It seems the chickens are now coming home to roost on sense of entitlement and wanton waste of taxpayers’ money by many of the MPs who formed the last Labour-led government.
The blowtorch of public and media scrutiny is coming down on the biggest troughers [ie pigs with their snouts in the trough of public money] from Helen Clark’s horror regime, as ministerial credit card spending dating back 10 years is unveiled.
More than 7000 documents have been released under the Official Information Act detailing credit card transactions by Labour ministers between 2003 and 2008.
So far, Shane “Porn to Rule” Jones, Chris “Koru Club” Carter have borne the brunt of the embarrassment after their spending came to light with the release of MPs' expenses to the media. Jones – after first trying to head off criticism of his more than $6000 of over-spend on his ministerial credit card by front footing the issue to the salivating media pack – had to embarrassingly admit to watching pornographic movies and paying for them with his ministerial card.
The shamed MP could offer no excuses for his behavior which looks to have ended his political career and it is a good job too! Earlier in the day when questioned about his spending, Jones claimed he was a bit of movie buff – little did we know he was such a fan of buff movies!
"[The people] will say that Shane has dug a hole for himself - a hole and that may very well prove to be his grave," Jones said of himself and taxpayers can only hope the bludging, porn freak is right!
Further to his penchant for pornography, Jones has reimbursed about $6450 in personal spending on his ministerial card after racking-up expenses including paying for six "ultimate breakfasts" and various hot drinks for a total of $250.
Meanwhile, Jones former ministerial colleague and serial trougher Chris Carter – who was repeatedly warned about inappropriate use of his ministerial credit card – has been caught out misusing it - including paying for movies in hotels, flowers and hire cars for his partner.
Throughout the years Carter's office was reminded about getting receipts and reconciliations in on time. Carter has previously been in the news for his expensive travel bill after work trips where his partner Peter Kaiser often accompanied him. He spent $639.21 on a dinner in London for himself, his partner, New Zealand's High Commissioner to London Jonathan Hunt - known during his parliamentary career as the minister for wine and cheese - and British Labour lord Chris Smith, Britain's first openly gay MP. The minister's records state that no detailed invoice for the dinner is available.
Surely, now even the wimps who run the Labour Party realise what a liability and blight on politics Carter is and will finally cut him loose into the political wildnerness. Meanwhile another well-known Labour bludger – former Arts, Culture and Heritage minister – Judith Tizard used her ministerial card to splash out more than $200 on two bottles of wine at a dinner at Cin Cin on Quay in downtown Auckland. This included a $155 bottle of Bollinger and a $55 bottle of Allan Scott wine were purchased on the former Central Auckland MP's credit card on 23 May 2008, and accompanied a meal of roast salmon, grilled tuna and fresh figs.
The records also show ministers and their staff were warned repeatedly over their failure to reconcile their statements and provide documents when required.
In a memo in March 2006 Ministerial Services assistant general manager Richard McDonald told ministers' secretaries that although most accounts were fine "there is a single issue which has come up again - use of credit cards for personal expenditure".
"The policy is unarguable! Departmental credit cards are NOT to be used for personal expenditure regardless that the user pays back the sum after the fact."
Seems pretty clear instructions to me and why these Labour troughers must go.
Meanwhile, in an ironic twist on what goes around, comes around for these bludgers who seem to infest the Labour Party. If Shane Jones goes, the next person to replace him from the party’s list is none other than the aforementioned and fellow credit card crook Judith Tizard!
So no wonders why Labour are currently struggling for credibility with the punters and decent numbers in the polls!
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