Pansy gets it all Wong!

For all intense and purposes the political career of Pansy Wong, the freshly-resigned Women’s and Ethnic Affairs Minister, is all but over.
Her ministerial career is already toast and it is only a matter of time before she leaves Parliament altogether – either earlier via a by-election or at the next election when she will not bother to stand again.
Wong resigned her ministerial portfolios after admitting her husband, Sammy, conducted personal business while on a taxpayer-funded trip to China. Since then more allegations of similar trips have emerged.
It’s clear – excuse the pun – the Chinese walls Wong’s husband erected between his business dealings and his wife’s ministerial duties were far too flimsy and are the cause of her political demise.
However, Wong’s quick resignation from her ministerial roles, combined with her lowly ranking and minor portfolios, means PM John Key has dodged any real collateral damage to either his or the Government’s standing.
The fact is Pansy Wong was in all reality a token Minister. To not put too subtle point on it, her position in the Cabinet happened to be more to do with the fact she ticked two minority boxes – being Asian and a female – than any real talent.
Meanwhile, Wong’s Women’s and Ethnic Affairs portfolios are about as relevant and useful to modern-day Government as the appendix is to the human body. So – to cut a long story short – she is no great loss. A nice lady, dedicated MP and earnest performer, but her going from the Cabinet is not likely to be noticed by the general public.
This will not stop the Government’s opponents from crowing. Any ministerial scalp – no matter how irrelevant – is always a win for an opposition. So the struggling Labour leader Phil Goff is trying to milk it for all it is worth.
Goff claims the Prime Minister's handling of this issue has been “appalling” and that the PM has not shown “leadership” on the issue. While Goff and his Labour colleagues may believe this to be the case, I am pretty sure most voters do not care and still rate Key highly – especially when compared to the hapless Goff.
The irony is that Goff’s faux indignation and claims of the moral high ground over this matter could come back to bite him on the proverbial if he is not careful. Goff was a very high ranking minster in the past Labour administration, which sat by idly when the likes of Taito Phillip Field and Winston Peters played fast and loose with the rules as ministers.
While voters hate politicians who milk the system, they also hate hypocrisy and Goff wants to be careful he does not come across as a hypocrite. Goff’s Labour Party is hardly a shining example of open, honest and transparent administration.
I am betting this affair will have about as much impact on the current National Government’s stocks, as Pansy Wong did as a minister – bugger all!