far ahead of any National or Labour MP morally in service to the taxpayer so don’t feel too down…you at least have tried to help them.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:26 am
NZ is relatively uncorrupt. If the wishes of that poster were inflicted on the country we would see a far greater corruption of our democracy.
Any democratic government must have degree of socialism.
Hide has shown some human fallibility, but he has also shown a lot of courage in making a decent apology. Now he knows how easy it is to succumb to the baubles of power, if he takes this experience on board properly he will be a better MP for it. Good people inevitably make mistakes, and they learn from them.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:27 am
Rodney Hide has nothing to apologise for. He’s not stealing $250 million a week from the productive to pay for Labour’s lame elecion promises.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:47 am
LOL. Nice to see y’all rushing to wee Rodney’s side. Bunch of apologists when the shoes on the other foot.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Can anyone recall inside the last 10 years, *any* politician, giving such a decent apology when he hasn’t broken any rules?
Please provide examples – I’d like to read up on them.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:13 am
It doesn’t say much for our society that we object to our leaders getting the rewards they deserve for their hard work in Parliament on our behalf … shame on you nitpicking petty ……indeed they are insignificant baubles you are burbling on about.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:18 am
I wonder when Chris Carter will open his/her cheque book.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Mike, Murray M, Mickeysavage etc etc
The guy made a mistake, was caught, publicly apologised, made reparations. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT?
He’s a great example to everyone – to err is human, even the best make stupid mistakes, and when you do, you swallow your pride, apologise and make reparations.
Hell, no pollie on left has even bothered to apologise, let alone pay the $800,000 back!
And to come out with stupid statements like “He’s only sorry cause he got caught.” and “He is only paying it back because he was caught” is childish.
You have no idea what is really going through Hide’s mind, so you cannot judge the honesty and genuineness of his apology.
To try and do so is childish and pathetic.
The fact that he apologised in public AND paid the money back promptly shows me that he realises no-one is above remorse. Even those who move in the lofty circles of parliament are accountable for their actions.
Challenge: what law, what rules did Rodney break?
Oh that’s right, none. He simply broke his own standards. And then repented and tried to repair the damage.
Give the guy a break.
Rufus
November 9th, 2009 at 9:02 am
“NZ is relatively uncorrupt.”
Yawn. More baseless assertion from the Progressive religious base.
NZ is politically corrupt from top to bottom and if necessary I could provide 100 examples of this evil, starting with the TOW, a farce of lies and propaganda of an immensity that equals holocaust denial, and MMP, where political horse trading after the election leads to compromise and betrayal by almost every politician.
You’re completely bereft of integrity. Fuck off and die you shameless liar.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Rodney seems to have learned from Nixon, whose apology to the American people in the famous David Frost interview began his road to rehabilitation – even if it was partial. (Now made into an excellent film – see it on Sky.)
Rodney even used some of the same words. Nixon said “I have let down the American People.)
Go listen.
It worked for Nixon.
It could do the same for Rodney.,
November 9th, 2009 at 9:17 am
“More baseless assertion” – says the king of baseless assertions.
Corruption Perception Index: In 2008 New Zealand ranked first with Denmark and Sweden as the least corrupt nation in the world.
“Fuck off and die you shameless liar.”
What would the Redbaiter model of government look like?
You could take a lesson from Rodney – except you don’t appear inclined to learn off moderate and reasonable people.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:18 am
I don’t understand the cynics here.
Everybody makes stupid mistakes.
The difference is what you do when challenged.
Some ignore, divert attention, obfuscate, or counter-attack. (Winston Peters for example) Not nice.
Others acknowledge their wrong-doing, apologise, try to make reparations, and move on. Nice.
Isn’t that the correct response?
I guess some here hold others to different standards than themselves.
Rufus
November 9th, 2009 at 9:24 am
The only “admirable” act Rodney has done within the last week is his proposed check to pay back in full what simply wasn’t his to spend…
That’s bullshit.
He broke no rule or law.
He and others are entitled to it and should use it until the rule is changed.
He and all sitting MP’s who qualify are now being prejudiced against in favour of ex MP’s who are still using it.
I hadn’t read his apology until now and would ask when has any MP ever said that before over a non wrong doing.
If Key was serious about saving money the parliamentary services would be open to OIA.
Rodney has gone up in my estimation though I’d prefer Heather Roy as leader.
Wonder what Cactus says?
