There's plenty of hypocrisy happening in parliament - in different ways. The anti-smacking bill was a prime example with an astonishing amount of changing positions and lies...sometimes to personally support Sue Bradford ( who badly compromised the Greens with this one ). All the pro-referendum people were saying was that, basically, parents should not be reported ( eg by children and neighbours - or strangers - then arrested, locked up and charged for smacking a naughty child on the bum. But even in retirement, Bradford is saying she really won the referendum ( where people voted 87% against her ) because people couldn't understand the question and thanks to her we've been delivered from a barbaric state of children being delivered from brutal implements of discipline. These were always illegal ( only a few stupid judges ever allowed cases of this ) and that could have been specifically addressed very easily instead of banning all force - including child restraint -" in line with UN demands ". The UN demands - Bradford enforces. Fitzsimons has now said that 70% of people really agreed with Bradford's bill - an obvious lie.

One problem is too many lawyers dominating parliament. Simple moral sense then dissappears and we get technicalities and lies instead....what legal practice operates on. Bill English had switched his family home into his wife's name to get a greater allowance - still hasn't admitted he had an interest in it, as he obviously does....just that it looks bad. Lawyers and accountants arrange these tricks all the time. Though of more relevance is that Bill is borrowing unsustainably and preparing to sell Kiwibank and much of the country - apparently under IMF request ( he's very close to them ).

ACT people who continually talk about public value for money shouldn't be rorting the system. Roger Douglas has exploited his ( long standing MP ) travel perks to the max. I can understand the PM being in 5 star hotels - with greater security - but no-one is going to assassinate Rodney. Most of the expense here was apparently due to him impressing his partner with horribly expensive 5 star places, when 1-3 star hotels would have been fine ( it's supposed to be a work trip ).....and probably not drawn criticism, since the single/double differences would not have been great. And he could now pay those differences more easily. Looks like a 5 star future ?

Yeah Rodney - pay it back. JOhn KEy should have nothing to do with Hide until he cleans up his ACT.

Rodney is just like Winston, a great person to have in opposition because you know he will keep other people honest but terrible when he gets into a position to use the system to his advantage.

One needs to appreciate that our PM is on about $347,000. He is the countries top CEO, yet many Govt Dept heads are on much more - $500 k plus.

Over the years, rather than pay increases, MPs have taken what Minto and others call perks. A little misleading - as these were taken in lieu of pay equity with the likes of Govt heads, Corporates etc.

Solution is of course to do away with perks and revert to a salary only - and the MPs, especialy the PM, must be on a salary that is highly competative with the corporate world.

Mps salaries should be at a level to attract he best. Make the job unatractive and no one with the ability to manage a country will bother with it.

My gosh I am getting sick of all of this stuff. If we don't want MPs getting certain things, lobby to change the rules!! Don't b!tch and moan when they take advantage of what they are entitled to. The problem people seem to have is that they are entitled to it, and therefore that is what we should be looking to change

Just change the rules or shut up.

Rodney and Co are destroying the credibility of Act. Two things stand out as contrary to their small government/personal responsibility creed. Dictating how local government is organised, none of central governments business and this appalling "snouts in the trough" avarice. Rodney Hide is a hypocrite and a buffoon. They're finished!

If we had a rash of income earners getting $200k for their job, go to WINZ to ask them for a subsidy so their partners can go on holiday with them, because they work really hard, travel a lot and their job means it is a strain on their relationship, but hey the tax payer gets a great deal, because they pay so much tax, WINZ (would hopefully) flip the bird. So should we. Like everyone else, MPs need to better justify their salary and perks

Just another example why these things need cleaned up - the 90% subsidy is ridiculous. As is people having partners travel paid for. I travel for work very frequently, my company sure as hell doesn't pay for the wife to come along!

Cough up Rodney. You too Carter, and no doubt many many others...

I find myself agreeing with John Minto - again. I quite like Rodney and voted for him, but this isn't a good look. Key is right: in these lean times, if spouses and girlfriends are worth taking then the person making that judgment should be willing to use airpoints or write a cheque rather than slapping the employer - in this case us. Think about it, Rodney. Yeah it's a lot of $ and it'll hurt to have to pay it yourself, but it hurts us too. Do the right thing.