Sticking to Rules Easy - Progressives
According to former Progressives MP Matt Robson, quoted in today’s Herald, sticking to the appropriation rules for the spending of members’ funds was easy. To their great credit, the Progressives are the only party not to have misspent any of their parliamentary funds on electioneering.
Mr Robson said the Progressives followed one clear rule: Not to put out anything with parliamentary money that said “vote for me”.
“It didn’t have to be those three words; it could be anything which was akin to that. It was just like breathing.
“I didn’t have to have a law degree to know the difference between money in your own pocket and somebody else’s.”
And if there ever were any grey areas,
Mr Robson said there was a designated person in Mr Anderton’s office, former adviser Andrew Ladley, who ensured all material was within the rules and, if there was any doubt, it was checked with the Auditor-General.
If the Progressives (who in their hearts probably don’t even believe in private property) can keep their hands out of other people’s pockets then surely the others should be able to figure it out.
October 13th, 2006 at 5:08 pm
“To their great credit”
Was that hard to say Bernard?