MP Hauiti’s ‘big Boo-Boo’ a Blatant Pussy Pass
National MP Claudette Hauiti, previously warned about breaking Parliament’s rules by employing her civil union spouse (presumably on a state payroll) in her electorate office, has now been caught out using her parliamentary charge card for completely personal travel to Australia and other illegal spending. She has not been disciplined and has been allowed simply to pay the money back and to trivialize her actions as “a big boo-boo”. The details of how much she spent have not been made public. She claimed it was “about $200” but that seems unlikely given what she was said to have purchased.
When male MP’s have misused their parliamentary charge cards for unauthorized private purposes, they have been demoted and censured. Not so when a female does it! And her offending came after a number of cases in recent years that served to clarify the rules. The previously disciplined male offenders could reasonably be excused for being unclear about what had become a common MP habit of using their parliamentary cards then paying back any personal expenses, but Ms Hauiti cannot credibly use the same defence.
What an incredible, blatant pussy pass in our most powerful institution.
Yes there can be jobs for the boys.
Yes there can be a few dollars shoved into back pockets.
What is the cost of a teenage fathers suicide.
Let the Politicians heckle over dollars.
While we fight for our children’s lives.
Diversionary politics forces your eye of the ball.
Don’t play the game they want you to play.
We dictate the debate. Not them and their silly, petty crap.
Comment by The man in Absentia — Fri 18th July 2014 @ 10:30 pm
Yes, fair points Man In Absentia. The actual issue of using parliamentary credit cards for personal expenses then paying that back may be trivial and best ignored. However, the point is that when men did it a big deal was made and punishment given, but when a woman does it, it’s ok, just a boo-boo.
As I recall it, Judith Collins also used parliamentary funding for the private part of her travel in China, but nothing much was done about that either.
Sure, let’s not be bothered about such trivia, just get the politicians to pay back any private use of parliamentary funding. But then the same should have been done regarding Shane Jones and other male politicians.
Comment by Ministry of Men's Affairs — Fri 18th July 2014 @ 10:44 pm
Good point.
Maybe we should check if Judith’s got silk undies
Comment by The man in Absentia — Fri 18th July 2014 @ 11:13 pm
Another one bites the dust!
And another one gone, and another one gone,
Another one bites the dust ….
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10294804/National-MP-Claudette-Hauiti-standing-down
Comment by OMG! You're *(&^*$^&* — Tue 22nd July 2014 @ 5:33 pm
Yes, Ms Hauiti slinks off without formal consequences, sulking because she knows she can’t win the seat she would stand in and she will be too low on the list to get a seat that way.
Comment by Man X Norton — Tue 22nd July 2014 @ 6:21 pm
I think what’s most important is that for how many years she has been an MP, I’ve never heard of her. Great value for money voters of NZ. Maybe letting her spend $200 of our money was the best $200 we have ever spent.
Comment by The man in Absentia — Tue 22nd July 2014 @ 7:38 pm
Do you actually know who she is Mr Man in Absentia.
If you klnew who she was then I’m sure you would be glad to provide her another drink!
Comment by Aaron Gilmore — Tue 22nd July 2014 @ 10:50 pm
#7. I don’t think anyone cares WHO she is, most people would care WHAT she does as a Politician. And from what I can see, it’s not very much at all …. other than collect a paycheck from the taxpayer.
Comment by golfa — Wed 23rd July 2014 @ 10:00 am
Yes that was all I did when I was there before her as well.
Comment by Aaron Gilmore — Wed 23rd July 2014 @ 10:18 am
I agree Mr Gilmore, being an MP who works hard in the background but is not part of the media machine, that is politics, must be soul destroying. I would buy you and her another drink. Not that it would solve anything. Society needs to create strategies so these MP can feel some of those self worth things. I don’t believe people become MP’s with bad intentions. The meat grinder just breaks them, and churns them out just for the fun of it.
Comment by The man in Absentia — Wed 23rd July 2014 @ 11:14 am
The extent of Hauiti’s repeated misuse of her parliamentary card gradually comes out. She minimizes her responsibility by claiming she didn’t know the rules. But surely she read some of the news coverage over Shane Jones’ misuse of his parliamentary card, and that by other male MPs who were directly held to account. If Hauiti didn’t know the rules then she must be illiterate and/or intellectually challenged, and therefore came fraudulently into her $150,000 per year salary plus a copious expense account. More likely, she knew the rules and believed that, as a woman, she could simply smile and lie her way out of any real accountability.
Comment by Man X Norton — Fri 25th July 2014 @ 9:43 am