November 9th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Morons who quote Transparency International’s ratings in the belief that they are any kind of measurement of political corruption are beneath contempt. They measure convictions involving corruption between the private sector and the bureacracy, not internal legislative corruption. Don’t you think that these ratings have ever been debated before on Kiwiblog??
Please take your never ending tired old clapped out Progressive propaganda to The Standard. You do nothing but pollute this forum with endless left wing lies and hate disguised as “moderate comment”. So tedious.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Hes finished!
I guess the rationale from DPF that he needed the ‘company’ for a 2 week trip doesnt wash now we know it ‘coincided’ with his new girlfriends brothers wedding
November 9th, 2009 at 9:35 am
“You are far ahead of any National or Labour MP morally”
That’s just the point.
He may have been once, but he sure ain’t now.
PS- James- Where’s the answer to my query? (When was he telling the truth about key?) Ignored for some strange reason. Wonder what that could be?
November 9th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Stupid mistake my arse, Hide isn’t a new boy who came down in the last shower, he’s a long serving and experienced member who must have known exactly what he was doing.
So he shows himself to be no different to the rest of the troughers and his claytons apology wont wash.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:52 am
“NZ is relatively uncorrupt.”
You’ve done nothing to show this is baseless. I don’t expect to, you rely on baseless assertions and abuse.
What has happened here with Hide is hardly an example of rampant corruption – what he did was dumb, but it was within the rules, and the details were openly revealed. Hide has not tried to hide from responsibility. He has demonstrated a lot more integrity than you ever have.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:58 am
Apology not accepted.
He knew all along what he was doing was against the core principles he preaches to the NZ public. Hide is just another trougher caught red-handed.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:59 am
The discount holiday entitlement is dead. There is now a new “rule”.
Gosh Phil Goff was a fool this morning on Moaning Report. Discretion is the better part of valour.
Now where is Chris Carter’s $70k refund? His spend too was within the rules.
If it is morally unacceptable for one MP to take the discounted holiday travel as he is entitled to do, then it is morally unacceptable for any to do so.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:03 am
I noticed that Phil’s piece was a recorded statement. Probably didn’t want to risk having Plunket ask the obvious.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:04 am
I found his apology sincere and suitably contrite. It is very refreshing to come across a politician who apologizes when in the wrong. If the NZ public continue to crucify him after the apology then it just sends the message back to all the other MP’s that apologizing and admitting when you’ve done wrong doesn’t help. I for one would prefer the message to be that we are willing to forgive if the politician admits their wrongdoing, makes apology and refunds the money.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Good on him. Definitely the right thing to do. But IMHO he is probably mainly sorry he got caught…
November 9th, 2009 at 10:07 am
A better comparison for Redbaiter is probably Hone – abusive, dismissive of critics and radical – albeit in slightly different political spectrums.
No hiding from Hone Redbaiter.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:25 am
I can’t believe you are all fawning over this dribbly, school boy routine…., oh, hang on, I can. This is Rodney Hide, he doesn’t do apologies. He’s only doing so because Crosby Textor have ripped him a new one after his ‘do nothing prime minister’ comments last week.
Let’s have some good old ACT justice: strike one – Douglas’ London trip; strike two – Rodney’s girlfriend’s OE; strike three – YOU’RE OUT!
ACT need to change their economic policies from FREE MARKET to FREE LOADING!
November 9th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Is that really fair to Hone?
November 9th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Let’s put ALL political leanings, allegiances and party affiliations to one side for a moment, red, blue, left, right, green or whatever the fuck you may be and just be brutally honest here for a minute.
Let’s put aside that MP’s are effectively “employed” by the taxpayer because it is not a job and if you really believe it is then it is a job that you should never be allowed to get your hands on.
Rodney is a hypocrite and a trougher. He has used a large sum of public money inappropriately, and it is a large sum. We are talking about other peoples dollars here.
To know that this piece of shit sees fit to spend a third of the average NZ household income to take some tart abroad with him is sickening. Whether he is technically allowed to or not is immaterial.
The fact that this is a very, very, very tiny drop in the bureaucratic ocean is just disgusting and proof that none of these clueless arseholes actually have the slightest grip on reality.
It’s really comforting to know that the tax take from myself for the 2009 financial year on a well above average salary was just enough to cover Rodney’s girlfriends flights.
