The Threesome in New York: Public Spending and Nitpicking

With Parliament in recess for another two weeks it's anyone's guess what scintillating political news the parties and the media will serve up for us.   

So far, it's par for the course. A several way exchange in insults and very little substance, with the media adding the topping.

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First was the "debate" about whether or not Jacinda Adern was entitled to use an America-based ad agency to take photographs that would be used for future campaigning. "A crew of three," writes Mike Hosking,  "from some agency called Augusto, which has a New York office."

"And basically they just wandered around filming her, and photographing her...  that you and I are paying for... And it's not unusual for a leader to be photographed, but normally it's the office staff who do it. You know, get the ol' phone out and take a few snaps. 

 "She had a whole ad agency with her, and she's defending it. Because they're building up library stock and you know what they're building up library stock for. They're building it up for the election, and the election campaign. 

"It will be Ardern and Trudeau. It will be Ardern and Trump. It will be Ardern at the UN. And you and I have paid for all of this. 

"They think, National, this is against the rules. Ardern defends it. 

"She says it's paid for out of Labour's Leader's Budget. And so you're supposed to go 'oh whew, well that's okay then'.

"But who supplies Labour's Leader's Budget? We do. It's all taxpayer money."

Step back, Mike. 

• The agency is professional. They won't have wandered around taken snaps on the 'ol phone.  You didn't mention that the PM said it was cheaper "using someone here" (in the USA) because they did not need to pay airfare. 
• It's quite legal to meet such expenses from the Labour Leader's Budget.  If you're  suggesting it's not, take them to court.
• And of course it's taxpayer money. The whole trip to the UN was paid for my taxpayers, except -- and you forgot to mention this -- Jacinda and Clark paid for  Clark and baby Neve's expenses. And they did a great job waving our flag in New York!
• And please, you -- and others in the media -- are overdoing this "it's our taxpayer money" angle. Keeping a watch on public spending is one thing; nitpicking, for your own political purpose, is another.

Just about  everyone uses taxpayer money every day. It's what once paid, and still pays,  for a large part of our sewerage and piped water systems, our electricity generation, our road, rail, port and air transport, our justice system, prisons, schools, radio and TV,  health system and hospitals, our armed forces, diplomatic corp, embassy and UN presence, our foreign aid, our "welfare" system, the visit of Prince Harry and Meghan, and our  local and national government. There would be no Parliament if it were not funded by tax payers. 

Think this over, Mike, when you brush your teeth tomorrow morning. 

I'm looking forward to Parliament resuming on the 16th.  We may hear something about the MPs' visit to Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, and there should  be more substantial issues to debate and make into law -- all with and about taxpayer money.