Hard News: Deja Vu
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I caught a bit on the news about English's trust.
It sounds like he removed himself as trustee and beneficiary, in order to fit within the expenses rules. I'm not sure who the beneficiaries of his trust now are: probably his kids and maybe his wife. Key has apparently claimed English didn't make the changes to take advantage of the expenses rules. Can anyone else see the Tui billboard?
I'm not sure what the expenses rules state, but if he's managed to retain the power of appointment over who the other trustees are he's probably still effectively in control of the trust, and thus the property.
Which suggests it's a pretty easy thing to get around the rules.
I know these expenses rules are probably complex, as are the issues raised by them, but I still feel a lingering unease about our paying English's mortgage. Especially at a time when he's telling others to tighten their belts.
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Scott, that would make sense about removing himself as both trustee and beneficiary. Hadn't thought of that angle. And you're probably right that it's that easy to get around the expenses rules. After all, they're not answerable to IRD for this shit so it really doesn't have to be airtight. Close enough is good enough and all that.
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that would make sense about removing himself as both trustee and beneficiary. Hadn't thought of that angle.
If so, he is definitely not alone. Just the few mentioned tonight seemed to do this, Probably considered good accounting as trusts are set up to do.I would imagine it is airtight too in that it's legal.
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The scene where (Holmes) sat weeping angrily over harm minimisation advice in some CADS literature was not only dishonest
Auckland CADS are good people. Holmes is off his tree dissing them. He may be a nice bloke, but some klepto should nick off with his ego. The righteous dwarf needs bringing down to earth.
I saw a bit of Holmes' P show, the bit at the fundraising dinner with all the stern and earnest patrons in black ties sipping wine. I lasted all of thirty seconds before switching it off.
I'd rather put my trust in CADS than the penguins.
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Korero
Sorry, but I think this should officially be declared management-speak, and not in a good way. I have frequently heard "let's have a korero about that" (or similar) used as a way to head off or shut down disagreement while appearing inclusive and culturally sensitive. It really grates.
YMMV.
Gordon -
Some other maori words I love and use frequently, and are, I would suggest, appropriate to how I feel about this forum - awhi because this place can be, at times, supportive; manawa because I have big heart for very many of you; tuakana teina because sometimes I feel like a big/little sister; and last but not least whakarongo because I feel listened to. Some times. Most of the time.
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Has anyone suggested whanau?
Seems relevant. -
Good on Heather Roy, Chris Finlayson and Peter Dunne for not renting out their Wellington houses and getting the rest of us to shout them another one.
Not that I want either families being split up or all our representatives living in Welli and further isolating them from the rest of the whenua.
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Sorry, but I think this should officially be declared management-speak, and not in a good way.
Well I don't think it should be denigrated in such a way that I doubt it was originally intended so I will agree to disagree on that one.Cant get all jiggy on it sorry.
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Mikaere and his dad wrote me my whaikorero for this year's Foo Camp, and I loved speaking the greeting part.
Still sad I missed that part (despite my best Shapeshifter-inspired driving efforts).
However, I was thoroughly delighted last week when a colleague used the non-christian karakia raised here last year. Mentioned to a few folk around me which winds it referred to. Thought of Islander and all.
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In the same way that you might save someone a broken nose by kicking them in the nuts instead.
And a chortle all the way from page one.
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Close enough is good enough and all that.
I'm sure that's ironic Matthew. I doubt the public will be as tolerant. Perhaps had Tolley, Bennett and English been less zealous in their mantra, we must tighten the belt, we'd all be more tolerant of a double income family being subsidised into a second million dollar plus home...
English didn't flip his properties, as did the UK MP Jacqui Smith, he has maximised his eligibility for a hand-out at precisely same time as he's telling others they mustn't.
This discussion of Te Reo is making me feel very homesick by the way...
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I like all the Maori vocab being highlighted here. I'd also like to propose turangawaewae, which is a concept very precious to me, having now spent a third of my life living away from home. Yes, I've been to the countries where my ancestors originally came from (Ireland, mainly), but they ain't my turangawaewae.
Oh, also, āwhina, a concept Paula Hypocritical Bennett could learn a bit more about. It really fucking gyps me when people like that were happy to accept the handouts when they needed them - and which were, surprise surprise, put in place by Labour govts in the main - only to yank them at the first opportunity when they get a bit of power of their own. Good on you for feathering your own nest first, eh, Paula?
As for you, Mark, take a jump. I left home when I was 17, in 1986, and it was fucking hard. However, I've repaid the govt's investment by several thousandfold, so I don't see what the fucking problem is with a hand-up at the right time (unlike dear old Paula).
[Excuse my ire about this topic - it's one I'm sensitive about, especially with relatives who love the ACT party, but didn't think of bailing out their nearest and dearest when we needed it.]
Also, I do like whakamā, since it really does a nice meld of the concepts of shyness/embarrassment/shame. It's certainly what I feel if I have to engage in any kind of public speaking!
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Wow. Even if there's an innocent explanation, that's not a good look.
Well, Russell, you might be right -- but quite a few media folk, as well as politicians, might want to make sure their own *cough* tax minimization instruments are not only in order but fully disclosed before getting too sanctimonious. Hypocrisy isn't a very good look either.
I understand it's gone from $400 p.w. to $900-$1000 p.w. since the change of circumstances, that'd be while we're to tighten our belts...