It’s even more comforting to know that the remaining few thousand dollars was wisely spent on beneficiaries, a corrupt “justice” system, cash-hemmoraghing government infrastructure projects and a world class public health system and transport infrastructure.
And that is the fucking point for those too thick to grasp it.
And for the record, those of us privileged enough to be provided with benefits from our employer AND a sense of moral fibre, do not go around ripping the fucking arse out of the system. It’s the fastest way to get them cut in the real world. Dickheads.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Fale Andrew Lesa, that’s the most stupid comment you’ve made so far.
Rodney had done NOTHING wrong. No law was broken or bent. What he did was ENTIRELY LEGAL.
But of course, it was hypocritical. Campaigning to abolishing a law, get it abolished, make your name with it, and years later use that same law yourself.
What happened is that as minister, he thought he was entitled. I’ve to work so hard (which he does, insane hours), I want to have some private life and spent some hours with my girl friend as well. He forgot the bigger picture momentarily.
But he stepped back. He showed that he was more than a politician, perhaps more human than most, to see what he did was, although legally right, it was morally wrong, and apologise.
And as already said in this thread: we have another government we was caught actually outside the law, but changed the law retrospectively. A couple of times actually. Not a peep from the Labour apologists.
I wish we had more politicians like that. Such as John Key, who just ignored 1.4 million Kiwis who want to see the anti-smacking law changed. When do we get a public outcry in the NZ Herald about that? We won’t.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Nefarious, wake me up as soon as you challenge a certain Labour MP about morality.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:50 am
I couldn’t give a shit if he paid it back either.
The fact that he can afford to stick his hand in his pocket and pay for it now makes it even more inexcusable that he sponged in the first instance.
I used to like Rodney, I thought he had character, real character. I thought that ACT espoused values of personal responsibility and standing on your own two feet.
In an effort to pre-empt the cat calls of socialist hating kiwiblogger rednecks (the usual suspects, I suspect), please do not do me the disservice of accusing me of being any shade of red or green.
Abhorrence of hypocrisy and greed should apply to any political leaning and I gave 2 ticks national in november praying for a change of direction.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:51 am
People get mightily pissed when they see a concrete example of the wastage and junketing that goes on. Image what we don’t see?
Maybe Rodney could channel his remorse energy to push for full transparency on all government spending. Why not have all government spending available on a website for public scrutiny? No disinfectant like sunshine.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Look bellend, I don’t give a shit about Labour.
I did not vote for them and I detest their politics but at least they believe in a true sense of entitlement due to their warped “something for nothing” attitudes.
If Rodney CAN afford to pay for his crumpet then why the fuck should we? Allowance or otherwise?
I spent 9 years berating Labour for the shit house, pocket lining, agenda pushing cretins they were, the fact is that parrot is dead. It’s not resting, stunned or even pining for the fjords. D-E-D dead.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:06 am
More importantly, why has no-one asked Krystal what she thinks of Rodney’s new squeeze?
November 9th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Joe 90 is correct when he says “So he shows himself to be no different to the rest of the troughers and his claytons apology wont wash”
No doubt the Diaks and Gooners of ACT will be increasing the the charges to see and hear “The Trougher” I thought of a better way the ACT party could make a quick buck to pay for Hides troughing. Make Hide a “PINATA” a harness around his shoulders and a harness around Hides waste hang him from a tree. Say $45.00 a swing at the thieving Bum! I would suggest a Hickory Pictch Fork handle for the job.
No excuse for Hide put a good National candidate up and hes gone
November 9th, 2009 at 11:57 am
For me what will be interesting is how this plays out in the medium term. I mean I have never understood why all politicians have been so reluctant to say ’sorry, mucked that up, am human and will do better next time’ – as Rodney has essentially done. I assumed it was because some clever polling told them this would come back to haunt them. Will it for Rodney? As Auckland Supercity is rolled out will people/media/other politicans say “well you made poor judgement on your travel perks – how can we trust you on major city restructuring”.
My guess is actually people will admire him for the mea culpa, debunking the idea that to apologise is bad – problem is if that happens we can look forward to 6 months of ’shit sorry fucked up, promise to be good’ from across the entire political spectrum. Man how boring would that be ?
November 9th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Government is inherently wasteful – that’s why the left are so wrong to expect government to do more.
Sure MPs should not say one thing and do another.
