Another free-rider
This time it's Maori Party MP Hone Harawira. He skipped a day of an EU meeing in Brussels but instead go sightseeing in Paris with his wife. When asked about the trip, the MP responded:
"How many times in my lifetime am I going to get to Europe? So I thought, 'F*** it, I'm off. I'm off to Paris"
There's a few issues that Harawira needs to know.
First, on his salary, I would imagine that he could afford a trip to European once a year ... or maybe every three years. Maximum. As long as he knows how to save money, he's pretty much fine.
Secondly, the trip was a taxpayer-funded travel for specific purposes ONLY. As a taxpayer, I asked him to go Brussles to represent the country, not to fund to his private travel. Although he paid for his own trip, however, it was at expense of not doing what he was suppose to do.
Thirdly, this MP really needs to learn how to express his feeling in a polite manner that represents the culture of this country.
You know, I'm really shocked this time. Are those principles that hard to learn and grasp? I mean, even an elementary school student knows these: don't steal parents' money, complete the school work before having candies, and don't swear.
What is even shocker, is that after reading the Herald's online forum, I realise there is no shortage of people who are actually arguing for these MPs' inappropriate actions.
This country got some serious thinking to do.
And it's not the first time he's done this, either, although at least in Alice Springs he was doing something vaguely work related instead of just skiving off for a bit of sightseeing.
And you know, I wouldn't really mind MPs using official trips to get in a little bit of personal travel- so long as work came first and personal stuff was done in private time. As you said, do your homework before having candies. But for at least the second time he skipped out on official business to do his own thing.
All I can say is I hope Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia are preparing a suitable punishment for young master Harawira.