Money Money Money

Two MPs in the news that I have to comment on again.

Trevor Mallard first.

I didn't like the anti-scalping law.  Not because I'm a scalper, I've never bought tickets to anything without actually going to it.  The law didn't concern me too much, so I just dismissed it as a dumb idea.  The two problems I had with the law were that it offered protection to big business over individuals, and it interfered with what should have been a free market.  I'm not a big believer in free markets, but in the case of tickets to major events, I reckon let the market run wild and free.  It's just a game (or gig), after all.

So I don't mind anyone selling tickets on TradeMe, for whatever reason.  If people are dumb enough to pay over the face value, stupid them, and if they have the tickets dishonoured at the gate that's private business between the buyer and seller.

BUT

Trevor Mallard was strongly associated with the anti-scalping legislation, more so than any MP.  It doesn't matter what he thought of the legislation, it is forever his name linked to it.  And that puts him in the unique position of looking like (and, as far as I can see, being) a big old hypocrite when it comes to selling tickets to sports events and gigs.  Next time, Mr Mallard, give the tickets away, or donate the proceeds to a named charity (not the un-named one that receives "a good part" of Mr Key's salary) and limit the price to the face value.

The final point relates to the conditions of the sale around not reselling the tickets.  I'm not convinced that this is any more enforceable than the "Not for individual resale" found on Coke cans in every second dairy.  Perhaps someone can set the record straight.

Mojo Mathers next.

This whole idea that she's "been around parliament" for five years, so someone should have known, ignores a whole lot of reality.

Her employer, until she was elected, was the Green Party.  As far as we know she had no issue with her employer providing the necessary things to support her in her role.

Once she was elected to parliament, she left her previous employment and now works for the citizens of New Zealand, as an MP.  Her previous employer cannot be expected to continue to provide for her, nor can they be expected to pass on to her new employer anything they used to support her in her previous role.

The Speaker must fund facilities to allow every deaf MP (including those to come), irrespective of their political hue, to participate to the fullest of their ability, which will undoubtedly be more than the ability of the most dim-witted of the non-deaf MPs.