Politics NZ Politics

[Inruin]

I find it amusing that these people making comments were eerily silent on the previous government wasting billions of dollars and now are screaming hypocrisy about wasteful spending from this Government and the examples they are coming up with is $400 of vests which the PM didn't ask to be ordered, some NIWA vehicles which look fit for purpose and a claim on an apartment which is part of his employment agreement, along with every other MP.

Who is the more hypocritical? And by a long, long way.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Luxon owns an apartment in Wellington, we shouldn't then be supplementing him for that property. The other PMs saw the optics of this, but not old mate.

Jealousy.

Is he legally entitled to it? No problem.

Next you will want people in govt departments to pay for their own computers if they are rich enough!

If it’s a legitimate cost (making MP’s stay in Wellington) and it’s claimable then there isn’t an issue other than jealousy.

 

[miket12]

I see Brian Tamaki is worried about whether the banning of gang patches will affect the riders who wear his Tu Tangata, Iwi Tapu vests when riding.

I wonder where the ban on gang patches will leave riders from places like the Ulysses motorcycle club.... a group of over 40's who just like to get together and ride their bikes.

One of our neighbours used to belong to them. Because we live on a small private road, a number of them parked their bikes on our property while they were waiting to ride behind the hearst after Graham had passed away. I swear, the average age of them was well in their 70's. The best one was the old fulla who arrived on his trike. With his helmet and leathers on, you would have thought he was in his 40's..... until he got off the trike and went to the back to get his walking frame!!

 

[miket12]

Just doing one of the CodeWords from MBIE as required for getting my LBP licence renewed. Some of the questions require a bit off thought.... but not this one.... and, yes, the answer is "A"....


What things are considered to be good skills maintenance activities

Select one:

a. Teaching the dog to jump into the new ute

b. Buying lunch for the team

c. Something you do that improves efficiency in the work you do or in the running of your business

 

[miket12]

Jealousy.

Is he legally entitled to it? No problem.

Next you will want people in govt departments to pay for their own computers if they are rich enough!

If it’s a legitimate cost (making MP’s stay in Wellington) and it’s claimable then there isn’t an issue other than jealousy.

No. it's better that the government spend $2-2.5 mi each year having him stay at Premier House than $53,000 on him staying at an apartment.

 

[bringinthebulls]

Jealousy.

Is he legally entitled to it? No problem.

Next you will want people in govt departments to pay for their own computers if they are rich enough!

If it’s a legitimate cost (making MP’s stay in Wellington) and it’s claimable then there isn’t an issue other than jealousy.

I Just don't get how it should be 52k, given the WINZ accommodation supplement provided by the government (for those in need) is nowhere near $1000 per week.

Entitled to it? Yes. Need it? Certainly not.

In my eyes it shows his character, which is a focus on what is best for himself. What's he going to do with 52k? His transport is covered, he has no mortgages, he's not renting etc. We're forgetting on top of his $471,000 salary, he is likely earning a very wealthy means through investment properties and other investments. It's not jealousy, it's frustration seeing our leader be, what is nothing but greedy.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

In my eyes it shows his character, which is a focus on what is best for himself.

Reality is his office staff would handle all this stuff and he probably doesn’t even know about it until the media bought it up.

Delegation and below what he worries about. The amount is insignificant to him which would be reflected in the time he put into it.

Only jealous people think it’s a big amount of money and has any meaning in the context of what the govt spends or what Luxon himself has

 

[Worried2Death]

Reality is his office staff would handle all this stuff and he probably doesn’t even know about it until the media bought it up.

Delegation and below what he worries about. The amount is insignificant to him which would be reflected in the time he put into it.

Only jealous people think it’s a big amount of money and has any meaning in the context of what the govt spends or what Luxon himself has

I doubt he even knew about it either but the $52K is the equivalent of two Jobseeker entitlements for a year, he could help the country out by cutting that cost now that he's aware of it

 

[Inruin]

I Just don't get how it should be 52k, given the WINZ accommodation supplement provided by the government (for those in need) is nowhere near $1000 per week.

Entitled to it? Yes. Need it? Certainly not.

In my eyes it shows his character, which is a focus on what is best for himself. What's he going to do with 52k? His transport is covered, he has no mortgages, he's not renting etc. We're forgetting on top of his $471,000 salary, he is likely earning a very wealthy means through investment properties and other investments. It's not jealousy, it's frustration seeing our leader be, what is nothing but greedy.

Certainly sounds like jealousy when you are bringing up things like personal investments which shouldn't have any bearing on what someone can claim as part of the role they are performing.

Do you think MPs should be means tested and any remuneration based on that?

Should Willy Jackson be claiming an accomodation supplement when he stays in Wellington?

 

[Inruin]

I doubt he even knew about it either but the $52K is the equivalent of two Jobseeker entitlements for a year, he could help the country out by cutting that cost now that he's aware of it

Just Luxon though.... not any of those other MPs

 

[bringinthebulls]

Reality is his office staff would handle all this stuff and he probably doesn’t even know about it until the media bought it up.

