troughing

Maori troughing is spreading at an alarming rate:

Troughers in the Waikato

A Waikato University researcher has received almost $500,000 to lead a two year international study on indigenous well-being.

Dean of the School of Maori and Pacific Development Linda Tuhiwai Smith has been awarded $424,000 from New Zealand’s Indigenous Centre of Research Excellence, Nga Pae o Te Maramatanga.

Education, health, language revitalisation and economic development are known factors of Maori development but Ms Smith said she wants to kick it into the next gear.

Trougher in Canterbury

Environment Canterbury will spend nearly $700,000 this financial year on a Ngai Tahu “engagement” programme, which has included staff helping write a waiata.

The figures were provided to the Timaru Herald after news that 21 staff from the council’s Timaru and Christchurch offices last week completed a two-day excursion to the Arowhenua marae in Temuka.

A second marae visit for other staff, to Port Levy, is planned for February.

Nice if you can get the work. The bro-raracy really knows how to get their trotters deep in the trough.

A Nelson reader wants some Whale sunlight on their Troughing Mayor:

Chinese e-commerce opportunities that Nelson Mayor Aldo Miccio has been touting as being great for Nelson businesses also look set to make money for the mayor himself.

This year ratepayers paid more than $10,000 to send Mr Miccio on trips to China in March and September to help develop connections for Nelson businesses.

Sounds interesting so far. What has he done wrong?

Mr Miccio says there is no conflict of interest between his mayoral work in developing Nelson-Chinese business and his chairmanship in a new venture, NZ Inc Shop.

It intends to sell New Zealand products through Tmall.com, a subsidiary of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.

[The trip] included a delegation of local [Nelson] businessmen and saw Mr Miccio and Mr Findlater visiting e-commerce capital Hangzhou, where they met Alibaba’s president.

Companies Office records show 15 per cent of NZ Inc Shop is held by Mr Miccio, his parents Cristina and Raffaele Miccio, and his wife, Kimberley, through Nelson-based company Bissi Ltd, of which Mr Miccio is sole director.

Mr Miccio said there had been no council crossover and he had never spent any council time on NZ Inc Shop. Instead, it was his past personal business experience in China that had led to his involvement. He said nothing he had done on the council trips “added value” to his role in NZ Inc Shop now.

Readers will remember that alleged private business conducted on the same trip as tax payer funded travel claimed the scalp of National MP Pansy Wong.

Miccio is a blatant trougher of the highest order. His arguments hold no water. Either his trip had nothing to do with his private business, or the trip is for benefit of the Nelson ratepayers. He can’t have it both ways.

Please notice the weasel words: “spent no council time on NZ Inc shop”. Left unsaid is that he did spend ratepayers money.

Word on the street is that Miccio is a one term mayor, so he seems to be making hay while the sun shines. The Whale will keep shining light on this trougher as he squeals his innocence.

I can’t believe we pay for rubbish like this:

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Jo Goodhew today announced the recipients of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowships for 2013.

The Trust helps New Zealanders from all walks of life to travel overseas and bring back new insights and understanding that will enrich their community and, ultimately, New Zealand as a whole.

…

Takerei Norton, who will travel to Norway, Sweden and Finland to learn from the Sami University College and the Sami Parliaments. Their innovative methods of distributing traditional Sami knowledge for place-names, flora and fauna provide opportunities for Takerei to investigate methodologies and processes that can be applied by iwi nationally.

Were Cr Alf Filipaina and Franklin Local Board chair Andy Baker of one mind at the LGA conference in Queenstown over a proposal to spend $10 million of ratepayer’s money on the V8′s at Pukekohe? Andy Baker is part of the little subcommittee that will determine whether the V8s should go to Pukekohe.

Here is a nice picture of them singing up a storm at the ratepayer funded trough-fest in Queenstown. Apparently they were quite shit-faced, enjoying copious quantities of ratepayer funders wine.

And don’t Alf Filipaina, Penny Hulse and Penny Webster cut fine figures dancing up a storm doing the city proud?

ᔥ NZ Herald

The wastrels of the Auckland Council are living it up large on the ratepayers this weekend in Queenstown of all places…right at the height of the ski and coincidentally the expensive season.

One mayor, one city – but 36 delegates from the Auckland Council will be at the Local Government NZ conference in Queenstown, costing ratepayers more than $93,000.

Six councillors, 22 local board members, three Maori Statutory Board members and five council staff fly to Queenstown tomorrow for the two-day conference.

They will stay in the “spellbinding luxury” of the Millennium and Copthorne Resort Lakefront hotels.