Of course it’s always harder to see one’s own hypocrisies or justify them than it is to see others. That is a human failing we all share. We are all fallen after all. The test of true character isn’t failing but doing something about it. More quickly and more honestly than any politician in recent memory Hide has addressed his own failing.
In Hide’s case the taxpayer is now no worse off. And of course he never broke any rules.
Its soooooooooo good some on the left are getting in on this.
Will Goff support winding up the discount holiday airfares scheme? He only has to commit to that and it’s gone for all the MP’s and ex MPs that receive it. I am sure Key would leap at the chance of canning it given that every three months he will be required to answer for the rest of Parliament.
I now look forward to Labour MPs who vote against lowering the top marginal tax rate to continue on a voluntary basis to pay tax at the higher rate.
Now where is Chris Carter’s $70k refund?
November 9th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Um, the subsidy for private international travel hasn’t been abolished. The 1999 cutoff only applies to former MPs (including any MP elected before that time who subsequently stands down). Sitting MPs enjoy a discount on private international travel, ranging from 25% for an MP who has served one complete term (e.g. Nathan Guy) to 90% for one who has served four (e.g. Bill English). Despite DPF’s attempts to muddy the waters and point the finger away from the present crowd, they’re still troughing it.
(Don’t believe me? Read the rules here [PDF]. Compare rules 3.13 and 3.14 (sitting MPs) with 6.13 – 6.16 (former MPs). Then ask why the Speaker’s “transparency” doesn’t seperate the two forms of travel, or provide any information at all about the latter).
November 9th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I’d like to see any MP that has taken ANY AMOUNT from the public purse that they did not NEED to repay the whole fucking lot.
This should never be about privilege or legality. Demanding with menace, sorry I meant taxation, in order to fund luxuries for public servants is horse shit.
I dont expect espresso coffee, double ply shit paper or an expensed vehicle with a fuel card on a loss leader, why should these smug pricks?
There is a world of difference between perks in private enterprise and perks in government. No one is forced to pay for any private service.
How many of us would save the money we pay in tax each year and take our chance without the few meagre services these chimps manage to provide?
I’d happily pay for toll roads, hospitals, whatever.
November 9th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Rodney’s apology is commendable. I believe it is genuine. We should not be too cynical about it. I would rather have politicians apologising for their sins than the pack of arrogant scumbags we had for nine years up until last year. Cynicism on our part only discourages politicians from doing the right thing.
November 9th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
What’s Hide worried about? As soon as he leaves parliament he becomes eligible for the free lifetime subsidy. Just the same as Roger Douglas currently enjoys.
By then we in Auckland will be paying for his uncosted Supercity
So he can afford to give up the junket for a few years, once he’s retired he can resume his free party.
Suggestion- ask Lockwood to disclose how much these schemes cost Then ask Key whether he’s prepared to ban the junkets.
This is the different situation to the housing allowance. International travel is not a necessity. Politicians may want tobecome acquainted to teleconferencing and the internet podcasts.
November 9th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Bchapman is an idiot, idiotsavant on this issue is not.
What Hide got stopped in 1999 was taking the percentage of holiday travel discount gained while in Parliament into retirement where the entitlement is capped at a value of up to a business class fare for two to London and return.
Current MP’s can still earn a percentage discount on holiday travel and use it in an uncapped manner whilst they remain MPs. MPs elected post 1999 cannot take that percentage discount entitlement as part of their retirement like a pension. It stops when they leave Parliament.
The overall value of the entitlement whilst an MP was only relatively recently taken into account by the Remuneration Authority, I think in the 2000’s (2003?) and so the MP’s get their salary docked somewhat in recognition of the private nature of the entitlement. Prior to that, it was not formally considered part of the setting of MPs salaries.
It was an extra benefit the MPs gave themselves in the days when there was not the scrutiny – which has in part resulted from Rodney Hide’s activities. MPs (and the one MP who is by far largely the inventor of the scheme) justified it because when MPs set their own salaries (prior to the Higher Salaries Commission/Renumeration Authority) political pressure meant they engaged in unreasonable salary restraint so as a result they had to increase the overall value of the package indirectly in a manner that did not see them having to cast a vote in the Chamber for it.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Can someone explain to me – I mean really explain to me; why is it that when it comes to politicians – partisan hacks think anything (any breach of the law, any breach of the rules etc) can be forgiven if money is paid back?
If an MP rorts thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of dollars for private gain then we get all high and mighty and they pay it back… then we all move on.
