Three Labour MPs have been demoted for misusing taxpayer-funded credit cards while they were ministers in the previous Government.
Labour Party leader Phil Goff announced today Shane Jones, Chris Carter and Mita Ririnui would be demoted and stripped of their portfolios.
Jones and Carter would be removed from the front bench, Mr Goff said.
Mr Goff said none of the infractions of spending rules were excusable and he was imposing the sanctions "on the basis of poor judgement".
"Ultimately, it was clear what decision I needed to make in these cases," he said in a statement.
Mr Jones' portfolio was environment and economic development, Mr Carter's was foreign affairs, and Mr Ririnui's was forestry.
We wonder what tangible effect this will have. When all is said and done, Carter, Jones and Ririnui are opposition MP's, and will enjoy the same level of status and remuneration no matter where in the House they are seated. In many ways, it's a Clayton's demotion.
And the Herald notes that Goff has been particularly critical of Shane Jones:
Mr Goff said Mr Jones' repeated misuse of his card needed a clear sanction but that he believed the MP had a lot to offer Labour and New Zealand in the future.
"But he will now have to prove that he is worthy of future consideration and the onus will be on him to earn his way back into a future Labour ministry."
Is his apparent silence on Chris Carter because Carter DOESN'T have "a lot to offer Labour and New Zealand in the future", because he doesn't want to upset a large segment of Labour's caucus, or is it because Chris Carter is gay?
UPDATE: We note that Chris Carter has been stripped of the shadow Foreign Affairs protfolio, but not Ethnic Affairs. What does that say about the calibre of MP's such as Ashraf Choudary, Rajan Prasad, Su'a William Sio or Raymond Huo?
8 comments:
You draw a long bow with many of your suppositions. You also mock our Lord with your continual ego-driven actions. be humble and do good. This blog is not the way into paradise. Repent!
When I saw what Goff had done to the feral three I thought what was the point.
It doesn't achieve anything.
And as a symbolic gesture, well it's pretty limp.
Respectfully, Goff wields the butter knife would be more accurate.
Rerunui and Jones should have the whip withdrawn and expelled and Koru Carter should be invited to do a real double sommersault with a triple twist off a 3rd floor balcony in the interests of the party of course.
The opposition has been totally irrelevant up till now and it will only get worse which is a tragedy for our democracy.
Goff had a golden opportunity to make a stand for something momentous but he has continued with the level of performance that has lead to 6% and this will not take him lower as
that is impossible depending on the mindless section of society who would still support him if he killed 3 nuns and sold their robes on Trademe.
However he will certanly lead them lower in the party vote.
Gutless is as gutless does.
INV2 - have you upset the Destiny church or the Jehovahs by catching their foot in the door when you slammed it trust.
Why don't you lead that annoying anonymous person over to the general debate at Kiwiblog where he/she can save Phil W or D4J and their ilk.
I'm touched by Anon's concern for my salvation pdm, but I have told him/her several times that God and I are tight! Perhaps he/she could go to Red Alert and lead one or two of them into the light.
How would anon go over at whale oils - he/she would be in awe of the whales vocabulary. lol.
"I'm touched by Anon's concern for my salvation pdm, but I have told him/her several times that God and I are tight!"
Why did you slip into the first person singular? And how do you know that voice in your head telling you what to do is God?
"And how do you know that voice in your head telling you what to do is God?"
Probably in the same way that you do Anon ...
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