Summary
ASIDE from its undoubted entertainment value, the controversy over New Zealand First leader Winston Peters' alleged free meal or meals at an Auckland restaurant raises several issues of wider importance, one of which is the MP's judgment given his sensitive position on the committee which was investigating serious claims involving the fishing industry. It also raises the issue of perks for politicians in general, and even if all Mr Peters is guilty of is bad timing, many members of the public will still resent the fact that these well-paid people live such working lives of apparent privilege.
In one sense, such freebies as MPs receive inevitably go with the territory, and as Mr Peters said, no politician is going to sell their soul for a free dinner, so what's all the fuss about? People buying one another a meal is all part of the New Zealand preoccupation with networking, and is not to be confused with corruption. It's just that when politicians are involved, people's hackles are raised, suspicions aroused.See the full content of this document
Extract
The Hazards of Dining Out
Why this should be so is part of the culture of a country which doesn't have a heck of a lot of time for politicians of any st...
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