36 piggies in the trough.

The cost per delegate is $2600, including registration, flights and accommodation. Taxis, meals and other expenses are to be added.

Oh I can’t hardly wait for the results of all the LGOIMA requests that the council is going to be bombarded with next week for the full costs. This is easily going to crack a hundy and every receipt for expenses analysed.

ᔥ Sydney Morning Herald

We think our troughing politicians are bad, check out these Aussie troughers and their waste. Even embattled Speaker Peter Slipper is deep in the trough:

THE federal opposition communications spokesman, Malcolm Turnbull, spent $26,000 on phone calls and faxes in six months. And the Speaker, Peter Slipper, took a trip to New Zealand to better understand its Parliament’s acquisition of art.

The facts and figures are contained in the Finance Department’s records of politicians’ entitlements, claimed between July 1 and December 31 last year, which were released by the department yesterday.

Mr Turnbull spent $13,608.04 on October 20 alone for ”Mobile PDA overseas calls”, the records show.

Mr Slipper said his trip to New Zealand was also to compare parliamentary practices and innovations.

Mr Slipper, who has long faced intense scrutiny over his travel entitlements, tabled a report of his two-day trip, in which he had four meetings, but did not list the cost.

Trevor Mallard appears to have been hard at work on behalf of the taxpayer… all over the country

Off to first of many tests of the season 2nite. Hope @CoryJane1080 has stunner and @Powza13 gets plenty of time on field.

July 30, 2011 4:47 pm via Twitter for iPadReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

@BelindaMcCammon @cactuskate2 @nikkikaye was on plane tonight - intense discussion at time but sure available now

August 5, 2011 12:02 am via Twitter for iPadReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

Auckland stuffed. Meetings for Africa. Test tomorrow. @Powza13 starting Might drive round a bike route I'm going to ride in fortnight

August 5, 2011 8:32 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

“@richardboock: bledisloe cup auckland: cool, overcast, no wind, no rain expected...” - sort of no real weather - from Wgtn perspective

August 6, 2011 9:17 am via Twitter for iPadReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

@Powza13 really enjoyed first 60. Loved the break up the left which lead to Ma'a's try on right.

August 7, 2011 8:44 am via Twitter for iPadReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

U 2 off to Blues 2gether ?@Powza13: Middle off the plane so me and @CoryJane1080 new sleeping pozy... No room! http://t.co/fyfcnMI”

August 13, 2011 8:02 am via Twitter for iPadReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

@onThePaepae @cactuskate2 @dpfdpf good ride, good first Lap chatting with @Whaleoil mainly showed that weight is very important on bike :)

August 21, 2011 11:21 pm via Twitter for iPadReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

Auckland. Clark lecture. Always good.

August 23, 2011 7:02 pm via Twitter for iPadReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

Off to inspect Forsyth Barr stadium. 2nd game today. Then watching @PiriWeepu1049 @CoryJane1080 at a flat

August 27, 2011 5:40 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

Otago's new stadium working well even if result not to liking. Fans need to learn not to stand in aisles cos those behind can't see.

August 27, 2011 8:40 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

“@clarecurranmp: Onam Indian festival Yes Dunedin. then out to Mosgiel #LabourOfLove” Miss India NZ 4me 2nite with @grantrobertson1

September 10, 2011 10:55 am via Twitter for iPadReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

@NZQandA been on plane now Chch

September 10, 2011 1:03 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

@DavidServille next weekend will walk but from MT Albert.

September 18, 2011 12:51 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

No prize for guessing which MP jumped the coffee queue - eight surprised flyers one not.

September 26, 2011 6:56 am via Twitter for iPadReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

Pt Chalmers seafood festival as preliminary to RWC Ireland v Italy duties. Crayfish, scallops, chowder, pinot both. Not a stuffed shirt here

October 1, 2011 3:43 pm via Twitter for iPadReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

Dunedin great combination of Irish and students. Vibrant zone in octagon Place to go after match tomorrow.

October 1, 2011 10:14 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

@edmuzik @jacindaardern @h_yd_n missed this. Don't often go to gigs out of Wellington. Great night. Tired this morning Riding with D Clark@9

October 2, 2011 7:07 am via Twitter for iPadReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

It is like Ireland had home game. Dunedin is green. No not that sort of green @metiria

October 2, 2011 11:06 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

Flying lost romance 30 years ago. Dunedin to Ak via work in Wellington today Invercargill to Ak via Chch Friday not eagerly anticipated

October 3, 2011 7:17 am via Twitter for iPadReplyRetweetFavorite

@TrevorMallard

Trevor Mallard

Except of course it hasn’t as you can see from all the tweets.