Delegation and below what he worries about. The amount is insignificant to him which would be reflected in the time he put into it.

I'm pretty sure he himself would be the one reading and signing any contract as to what he will earn and what benefits he receives, so I doubt that will be delegated.

Only jealous people think it’s a big amount of money and has any meaning in the context of what the govt spends or what Luxon himself has

it's not jealousy, not from my end anyway. Not everyone gets jealous around what people earn and have, I live quite comfortably.

Just some key things from this article about it, that pisses me off about it

Luxon claims $52k top-up to rent his own Wellington apartment

The Prime Minister is the first in three decades to claim the $52k allowance.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon appears to have ignored his own orders to the public service to find savings up to 7.5 per cent from their budgets, quietly claiming an 11 per cent top up to his own $471,000 salary in the form of a $52,000 optional allowance.

The Government is also trimming back on the welfare bill by strictly enforcing benefit sanctions and changing the way benefits are calculated, which will mean someone on a supported living payment, the modern disability benefit, would miss out on $2300 a year by 2028.

 

[Worried2Death]

Just Luxon though.... not any of those other MPs

Find em all and cut everything! No one gets away with any entitlements, don't they know there's a squeeze?

 

[Damo]

Just Luxon though.... not any of those other MPs

You have to admit no matter your political stance it isn't a good look considering he is trying to cut costs everywhere else in the country.

There is a plethora of wasteful spending in Government roles everywhere you look though, not just isolated to Luxon.

 

[Inruin]

You have to admit no matter your political stance it isn't a good look considering he is trying to cut costs everywhere else in the country.

There is a plethora of wasteful spending in Government roles everywhere you look though, not just isolated to Luxon.

agreed. He is working under the same rules as every one else has for the last how ever long though. If people aren't happy with that then query the rules. It cant look like anything other than a personal attack otherwise.

 

[bringinthebulls]

Certainly sounds like jealousy when you are bringing up things like personal investments which shouldn't have any bearing on what someone can claim as part of the role they are performing.

Do you think MPs should be means tested and any remuneration based on that?

Should Willy Jackson be claiming an accomodation supplement when he stays in Wellington?

First off, i dont know who willy jackson is, so I dont care.

I am far from jealous.

There are people earning less than the 52k he is receiving as a supplement alone, that get no where near that as an accommodation supplement. I'm just not one eyed visioned on myself and actually think of those struggling and how they would view this.

 

[Worried2Death]

agreed. He is working under the same rules as every one else has for the last how ever long though. If people aren't happy with that then query the rules. It cant look like anything other than a personal attack otherwise.

It is a personal attack, he's PM so he's wide open for hits from his enemies, I can't see anything new here.

 

[Inruin]

Find em all and cut everything! No one gets away with any entitlements, don't they know there's a squeeze?

Yup, and people will get hung up on the smallest thing to try and prove a point despite the exponentially larger wasteful spending which wasn't scrutinized previously. Its amazing the difference a change in messaging and direction makes though. Previously you had Government departments not focused on what money was being spent on and now they are asking the question if its value for money. There needs to be a middle ground but I would rather that they were erring towards the latter then the former.

 

[Worried2Death]

Yup, and people will get hung up on the smallest thing to try and prove a point despite the exponentially larger wasteful spending which wasn't scrutinized previously. Its amazing the difference a change in messaging and direction makes though. Previously you had Government departments not focused on what money was being spent on and now they are asking the question if its value for money. There needs to be a middle ground but I would rather that they were erring towards the latter then the former.

I know Marc Daalder, he's from a connected political family and is a classic "liberal" in the American sense I suppose, he has an agenda but his intel is always factual imo. Govts need to be held to account, Labour got the same treatment from the likes of Hosk and the right-wing crew.

 

[Rick O’Shay]

This explains Politics to a tee

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Hipkins, when asked why he wouldn't start at Premier House said it was for two reasons.... firstly, the state of the house but also the extra cost in terms of staff and security required to be there if he was there full time. It was suggested on the radio this morning from a former Premier House senior staffer that having the PM and family in fulltime residence there adds around $2-2.5 mil per year running the place. Perhaps $53,000 to the PM isn't such a bad use of public money after all?

Is Luxon recieving this any different from former transport minister telling us to use public transport while admitting he only used it when it was convenient? Or former Auckland mayor, Len Brown, riding the train to work with the rest of us while his mayoral car followed alongside on the motorway? Or Greens MP's continuously talking about the benefits of intercity train travel over flying for the environment, yet, before the election, I flew from Wellington to Auckland on the same flight as three Green party MP's including co-leader Marama Davidson?

Or, again, we decide to only talk about Luxon because he's rich?

Bullshit. Nothing but whataboutisms which is the refuge of the weak. Character shows through regardless if you agree with their politics.