Some poor bugger who works in a service station or a dairy who plucks $5 from the till to pay for bus fare – different story – theft as a servant charges are almost a certainty, he/she will loose their job AND have a conviction AND be required to pay it back. What a different world we would live in if anyone who stole stuff only needed to say sorry and pay it back. We wouldn’t need half as many prisons as we need today and a massive chunk of the crimes act could be struck from the statue books.
Rodney should resign, just like he said Winston should have resigned, just like Helen should have resigned… But I guess Rodney has one set of rules for others and one set for himself…. The same set for himself that he said Winston should not have been allowed to have. What a disgrace !
November 9th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Burt, the difference here is that Hide did not break the law, he did not steal. What he did was within the rules, but outside the recommendations of the PM and outside common sense considering Hide’s perk bashing background.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
The apology seems sincere and recompense has been made. That is acceptable to me. He has even gone further and promised not to take any further advantage of this outrageous perk and that too is good….Like others I wait for Chris Carter who took his headmaster partner around the globes dens of perversity to make similar recompense and also seek the foregivness of the taxpayers. No doubt his judgment was also clouded by love.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Pete George
So what you are saying is that the same person who has made a career out of being a perk buster is justified in falling for the baubles of office because no law was broken ?
Sorry – not good enough. But to get past the partisan hackery shit let me explain something very clearly. I was and ACT party member, I use to donate to ACT because of the strong perk busting stance that Rodney took.
No apology makes up for the complete stupidity Rodney has shown and paying it back just highlights how wrong his actions were.
I still agree with the ACT party philosophy/ideology, but I think Rodney has made his position untenable.
If Winston had done this last year Rodney would have said he should resign – just like I’m saying now about Rodney. ACT will be better off without him. Unlike a Labour party supporter, I don’t think “the leader” is more important that the integrity of the party.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Chris,
My apologies- as a pre 1999 elected MP, under 6.14-6.16 I assume he will be entitled to a 90% rebate of a fare up to the value of a London-Auckland return business class fare annually, once he retires.
Is this correct or am I missing something here?
November 9th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Pete, I really don’t know where your getting at here – we all know that laws were not broken with Rodney Hide’s large spend up and that is no hidden fact. I think the real issue here centralized on morality, principle and conduct as a parliamentarian and a minister and some of us can smell his hypocrisy in consistently condemning his colleagues with very little substance in terms of the missing line between him and his other colleagues.
I don’t think you realize that leaders are examples for the average Joe – by encouraging the average kiwi to earn more and spend less in terms of tightening up the belt load of debt it discourages a number of us when we see the same leaders exercising their rights for parliamentary privilege, taking holidays to the moon and back you might just find many of us will simply refuse.
Is a $100,000 + excess just not enough for our MP’s? Does this recession exclude parliamentarians?
Do legal aid lawyers take free holidays at the expense of the government? if not, why not? aren’t they devoting themselves to the state as well? …
Should social welfare officers be entitled to free food vouchers for their hard work and devotion? despite their $50, 000 salaries and other benefits.
Where does the line get painted here? Where are the boundaries and restraints drawn?
It’s a bit like corporate leaders accepting pay bonuses in the deep midst of the global recession (at the expense of government assistance) – down right disgusting!
I will not hesitate to condemn Rodney Hide for what he is – a man of smoke and little substance. Actions speak a lot louder than words!
November 9th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Burt:
All I can say is it appears you have been upset with ACT for a while. You will be equally demanding of all the National MP’s who have been using this discount holiday airfares scheme. The problem you have is the entire Parliament is at it. And its all within the rules that the Speaker has made on behalf of Parliament. Rodney Hide is the first (and probably the only MP) to refund the discount that he is lawfully entitled too. Some rare and special MP’s may holiday and wisely not apply for the discount.
Pete:
The discount on holiday airfares has nothing to do with the entitlement that all MP’s enjoy for various discounts on holiday airfares. Key’s edict related to Ministerial travel – nothing to do with holiday airfares discount.
bchapman:
Read my post above. Now send an email to Phil Goff and ask him will he back a winding up of the scheme so that no MP or ex MP gets a discount on holiday travel. And while you are at it copy in Jonathan Hunt, largely the architect of the scheme.
And then an email to Chris Carter – ask him will he match or better Rodney Hide. It would be like a reverse aunction – except the taxpayer wins everytime.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Chris
” All I can say is it appears you have been upset with ACT for a while.”