Of course, Paul, any politician who wants to try making hay out of English should be asked why they're quite happy to pocket annual and automatic pay hikes that are seriously out of whack with those in the public sector, let alone in the community at large. Personally, I'd be more impressed if Parliamentarians passed legislation linking their pay increases to inflation and/or average pay increases in the civil service.
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As for you, Mark, take a jump. I left home when I was 17, in 1986, and it was fucking hard. \
So you left home at 17 too. minus the 12.5% interest.
so I don't see what the fucking problem is with a hand-up at the right time (unlike dear old Paula).
I don't either, I see handing a check and then turning your back as inferior to giving the check and making sure the kid adjusts well to the adult world as well as making efforts to try to reconcile any problems that may have necessitated the family break up. If I weren't mistaken I'd guess you're just having a go because I'm yellow.
Steve.
Yeah, in which Nic provided a good reason for retaining the benefit, to which you responded with your glib “live with a relie” comment, and Matthew pointed out the problems with assuming that option will suffice. I’m not an advocate for Matthew, I just wondered if you could address those points. I guess not.
Well, considering they're looking at cancelling the benefit and spending $150 million on the plan to keep all New Zealand under 18 year-olds in school, or in training (in the same breath). I naturally assumed that everyone who qualifies for the Independent Youth Benefit, would simply be put on some other kind of allowance. and at the very least still kept fed, clothed and housed, I'd imagine it would be highly unlikely that a New Zealand Government would expect all under 18s to be studying without these provisions. So to me Nik's question seemed moot.
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I noted on the Island Life thread last Thursday that Lianne Dalziel's bill to do the same had been drawn from the ballot. Shame the Herald didn't report that fact.
Shades of a cartoon (Tom Scott?) brilliantly portraying Shipley on labelling. You'd have thought it was about labelling food, until the punchline revealed Shipley wanted a bill with a National label rather than Bunkle's bill with an Alliance label.
Phil: You know something, as I've said elsewhere: Who gives a shit? A government bill is going to get through the legislative process faster, and hopefully before more people end up on the receiving end of posthumous character assassination as a legal defense. I have to agree with Idiot/Savant that it doesn't matter who 'gets the credit' as long as provocation ends up in the landfill of history where it belongs. The only regret is that it didn't happen years ago.
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Gordon Paynter - stay out there in your lonely little managementspeak world-
TracyMac - awhi: awhi ai mai na! Ae te awhi na-
turangawaewae- v. important to me & mine, and I think it is becoming more widespread - but, as a person who thinks of most of Te Wahi Pounemu & accompanying oceans as family turakawaewae- hmmm-whakama is one of those ones that have been described as Polynesian-specific but which - from my limited experience- I'm beginning to think
is a very useful condition-term for some adolescent moods up to & including mutilative selfharm, suicide & murder. Shyness/embarrassment are very much part of it as you say TracyMac
but there that deeper more dangerous element-
anyhoos - how good to have discussion about te reo subtley enhancing our lovely ANZ dialect! -
whanau? I thought it so everywhere I didnt think to note it!
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Personally, I'd be more impressed if Parliamentarians passed legislation linking their pay increases to inflation and/or average pay increases in the civil service.
No argument from me Craig.
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I'm glad someone suggested turangawaewae...I find that word fits when no other word will, when I'm struggling to describe the ex-pat relationship to NZ. I find myself reaching for the word mana a lot here too and not being able to find a good English substitute.
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I've sometimes daydreamed that an ideal way to determine MPs' salaries would be to link them directly to the average full-time wage.
e.g.,
"Regular" MP - 2x avg full-time salary
Cabinet minister / Leader of Opposition - 3x
PM - 4x
That way the only way their circumstances could improve would be if the circumstances of their constituents in full-time employment did too.
I have no problem whatsoever with the $14k pa allowance. I've seen plenty of MPs dip into their wallets to grab raffle tickets, buy bottles of wine at charity auctions, and so on.
One of the biggest rorts of all is that the GG, in addition to being paid very handsomely for a job that is all but redundant, and having mansions in both Auckland and Wellington, pays no income tax.
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Auckland CADS are good people. Holmes is off his tree dissing them
Well, quite.
The fact that CADS, who help thousands of ordinary people, got slagged in the same documentary that gave Tom Claunch and his rich-folks clinic an extended free advertisement is ... poor.
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Well, Russell, you might be right -- but quite a few media folk, as well as politicians, might want to make sure their own *cough* tax minimization instruments are not only in order but fully disclosed before getting too sanctimonious. Hypocrisy isn't a very good look either.
But Craig, as any conservative would tell you, there's a big difference between you keeping more of your own money and you helping yourself to some of mine ;-)
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One of the biggest rorts of all is that the GG, in addition to being paid very handsomely for a job that is all but redundant, and having mansions in both Auckland and Wellington, pays no income tax.
I'm just a bit perplexed as to where Murray McCully stays when he's he's visiting his Albany electorate, given that his main home is 150km away. Do we put him up in a hotel?
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If I weren't mistaken I'd guess you're just having a go because I'm yellow.
Mark - this is uncalled for and out of order.
As far as I am aware, this is the first time you've made any sort of mention of your ethnicity (as opposed to your current country of residence) on this forum.
I doubt TracyMac has (had) any idea what 'colour' you are when she posted, and it was and is irrelevant to her reply.
I could also point out that you have no idea of her ethnicity, either.
This isn't the first time you've pulled out the race card when someone has disagreed with you, and I for one would appreciate it if you used it a little more sparingly.
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