Pigs, Troughs and PM Entitlements

-


Images of pigs and troughs came to mind when it was revealed that the Prime Minister was was introducing a bill to lock in perks for former Prime Ministers. He will obviously benefit hugely from the passing of this bill and, given his personal wealth and the state of the economy, even thinking of doing this is a little obscene.

Perhaps twenty years ago the situation was different, retired Prime Ministers had fewer work opportunities  and spouses would have had minimal incomes. Geoffry Palmer, Mike Moore, Jim Bolger , Helen Clark and Jenny Shipley all continue to work and earn substantial pays. Jenny Shipley has received $108,000 over the last three years in annuities and travel, even though she has not been PM for 13 years, she is also creaming $1000 a day for being a member of panel set up to monitor the management of the Christchurch earthquake.

While most New Zealanders are having a zero budget to look forward to and experiencing ongoing cuts to government services, this sense of entitlement and selfish arrogance is appalling. The Green Party has asked for the payments to be scrapped and Metiria Turei rightly claimed that there is no justification for paying people for no reason. The Prime Minister provided no proof of the value of the spending, just that they were "modest by overseas standards".  It is bad enough that ethical concerns have taken no part in the management of the Banks affair but when you consider the intent behind this bill it is obvious that shame is not an emotion that John Key is capable of experiencing.

Comments

gazzamuso said…
Very glad the Greens are keen to scrap these payments, they make no sense whatsoever. I love Helen, but she must be creaming it at the UN!
May 7, 2012 at 11:58 AM
Dave Kennedy said…
I agree, Gazzamuso, she probably doesn't need the $200,000 she has received from us over the last 3 years now that she is regarded as one of the most powerful woman in the world:

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/23/the_most_powerful_women_youve_never_heard_of
May 7, 2012 at 12:07 PM
rob said…
Helen Clark is receiving around US500.000 plus generous retirement package and perks in her UN job. This is on top of a NZ Goverment retirement package and perks and soon to be collecting NZ Super. Also owns 3 houses.
This is the champion of the working class!
June 17, 2012 at 11:09 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The US is actually unique for not valuing life!

-
Image
"...that’s what sets America apart from every other country; we value life. That is what makes us unique.” - Sarah Sanders There is a high level of delusion operating in the White House. The stream of mistruths that come out of President Trump and Sarah Sanders' mouths are clearly blatant lies but millions of US citizens believe them. With daily diets of Fox News and living in a very insular culture , there is little that challenges these false perceptions of US "greatness".  When comparing the United States of America with most other developed nations it becomes clear that it probably places less value on life than most and doesn't compare well with many developing countries too: If the US really valued life then it would abolish the death penalty, it is the only Western Country that executes people under law ( 23 people were executed in 2018 ).  If the US really valued life then it would have an equitable and universal health care system. The cur
Read more

The Destruction of New Zealand's Public Education System

-
Image
In 2008 New Zealand was internationally ranked in the top seven for educational achievement, and when you compared us with other countries that were also culturally diverse and experiencing growing inequality, we were extremely successful. At that time our Early Childhood sector had received a much overdue boost in funding from the Labour Government after being underfunded (as a % of GDP) compared to other OECD nations for years. The sector was working towards a target of having 100% qualified teachers in all centres. We were also in the process of implementing a new National Curriculum and a complementary curriculum for Maori ( Te Marautanga o Aotearoa ). Teachers were excited about putting all their energies into the new ideas and approaches that were espoused in these co-constructed documents that had taken around seven years to review and write. Evidence, research and practitioner input had created something that would allow us to prepare New Zealand children to become
Read more

ANZAC DAY REFLECTIONS

-
Image
I find ANZAC Day creates a dilemma for me, consequently I rarely attend dawn parades. I fully support people recognising the human cost of wars and remembering family members who lost their lives on battlefields. A grandfather of mine fought in WW1 and was gassed in the French trenches, which compromised his health for the rest of his life. His wife (my grandmother) lost her young brother in WW2. The sacrifices and human costs of war should never be minimalised. However, while speeches at ANZAC parades are full of statements promoting peace and the futility of war, those who campaign hardest for peace, promote nonviolence and call for weapons reductions are often treated like criminals. Anyone who dares to mention our own war crimes or that of our allies are generally shut down or demonised. It has become a sort of cultural heresy to question the reputation and glorification of the ANZACs.  I would love to see greater balance in how we talk about war and properly recognise those who ha
Read more