How could you possibly infer that?
Look it is really really simple: Rodney had my respect and support because he was a man of principle. He was the first to stand up and say “NO – we shouldn’t do that” when it came to MPs getting their grubby hands into my wallet for their own pleasure.
Hell he use to have video clips on his blog discussing shit like MPs not needing business class travel around NZ – $50 is a lot of money to a truck driver….
But to clarify – I’m not upset with ACT, I’m pissed with Rodney acting like Winston.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Thanks for the idea Chris-
I will email Phil Goff.
Don’t know if you remember Mark Latham (ex ALP leader) who made it an election promise to scale back some of the Australian parliaments ridiculously over the top superannnuation payments. John Howard matched him the next day.
About the only useful thing Mark Latham did.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Burt
The inference is drawn from you posting stressing your previous membership and financial support of ACT.
There is no comparision with Winston.
$154K not refunded to Parliamentary Service where the Auditor General said it breached his view of the rules. ACT refunded its $17k without debate.
$100k taken in donations re routed away from the party to special accounts that should have been disclosed as part of the NZ1 Party return of donations.
No comparision actually. Get a grip.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I didn’t say that at all. I was pointing out that what Hide did was not illegal, it was not theft as a servant that you were comparing him too.
I’ve been quite critical of what Hide did because of the principles he trampled on. But I’m also willing to accept his apology and repayments in good faith and am prepared to give him a chance to redeem himself.
I am not a Labour Party supporter, especially at the present time, although I think it would benefit everyone if Labour sorted their shit out and became a strong opposition party and contributed positively to our parliament. I prefer that all parties and MPs are capable and principled, including Act. Except maybe NZ First, I’ve written them off.
Fale Andrew Lesa, I do understand what you are saying, I think there are others who are confusing principles with legalities – Burt at least inferred law breaking.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Pete George
Forgetting we are discussing Rodney for a moment here, imagine this. I’ll write myself a cheque for a holiday instead of paying my prov tax or my GST. If the media get hold of it – then I’ll pay it back. You all good with that?
November 9th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
How bizzare.
Hide can pull off this contrition and folks like Farrar and his frenz bustle round to prop up this patently clear bullshit.
Shame. But with this current climate this mob can murder any principles we used to hold dear and their numb voters just keep wishing for the best.
How long will this rubbish go on?
I’m off and will return to N.Z when they’re out & we start repairing the damage.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Burt is a fool.
First arrange yourself an entitlement to discounted holiday airfares as Parliament has done for itself.
You imply there is something improper about using it that somehow Hide broke a rule.
He didn’t.
What he did do is break his own self imposed standards which are and were higher. He has apologised, refunded and asked for forgiveness.
Of course if it is morally unacceptable for one MP to exercise the entitlement to discounted holiday airfares then its wrong for all.
Simple as that.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Good stuff, keep grovelling to Epsom, really really really grovel. Theyre the ones keeping your MMP elected list MP’s in Parliament
November 9th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I wondered when Ratboy was going to show up. I suppose it takes time for Phool Goof to get his head round a login system.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Coming soon….How Rodney Hide made the travel perk untenable amoungst MP’s and therefore terminal…as he always wanted.Took a holiday that swept the woman he loves off her feet,especially when he went into bat for her against the whole nation,swoon! Managed to get himself a salary increase (see point one) which he will use to pay back the paltry 21 thou,won major sympathy for a great apology he never had to make but did so anyway,set up a dupe in Hone Harawira to take the major flak from a pissed off public and reminded people that Key is a do nothing lame duck who just wants “PM of NZ” on his CV…not to actual do anything to make this country better.
A conspirisy so cunning it could be a family of weasels…watch this space.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:10 am
embarrassing stuff
for rodney, he’s gone all red,
nay orange, with shame
November 10th, 2009 at 6:41 am
Here ya go. Turn some of your faux outrage onto these fella’s and don’t forget the other Carter from Auckland who spent $70,000.
Dunne, Carter hold out on perk
By MARTIN KAY – The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 10/11/2009
Two ministers who used their travel perks to spend thousands taking their wives on official overseas trips are refusing to follow Rodney Hide’s lead and refund the fares.
But a wave of bad publicity over the generous travel perks for MPs and their spouses has finally forced some ministers to pledge not to use the subsidies for overseas holidays until the economy improves.
