You may not have realised it, but there is a NZ Seniors Party. Most of the drivel they come out with isn’t worth soiling your device’s screen with. But this time, they have a point.
Co Leader of the Green Party Metiria Turei’s admission to having committed fraud over a 5-year period has left the public of New Zealand wondering is there a law for politicians and a different law for the rest of us?
Her admission to this crime, had she not been a list MP would have seen her up in court facing charges of fraud.
Accountability must play a part in this situation, she is a list MP and as such her reputation should be beyond reproach but this is, by her own admission sadly not the case. Despite making the offer to pay back everything she has stolen from the tax payer this does not excuse her crime. Currently she is paid by the tax payer so how is she going to pay back all the money she fraudulently stole from the same tax payer who currently pays her wages?
The question we must ask ourselves is do we, the voting public of New Zealand want openly dishonest people running this country? I believe the answer to this question is obvious – NO we do not.
The honourable thing for Metiria Turei to do is to step down from the position of Co-Leader of the Green Party and leave parliament. They say there is honour among thieves let us see how honourable Metiria Turei really is.
I think we have the answer to that. Metiria Turei has no remorse. She knows it is “technically” a crime, but she thinks it is “morally” justified. Given a chance, she would do it again.
Given more of a chance, she would like to be in a government that gives beneficiaries so much money that they no longer have the moral authority to commit a technical crime.
Pay them enough, and then (and only then), will defrauding the government be a crime as well as something immoral. And I guess, only then Metiria would approve of someone being charged and prosecuted.
Until then? Not so much.