I am seriously wondering why MPs think that they can milk the system for a "full time job", it wasn't long ago since MPs did their "thing" (I'm still not sure what they actually do, it sure doesn't seem to be much) on a part-time basis and they had real jobs as well. And were paid a "token amount", mileage and compensation for expenses (real expenses, not imagined).

I can't find out when it changed, there is plenty of information about it changing, but there are no specific dates. It can't have been long age though, sometime since the Korean war.

I think we should go back to that system and then there would only be the MPs who actually wanted to "do something for their county", not the hangers-on that are there for the "gravy train" and ONLY the gravy train.

Apparently John Key takes his "salary" but no other perks or "expenses" because he has enough money from businesses (his own) to keep him going. Why can't the others do that?

I am not saying that John Key is the most marvellous PM we've had either, he proved that he is a total "tosser" by reneging on his election promise to halt NZ's part in the "global warming" scam and got persuaded by Al Gore (yes, the Al Gore who has two mansions, several cars and a private jet, all of which use enough energy to power a small city) to sign the ETS into law without consulting the public of NZ. This is one of the many idiotic things that he has done since becoming PM.

But Helen Clark, I can't believe you're serious about liking her. She must be one of the most dishonest women ever in existance. Jenny Shipley is also a contender for that title. I haven't got all day to list her many dishonest acts, but the one that stands out "like a sore thumb" is the "anti-smacking Bill", "AGAINST OVERWHELMING PUBLIC OPPOSITION". Helen's motto must be "I don't care what others think, I will carry out my agenda no matter what".

You realise that NZ paid (DEARLY) for her plumb UN "job", don't you?

She has finished totally wrecking NZ, and is now working on ways to destroy the entire world.

However, your statement "the national party can claim to be improving the economy" - they are? How? I don't see any improvement, do you?