Yesterday Mr Hide repaid nearly $12,000 he used to take girlfriend Louise Crome on an official trip to Britain, Canada and the United States. The ACT leader and local government minister had already repaid $10,000 for the couple’s holiday in Hawaii.
Prime Minister John Key told ministers in June to use their own money if they wanted their spouses with them on business overseas.
But though he has refused permission for Ministerial Services to fund spouses’ travel, he is powerless to stop ministers using their MPs’ travel perks.
MPs receive subsidies on international travel for themselves and their spouses or partners according to their length of service. A fifth-term MP such as Mr Hide gets the maximum 90 per cent rebate.
His decision to repay Ms Crome’s fare has put pressure on Revenue Minister Peter Dunne and Agriculture Minister David Carter to follow suit.
Mr Dunne spent about $12,000 taking wife Jennifer Mackrell to Europe in June. Mr Carter took wife Heather to Europe in July, but the cost has not been disclosed.
Mr Dunne would not say whether he would repay his wife’s fare. Mr Carter’s office indicated he would not refund the cost of his wife’s travel, but she would not go with him at taxpayers’ expense in future.
The Dominion Post has established that Police Minister Judith Collins used her perks to take husband David Wong-Tung on an official trip to Perth at a cost of $775.65.
She defended the spending as she was attending a conference of Australian state ministers, at which there was a function to which spouses were specifically invited. “Frankly, I think he gave very good value for money in terms of helping me represent New Zealand in my very first official meeting with the other ministers …”
Her husband, a former policeman with Samoan heritage, could have used her 50 per cent subsidy to travel to Samoa to help after the tsunami, but paid his own way.
Those other ministers who have confirmed using the perk for overseas breaks indicated they would not repay it, but several said they would stop using it while the economy was in trouble.
Defence Minister Wayne Mapp spent $3484 for his and wife Denise Henare’s holiday in the Cook Islands. He would not repay it, but would forgo the perk. “Although it is part of my remuneration, I will not be using it again in the current economic climate.”
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Justice Minister Simon Power claimed $3991 of the $5475 cost of taking wife Lisa to Perth in January, but would not make any further claims. Housing Minister Phil Heatley spent $924 taking wife Jenny to the Cook Islands, and would also not use the perk again.
Education Minister Anne Tolley spent $4120 for her and husband Allan to holiday overseas at an undisclosed destination and Health Minister Tony Ryall claimed $2560 to travel with wife Kara to Rarotonga.
Their offices did not say whether they would follow Mr Hide’s lead or would continue to use the subsidy for overseas holidays.
$40,000 JUNKET BILL
A $40,000 bill was run up by MPs and their spouses on the trip that landed Maori Party MP Hone Harawira in hot water.
The cost was roughly shared between the three MPs, so worked out at $13,300 for travel and accommodation.
The Office of the Speaker confirmed yesterday that the three MPs on the trip – Mr Harawira, National MP Katrina Shanks and Labour MP Rajen Prasad – all took their spouses with them.
The cost was covered by the Office of the Clerk, including the cost of spouses. But a spokesman said the cost was no more than it would have been for the MPs to travel alone, as they flew economy class, instead of business class, as MPs are entitled to.
Postscript; It appears that it doesn’t stop there. Here’s another couple of miscreants.
Northland MP John Carter’s bill for spousal travel for the nine months of the year so far was the next highest – he topped $31,000 – and ACC Minister Nick Smith’s was third highest, $26,000.
The figures are on top of their own domestic travel and ministerial official travel and could be a mixture of spouses, children and private international holidays.
Mr Carter married wife Leoni in January last year and Dr Smith married Linley Newport in April this year.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Thanks for that Viking2.
None of these cretinous shits are fit to run this country and the majority of them sure as fuck prance about like they are in it for the perks, the game, being seen on Breakfast with Paul Henry and his vacant sidekick. Anything but good governance.
How can any of them justify pissing public funds away taking the mrs on a holiday when they are paid what they are? It is unbelievable, I am truly dumbfounded by the lack of accountability or reality of these people.
Every dollar should be accounted for by these thieves (labour, national, green, act whatever). It’s as embarrassingly immoral as a charity fundraiser spending peoples donations to take their mates on the piss in the name of fundraising.
Disgusting wankers. Any of them that have unnecessarily spent a cent of yours or mine and you’d do well to remember that next time they ask for your support to represent the nation.