Then of course there is the mad dash to Auckland for the Netball.

I have only gone back to July. I am sure there are many more trips. The funny thing is for some reason Trevor Mallard seems to coincidentally have “work” meetings in the same place that Rugby and Netball games occur at the same time. Looks like from the photo above that he is certainly turning into a fat little piggy at teh trough.

That is a serious lot of travel for the member of parliament for Hutt South. Must be a big electorate.

Ruth Dyson is crying crocodile tears about her troughing trip to Ethiopia. One week there would be bad enough but what on earth can you do for two weeks?

Labour MP Ruth Dyson is to pay back $16,000 of taxpayers’ money used for a recent private trip to Ethiopia for herself and her husband.

She said in a statement it was no longer appropriate for taxpayers to subsidise such trips “when so many Kiwis are struggling to make ends meet”.

She said when she applied for the trip last July it was before the rules had changed and the subsidy was perfectly within the rules.

“However, I felt uncomfortable about the subsidy all the while I was overseas, and when I got back yesterday I informed Labour Leader Phil Goff I would be repaying the subsidy of just under $16,000, and making a statement about it. Phil said he believed my decision was the right one.”

“Over the past month or so, there have been more and more stories about Kiwis struggling to pay their weekly bills and put food on the table,” Dyson said.

Such trite tosh. She is only sorry she got caught. Is Phil Goff even in control of his caucus anymore?

Leigh Auton is set to get his pay off for his obfuscation and delaying tactics over the still secret Volare dinner.

The boss of Auckland mayor Len Brown’s former council looks set to get a top position in the new Super City council.

Leigh Auton, who received a $171,700 redundancy cheque when he left Manukau City Council in October as chief executive, decided not to apply for a job at the Auckland Council, saying he would instead setup a consultancy business.

In December last year he formed Auton and Associates Ltd which he runs from his Manukau home.

But now Fairfax can reveal Auton could be appointed director of the Property Council Controlled Organisation (CCO).

At the CCO appointments committee next Thursday the $35,000 appointment will be debated and voted on. It is understood Brown wants Auton in the job.

Auckland Council insiders have said the agenda item will be held behind closed doors during a confidential segment of the meeting.

This man has no place on a CCO. Like Len Brown he has truth issues. He ran interference and was still running interference for Len Brown right up until the polls closed by refusing to answer questions put to him by the Ombudsmen’s Office over the still secret Volare dinner. Leigh Auton and Len Brown were prepared to die in a ditch over Volare and now the pay off for Auton’s tricky behaviour seems to be a cushy board placement to augment his 6 figure pay out for finishing his contract.

There is no way he should be in consideration and there is no way that the decision to appoint him should be behind closed doors. What has happened to Len’s promises of open-ness and transparency that he campaigned on?

Len’s other pal in line for CCO jobs, Gary Troup, is also one of those enjoyed a joint birthday lunch paid for by Manukau City ratepayers to the tune of $244. Oh what a nice cosy coincidence.

Len Brown campaigned on opening the books, yet he stills maintains his silence over the last set of books he maintained along with Leigh Auton.

The MPs travel perk is gone. Lockwood Smith has finally done what he told me he would never do.

Speaker Lockwood Smith has axed the international travel perk MPs and their spouses have used since the 1970s, saying it was clear the tide had turned on the perks.

Dr Smith announced his decision tonight after meeting with the representatives for all political parties on the Parliamentary Service Commission.

The decision will not take formal effect until he changes the official rules for Parliament. However, he said he had made it clear to Parliamentarians what his decision was to ward off any last-chance uses of it.

Dr Smith said he intended to set up another scheme to allow politicians to go on parliamentary-related travel, which would have strict rules. However, taxpayer subsidies for international flights for private travel would no longer apply.

There is warning though. The trough pigs may still get it through the back-door by getting a pay ride to compensate them for the loss of the perk.

He will advise Inland Revenue and the Remuneration Authority of his decision – the Remuneration Authority makes decisions on MPs’ base salaries and could increase that to compensate for the loss of the perk.

How about NO.

They trough plenty big enough already and the poor little diddums want the taxpayer to compensate them for the loss of their taxpayer subsidised holidays. No way. they can join the rest of the country in NOT having taxpayer subsidies for their holidays.

Dr Smith said he had not addressed the question of former MPs, who are still entitled to the allowance.

Why not. It’s not like they can complain, they are all ex-MPs, scum mostly, voted out or retired. Axe their perk too.