With salary packages of between $180,000 and $500,000, New Zealand Members of Parliament currently earn more than 99% of their constituents. This gross economic inequality between voters and their representatives means that whenever there is perceived to be any discrepancy between what austerity measures are being pushed on the public by politicians and what the politicians are willing allowing for themselves, this can easily result in perceptions of hypocrisy by voters. The current political debate over cuts to KiwiSaver is therefore a perfect time for the focus to go onto the very generous self-created retirement scheme for the ‘political class’ (which is worth about $26k to each MP per year). Politicians will attempt to avoid this discussion – and virtually all of them have been doing that today – but this just makes the public more suspicious. Political journalists, however, don’t have any qualms about making this an issue, and today the perceived conflict between the MP gold-plated superannuation scheme and the supposed unaffordability of the current KiwiSaver model, is being put in the spotlight – see, for example: Vernon Small’s KiwiSaver cuts ignore MPs’ super and TVNZ’s KiwiSaver cuts will not affect MPs’ super. And then it got worse with the news released today that MPs are due for a pay rise – which could be rather substantial based on their argument that they’ve lost travel perks – but the Remuneration Authority has come to the rescue by conveniently deferring the decision until after the Budget - see: TVNZ’s Raincheck on MPs' pay rise . Other important news today includes the fact that the NZ Navy has the first naval exercise with the US since 1985 – see: Navy ends inaugural exercise with US. Also, see: Don Brash: Dear John and the satirical version, Beware the Puritans at the gate, today’s Southland Times Editorial on Labour, and Chris Trotter’s advice to Act on race.[Continue reading below for a full list of the highlights of NZ Politics Daily]
Below are the internet links to all the NZ politics material from the last 24 hours that are either informative, insightful, interesting or influential. This list and the links are taken from a fuller document, NZ Politics Daily, which is emailed out, Monday to Friday, to various researchers, academics, journalists, MPs and so forth. The document is purely for research purposes only, and if you would like to be on the subscription list, please email: bryce.edwards@otago.ac.nz
MP pay and superannuation
Vernon Small (Dom Post): KiwiSaver cuts ignore MPs’ super
TV3: MPs’ super scheme a lot better than yours
TVNZ: KiwiSaver cuts will not affect MPs’ super
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): KiwiSaver v Parliamentary Super
No Right Turn: Superannuation cuts for us but not for them
TVNZ: Raincheck on MPs' pay rise
Budget cuts and economy
David Farrar (NZH): A battered budget
Michael Wilson (TV3): Budget Blues
Rob Hosking (NBR): The cuts to KiwiSaver: your questions answered
No Right Turn: Bait and switch
Kim Savage (Newstalk ZB): Fears for future wage rises
NZPA: Kiwisaver projected to reach $60b by 2021 – English
The Standard: Cunliffe addresses Key lies
Brian Fallow (NZH): Colour us red – how deep in debt is NZ really?
Alan Bollard (Press): How RBNZ responds to quakes
Colin Williscroft (NBR): Budget 2011: English eyes further state sector efficiencies
Pam Newlove (NBR): Budget 2011: Health - a vote call or a brave call?
NBR Staff: Key’s all talk and no action ‘underwhelms’ Glenn
Niko Kloeten (NBR): PPPs no silver bullet for government debt woes
Political finance allegations and Labour’s focus
Derek Cheng (NZH): Dealer who gave Nats $50, eyes Govt BMWs
NZPA: Labour says commercial options available for Vanuatu trip
Russell Brown (Hard News): Some Lines for Labour
Southland Times Editorial: That the best they can do?
Trevor Mallard (Red Alert): MMP and the focus on Lusk
The Standard: The “big issues”
Mana Party and by-election
NZPA: Harawira unruffled by Mana Party registration
Derek Cheng (NZH): Harawira hits out at uni ‘rednecks’
Willie Jackson (Stuff): War in the north over by-election
Waatea News: Harawira weighing resource gap in election
Kate Chapman (Dom Post): Harawira may run out of time
NZPA and NBR: Mana Party might not be registered in time for by-election
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Harawira’s status
Editorial (NZH): All bets off as Labour joins byelection fight
John Stephenson and Afghanistan
NZPA: Journalist considers legal action over SAS comments
Statement by journalist Jon Stephenson
Russell Brown (Hard News): Doing battle alone
Patrick Holmes (Dom Post): No more amnesty for NZ's complicity over torture
Act Party
NZPA: Brash to Key: Dear John…
Vernon Small (Stuff): Brash lashes out at ‘irresponsible’ Key
The Dim-Post: Brash’s secret letter
Chris Trotter (Dom Post): ‘One people’ anthem for dismantling welfare state
Other
NZPA: Navy ends inaugural exercise with US
Cognito: April 2011
Nick Smith (NZH): Beware the Puritans at the gate
Stuff: Fairfax appoints NZ news head
Tim Watkin (TVNZ): Politics needs science
Vernon Small (Stuff): NZ Post confirms shop closures
Dom Post: Political briefs – Friday, May 13
Dom Post Editorial: Water, water everywhere, but...
Chris Trotter (Bowalley Rd): Talking Past Each Other
Lincoln Tan (NZH): Far-right group plans Auckland anti-Asian march
Raybon Kan (Dom Post): Fighting a void of brain cells and Asian influences (not currently online)
The Dim-Post: Her jaw aches from wanting…
John Pagani: Maggie may. Or May not.
Nadine Chalmers-Ross (TVNZ): Glass ceiling yet to break
Jimmy Ellingham (Manawatu Standard): Man threatened to 'blow up' PM
Toby Manhire (Listener): John Key’s unhappy week at the BBC
