Greens and corporate hospitality

John Hartevelt at Stuff reported:

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said most concern was around the Debt Management Office.

Staff there were recorded on the register as having accepted at least 165 gifts since July last year. The staff count there is 24.

”The NZDMO are going to golf, they’re getting theatre tickets, they’re getting movie tickets, they’re getting endless lunches and endless dinners and other corporate hospitality,” Norman said.

Whereas the Debt Management Office was tasked with getting debt at the cheapest possible price to the Government, banks were meant to maximise the cost.

”They clearly have a conflict of interest in accepting corporate hospitality from the banks because the banks have a completely opposite interest than the taxpayers in this,” Norman said.

There was no allegation of wrong-doing, but an audit should be carried out to make sure the terms of loans were all above board and had not been affected by corporate favours, he said.

Yes of course, in exchange for a free ticket to World of Wearable Art (around $70), a staffer would have added a percentage point to the $1.1b bond, costing the taxpayer an extra $11 million.

The Greens say the jobs of the banks is to maximise the cost of debt and are oppossed to the Government wanting to minimise it. By that rationale no customer and no supplier should ever be hospitable to each other.

The Greens put on a couple of parties a year to which they invite the media, and even me. Now the job of the Greens is to maximise their party vote and the job of the media is to scrutinise MPs and hold them accountable. So by Green logic it is inappropriate for journalists to attend the Green xmas party.

At a certain level, hospitality can become inappropriate. But worrying about the fact the BNZ took the head of the debt management office to a children’s pantomime is ridiculous. That’s like worrying about who paid for the coffee.