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,,, they're paid to be responsible, but they're not responsible unless it is presented in the papers as a glowing success (brought about by money from tax payers, not necessarily good management or any degree of skill). There's been a long track of evidence to support that assertion. The much heralded fiscal surplus of $NZ7,4b is a real taxation triumph but it means citizens are forced more and more into expensive consumer credit. If you're a bank or a dairy company, you're doing well. The Party that's for the worker has sold the worker out with a continued low wage economy, supported by unions that have been bought off and Maori have been sold out with empty promises that were impossible to fill from the start.

Around 450 people a week are boarding flights to Australia, only to return to visit friends and family. New Zealand has no obvious future for young people now.

What we have is a collective of lesbians at the top sharing power with vegetarian eunuchs, a token transvestite and some gays. Klark has scrapped our air force, given millions to "the arts" to buy the gay vote and spent over $1,5m on chasing photo opportunities around the world.

The latest is the Doone affair... a well timed foot and mouth scare kept the fact that she lied off the front pages for a few days. Klark sacked her former Minister of Immigration, Leanne Dalzell for being "economic with the truth", but we're not meant to find out about Klark's transgressions at any cost. What cost? Well, fifty containers of meat are waiting to gain access to Egypt as a result of this foot and mouth scare. Questions need to be asked.

David Benson Pope© Fotopress - Ross Setford

May 16 2005 NewstalkZB [New Zealand]

Associate Education Minister David Benson Pope has been been stood down from the portfolio, while new allegations against him are investigated.

Last week in Parliament, Mr Benson Pope absolutely rejected allegations that when he was a teacher, he shoved a tennis ball in a student's mouth and taped the student's hands to the desk.

He told Parliament that he found the allegations disgraceful.

However, TV3 tonight showed footage of two of David Benson Pope's former students, claiming one was the tennis ball victim and the other was sitting next to him at the time.

The two men, who now live in Perth, Western Australia, say they have spoken out because they were angered by Mr Benson Pope's denials last week.

In a statement issued on Monday evening, the Prime Minister said Mr Benson Pope has, at his own request, stood aside from his portfolios while an independent investigation is conducted into the credibility of the allegations against him.

Helen Clark says she will be seeking advice from the Solicitor-General, Terence Arnold, on what form the inquiry should take.

She emphasises that Mr Benson Pope strongly refutes the allegations but has asked to stand aside while they are independently investigated.

Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper says misleading Parliament is seen as a serious transgression, particularly by a Cabinet minister.

http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,11981-4382307,00.html

http://www.nbr.co.nz

PM cuts her favoured few to four journalists

John Drinnan: Press gallery members 'walking on eggshells' this week

As parliamentary journalists squirm over publicity about the way news is created by leaks from the Prime Minister's Office, Helen Clark has restricted the list of favoured journalists to four.

Newstalk ZB political journalist Barry Soper remains one of the few but the identities of the others are only the subject of rumour.