sustain:if:able kiwi

are you playing, or are you hiding, behind that gay card?

Big dust up in the New Zealand media while I was in Australia, as some (only some) of the allowances paid to New Zealand politicians were publicly named. In the midst of a recession, the Beehive residents have been made to look like greedy pigs, manipulating the public purse for financial gain, while demanding fiscal restraint from the suffering public.

Just this morning I was enjoying Colin Espiner’s opinion piece. “We may now know how much each MP has spent on travel and accommodation over the past six months. However, we still don’t have the details. We don’t know how much each MP spent on spousal travel. We don’t know how much was spent on international versus domestic travel (except for ministers). And, more importantly, we don’t know the reason for each trip. MPs have argued the public does not need that much detail, and to require it would be an invasion of their privacy.” (Paragraph 9, 10, 11). So there we are, a general comment on each MP (emphasis mine).

This was followed by turning the spotlight on specific MP’s. First to be mentioned was Wayne Mapp and Bill English. And then in paragraph 24, “MP Chris Carter is one of Parliament’s biggest spenders of our money, despite never having had portfolios that demand much travel.” No mention of sexuality by the way (emphasis mine).

Now I notice that the aforementioned Chris Carter is suggesting exactly the opposite. “Why was there no interest in any other minister taking their partner with them, only me? Why should that be? The only conclusion that I can draw from that is it’s because I’m gay, and that if I was a heterosexual minister taking my husband or wife with me, it would be of no interest.”

Well excuse me, Chris Carter, but as a tax payer I am interested in ALL MP’s use of travel. And so is the New Zealand media.

So from where I sit, I think you’ve simply pulled out gay card simply to shut down debate. You’re in the spotlight and rather than front, you’re trying to hide behind the gay card.

And that, frankly, IMHO is a pretty sad use of your sexuality. What’s more, it seems demeaning to all those who have fought so hard to remove sexuality as an excuse for discrimination. Step out of the closet Mr Carter!