Do Labour & Green politicians care about the poor, homeless & dispossessed in NZ more than National & ACT politicians? If they did, wouldn't you expect they'd stay on as Members of Parliament to campaign for those causes, even after not holding high offices of state? Or should they leave politics, then may you not expect them to work helping those suffering in this country? Well, you would be wrong. Former Labour Finance Minister Michael Cullen became Chair of NZ Post when he bailed from Parliament and Grant Robertson is off to be Vice Chancellor of Otago University on $629,000 per year. Meanwhile former PM Dame Helen Clark went to the United Nations, whilst Ardern is shacked up at Harvard with its $NZ 50 billion endowment, talking with Prince William about Earthshot prizes. How ironic they campaigned on inequality, and argued that the rich should pay more tax, when UN employees pay no tax, as does Harvard, being deemed a Charity for tax purposes. The question arises - are these folks champagne socialists?
A recent incident at Auckland Airport captures the hypocrisy of it all. Last week Dame Helen passed through & became dismayed at the sight of the writhing throngs of humanity, sweltering & queueing for hours - the ones languishing with cattle class tickets - the types who suffer the indignity of having to turn right when they enter the door of the plane - down to the back where the stinky air settles - together with the crying babies. What was Dame Helen's reaction?
“My heart sank because I was able, you know, with the Business Class ticket to go to the express lane, but there was this queue that just snaked all over, you know, around by the shops and so on, and just barely shuffling, and I thought it would be extremely distressing.”
Yes, Helen, the sight of the barely shuffling masses without Business Class tickets is distressing. Better not to look.
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