There was a very interesting commentary piece on the TV3 website by reporter Duncan Garner attacking Finance Minister Bill English about hiring out his Wellington house to Ministerial Services for $950.00 a week so he could live in it.
While Bill says that it is not now owned by him, but by a family trust, and that the rent charged to Ministerial Services has now been cut to $24,000 per annum, there is something about this that stinks to high heaven.
I think what got Duncan Garner going was when Bill English, who is paid an annual salary of $276,000 personally telephoned journalists to berate them about them chasing up this story. He still thinks there is nothing wrong with this rip-off.
The most galling thing for our union members (low paid workers such as cleaners, food service workers, security workers and orderlies) is that Bill is denying them a pay increase this year through the very heavy hand of the state sector bargaining parameters. Hospital cleaners have already been told that there will be no increase without the sign off of a joint ministerial committee that includes the Minister of Finance
I think Bill has lost the plot. He needs to talk to one of our members who clean parliament for $12.55 per hour and find out what it is like to live on these wages. Perhaps then it would realize why so many people get offended when they are told they need to tighten their belts and those who are telling them this are getting fat on the public purse.
