I'm having trouble getting excited about the donation "scandal" around Winston Peters. I'm pragmatic enough to know that those who care weren't going to vote for him anyway and those who vote for him and NZ First either won't care or won't know because they already don't pay attention. Was it intended as a donation or a loan? If it was returned, does that make it a de facto loan, whatever the intention may have been? Do I care? Not really.
There are more important issues for me, personally, to ponder....and I do.
Similarly Tony Veitch. During my time as a Corrections Officer, I spent my working days with men who, as often as not, were behind bars for violence, domestic and public. They are creations of their own personal history. They made their choices and offer their excuses. Tony Veitch is no more special than any of them. I'm one of those people who turn the TV off or change the channel when the play-time (sports) "news" comes on, so his celebrity is new to me. I like to know who won the latest test in cricket or rugby, but sitting and watching either for hours, wading through ads, is more than I can bear. Been there when younger. My memories of those too often listless hours are more than enough.
I don't hit people. It seems a simple enough thing to stick to, but clearly some people have trouble with it.
People have failings. Their victims deserve all the aid and support we can muster. The perps need to be held to account for their actions, bearing in mind that destroying them in the process is also wasteful, costly and ultimately counter-productive.
Winston Peters has built a career littered with furores around legal fine points.In this latest affair, from the reports I've read, he hasn't mislead Parliament and lying to the public isn't illegal or National and Labour would be banned political organisations long ago for persistent offending.
Hands up all those who would have voted for Winston Peters but for this "scandal"?
.......I thought so.
Meanwhile, important stuff is ignored and that does bother me.
Monday, July 14, 2008
3 comments:
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Your sentiments on all these issues probably reflect what most of us think.
ReplyDeleteYou make a telling point about Veitch that will resonate with many whose voices we won't hear.
".... men who, as often as not, were behind bars for violence, domestic and public...... Tony Veitch is no more special than any of them...."
Those behind bars did not have the financial means to avoid prosecution. They would see this as being a different law for the rich. It bothers me that their argument has some validity.
Peters is regarded as a buffoon by some, a saint by others, and the rest don't care. As you say, no votes will change camp.
What bothers me is that the Prime Minister of NZ might be seen as duplicitous for declaring no interest in how NZ First is funded, when that appears to flout the EFA which was brought into law to prevent such undeclared support. ( The Exclusive Bretheren and National were granted no such leeway.) That this alleged covert funding involves her Minister of Foreign Affairs and a donor seeking a Consulate position should concern the Prime Minister.
Too many people are turned off politics by perceived partisan treatment of public affairs. Politicians are the least trusted group of people. That is a shameful situation when this group of people shapes our nation.
Perhaps if we could cure that problem, many other problems would at least partly cure themselves.
Anon: I can understand Clark not worrying over much about how NF is funded provided NZF obey the law regarding electoral finances. It's up to voters to decide whether they are happy about a particular situation. At least we now will be able to see who is donating to whom, assuming that parties obe the law.
ReplyDeleteanon: Thee are several reasons politicians are not trusted.
ReplyDeleteThe media tells us over and over (usually implicitly, but also explicitly at times) politicians should not be trusted.....and many believe it without actually knowing the facts themselves.
Politiicans have done themselves no favours by using language to conceal their real intent. People are told one thing that sounds like what they want to hear, but on careful reading the weasel words emerge and people feel they have been lied to.Problem is, they just didn't listen very well and don't use language well enough to really hear what was being said. I'm not sure whose fault that is.