Well, well, well. Hone goes off for a love-fest in Paris (paid for by the white motherfuckers he so despises) while supposedly on an official trip to Brussels. Rodney gets himself an official trip to LA and London really to have a love-fest, and deliberately times it to be at the time of a family wedding. Oh, and another in Hawaii, too!
Now I, as a humble private sector scribe, was many times sent overseas for work. Many were the times I was away from my beloved for 10 days or even more. We survived. We used the telephone (at our expense).
The thought that my employer would pay for my beloved to travel with me never once entered my head and I bet that goes for almost everyone in the private sector.
In Parliament, however, they expect as of right — nay, ENTITLEMENT — that their other half will go with them for nookie and sightseeing, under the guise of an official visit. It’s all parties and almost all MPs.
None of them should be allowed to do this, with the exception of the prime minister, who should always be allowed to travel with his or her spouse/partner as it is expected they will meet other leaders who will have their other halves at such meetings. The spouse/partner/FB of a prime minister represents our country too on such official trips.
Good on the nice Mr Key for paying for his wife’s trips with him, following the precedent set by Peter Davis, who paid for himself when he travelled with Helen Clark (even to Wellington for official functions), despite being entitled to taxpayer-funded travel as an MP’s spouse.
I doubt Bronagh gets much sightseeing when she travels as the prime minister’s wife but she is effectively a representative of New Zealand on her husband’s official visits and should have such travel officially funded as of right.
8 Comments
November 8, 2009 at 11:48 pm
It is disgusting
November 8, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Brilliant riposte.
I am aghast at the ‘Rodney’s got a hot girlfriend’ comments on DPF. I doubt if she was closer in age/general league, the support would be so generous. But perhaps I am being naive.
November 9, 2009 at 10:01 am
Best thing about both of these two stories is finding out Hone’s real thoughts on us white folk, and Hide’s view of Key & National.
It was almost worth funding the Paris trip & the global shagfest for these revelations.
“I am aghast at the ‘Rodney’s got a hot girlfriend’ comments on DPF.”
Haha – I’ve been expecting & looking for these, but haven’t encountered them yet. Rodney will probably be pleased everyone knows he’s scored a hottie. Has anyone asked Krystal for her opinion? There’s an angle that hasn’t been mined.
I’m a little queasy about this reinvention of the man as “sexy”. Let’s hope it doesn’t catch on.
November 9, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Haven’t read further than “(paid for by the white motherfuckers he so despises)” – what you are saying is either the Crown, as the entity that paid for the trip, is a group of white motherfuckers, or that white motherfuckers are the only people that fund the Crown. I trust you meant the former and not the latter.
November 9, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Llew – http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/10/louise_crome.html
November 10, 2009 at 8:22 am
SAS – fantastic!
November 10, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Meanwhile, I feel a warm glow when thinking about Judith Steinberg — who caught a lot of crap for saying she though her medical practice was slightly more important than following her husband, Howard Dean, around on the campaign trail.
Didn’t last, but it was glorious while it did.
November 11, 2009 at 8:16 am
Meanwhile, you journos are all pissed with Rodney because you’re jealous he’s getting some. Apparently.