Spam Journalism #11

Spam Journalism: The spurious use of sensational headlines to add spice to an otherwise pointless article. (MacDoctor definition)

Today Tracey Watkins of the Dominion Post obliges us with this fine piece of political spam.

Maori MPs’ windfall criticised

“National is under fire for pumping tens of thousands of dollars in extra entitlements the way of the Maori Party and four of its own MPs at a time when the rest of the public service is under orders to show restraint.”

Can’t you just hear the sound of the Gravy Train dog-whistling in the distance?

So what’s the extra money really for then?

“The boost will give those MPs an extra $40,000 each to hire more staff and office space, on top of their existing $65,000 electorate allowance.”

So this is an extra grant (that includes labour MPs), not because they are Maori, but because they have very large electorates. Presumably the Maori party pointed out the unfairness of the current funding system that makes it difficult for them to effectively manage their electorates. How is this an entitlement? Because it is for staff and office space, how is it a windfall?

And finally, worst of all, because this has been in the public domain since the agreement between National and the Maori party was signed, how is this news? These issues have already been extensively blogged about in November by Kiwiblog and Homepaddock.

Frankly this smacks of a distraction to draw attention away from Labour’s appallingly lackluster performance in parliament this week. 

Note: David Farrar blogs on the TV3 “exposé” on this and the Dom Post article.

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