The Saint is pleased to see that Finance Minister Bill English has finally taken the bull by the horns and decided to forgo any future ministerial housing allowance and also pay back what he has already claimed.
He has now paid back more than $32,000 and pledged not to claim any more taxpayer cash for housing. That is a pretty heavy price to pay to get the media and others off his back.
English has been under fire over allowances claimed for living in his $1.2 million Wellington house, and has been unable to shut down the controversy since it was revealed back in July.
The deputy prime minister finally admitted yesterday that the row over his housing allowance had taken his attention away from running the economy. While I doubt that is true, as he is a focused man. But he is right his housing issue has been the focus of both the media and opposition attacks. It’s like he had painted a massive bulls-eye on his forehead and asked his critics to take free pot shots – which they gladly accepted.
I do feel sorry for English as he has done nothing legally or ethically wrong – and I am sure this will be proven down the track. Having in a past life worked for him, the Saint knows that Bill English is as honest as the day. He also is a big family man and believes it is important to have his family near him – that is why he moved them all to Wellington all those years ago.
Under the parliamentary rules he was entitled to do this as he is an electorate MP with a home based in Southland. He saw Southland as his home – despite him and his family having lived in Wellington for the past 10 years.
All ok by the rules, yet when you are a politician you need to look at more than the rules. As the well known axiom in politics says – perception is reality. And there was a real perception out there that English was milking the system for his own advantage. Not true, not fair, but when the issue is been fanned up by political opponents and run by a scandal-hungry media – poor old Bill was always on a hiding to nothing.
In fact it had got so bad that TV was actually polling people to ask them if they thought English was ripping off the system. The wily politician knew it was getting out of hand and that he needed to lance the boil – and now he has done this.
So has he done enough by biting the bullet and paying back $32k and giving up any future housing entitlement for the public to forgive and forget? It will be interesting to see. I am not sure he can much more - except commit hari kari. I doubt if the punters think he should do that and reckon he is now back at ground zero!
However, the Opposition seem intent to hounding him more. The say it will continue the attacks, with Labour’s Pete Hodgson saying Mr English's surprise backdown did not end the matter. While Jim Anderton says he is also unwilling to let it go.
But the Saint suggests these continued attacks could backfire. After-all both Hodgson and Anderton were Ministers for nine years and lived on the taxpayers’ account in Wellington. Will the media spotlight now shine on their tenure of suckling on the public purse? How do they feel about opening their books to the all and sundry?
Also how do the public feel about the $100,000 each year Anderton claims as a “party leader’ (who knew hiring a phone box to hold his annual conference should cost us all so much) despite telling his fellow Progressives to join Labour? Surely this is a rort that he can no longer publically justify – even if it is within the rules?
C’mon Jim, those in glasshouses shouldn’t throw stones. The Saint can hear all your panels smashing. At least Bill English has paid for his sins – when will you?
No comments:
Post a Comment