British MP’s resign posts over ethics, not on PEI
Premier Robert Ghiz, no one in my administration will resign over ethics
British MP’s unethical use of expenses reason to resign, Island MLAs not bothered by ethical concerns
Story from BBC News
Conservative MP Andrew MacKay has quit as parliamentary aide to David Cameron over what the party said was an “unacceptable” expenses claim.
Under the parliamentary system when elected members get caught with their hand in the cookie jar, purloining the public purse as it were. they resign something. Usually they don’t leave their elected post, although it does happen in bigger fraud cases. So we see in Britain, several MP’s repaying expense claim money that won’t stand up to public scrutiny.
On PEI, there are no parliamentary ethics. Not only do our local politicians keep all posts and perks when caught with their hands in the PNP cookie jar, no one ever thinks of repaying the ill-gotten gains.
Our premier Robert Ghiz is a man with situational ethics as fluid as the Hillsborough River. He clears Brooke MacMillan for manipulating the system to get PNP money for his wife and himself. Later when the Auditor General shines a light on these cockroaches, the Premier demands a refund but no resignation. Time for Premier Ghiz to come clean on breach of fiduciary trust
The public understand the rules of the game. Conflict of interest is a way of life on PEI. If a board member is in conflict over their fiduciary trust, as in have their hand in the cookie jar, why not eh? The Premier is doing it. His top staff are doing it. Cabinet members and MLA’s are doing it.
When I suggested that insider dealing at the PEI Council of the Disabled might be a conflict of interest it was considered odd that the topic be discussed. “We always do it that way.”
At Music PEI and the other volunteer NGO’s on PEI, volunteer board members have no scruples about dipping into the bank account. More Brooke MacMillan style insider dealing at Music PEI
Sometimes the money is a cheque to ensure payroll loyalty, the British system of voting with the source of your paycheque. PEI Disability NGO’s take bribes to ignore seniors
Music PEI is quite incensed that we should bring it up. How impudent they harrumph. We are volunteers doing our best. At which point they turf me out for shining a light on the cockroaches dining openly at the table. No Free Speech at Music PEI
Robert Ghiz must have been modeling his political career after Brian Mulroney who we are discovering was one of our more illustrious greedy politicians. Mulroney exonerates himself, does anyone believe him
At Bishops where Ghiz got his undergraduate degree, it is rumored he took a real interest in POL237BM1 Political studies in blarney and POL243BM2 Brian Mulroney crook or visionary model for your political retirement.
Tory MP quits post over expenses
Mr Cameron has said all Tory MPs must be able to defend their allowance claims after a series of damaging allegations about MPs’ claims.
Several senior Tory figures, including Michael Gove and Alan Duncan, have agreed to repay money they claimed.
Mr MacKay, MP for Bracknell, is married to fellow Tory MP Julie Kirkbride.
‘Unacceptable’
The Conservatives said Mr MacKay had voluntarily submitted his expense claims to party officials and these had revealed “an unacceptable situation that would not stand up to reasonable public scrutiny”.
Mr MacKay and his wife claimed second homes allowances on two separate properties, with Mr MacKay saying they had done so “for eight or nine years”.
“Although Mr MacKay maintains that those arrangements were agreed by the Fees Office, he resigned this morning with immediate effect,” said a party spokesman.
He said he had followed the advice of the Commons fees office but he now realised the arrangement did not pass Mr Cameron’s “reasonableness” test and he felt it was “wrong” to remain in his position.
Elliot Morley was said to be "heartbroken"
He told the BBC: “Due to an error of judgement in accepting advice from the fees office I have let a lot of people down.
“I passionately believe in Parliament, in our democracy, and I think it is very important that members of parliament are held in high regard.”
He said his error of judgement had damaged Parliament’s reputation but it was up to his constituents in Bracknell whether he should continue to be their MP.
He added: “I will also be holding a public meeting so that any one of my constituents who wants to come and talk to me and cross-examine me can do so next week.”
He said had apologised to Mr Cameron for “causing any hurt or difficulties” and had offered to repay the money, depending on what the Conservatives’ new scrutiny panel, announced by Mr Cameron on Tuesday, decided.
Asked if his expenses claim felt wrong at the time, he said: “Looking back now, it does look strange. I have clearly made an error of judgement for which I profusely apologise.”
The BBC’s political correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti said Mr MacKay was paying a heavy price for the public backlash against MPs’ behaviour over their expenses and the strong action party leaders were now taking over the issue.
Mortgage ‘mistake’
Former Tory chairman Lord Tebbit said Mr MacKay was a “good guy” but said he had done the “right thing” in stepping down given the nature of the situation.
“It ain’t right,” he said of the claims details. “I am glad he has recognised it is so.”
It comes as Westminster faced the seventh day of revelations about MPs’ expenses in the Daily Telegraph.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is said to be “very concerned” about former minister Elliott Morley claiming £16,000 for a mortgage he had already paid off.
Mr Morley has said it was a “mistake” and has paid the money back but Mr Brown has held talks with Labour’s chief whip about his future. A spokesman for Mr Brown said he was seeking “more facts” from Mr Morley himself and will hold further talks with the chief whip later.
The newspaper also alleges Mr Morley rented out a London flat designated as his main residence to another Labour MP, Ian Cawsey, a close friend and former special adviser, who named the property as his second home, allowing him to claim back the £1,000 a month in rent he paid to Mr Morley.
In November 2007, the newspaper claims, Mr Morley “flipped” his designated second home from his Scunthorpe property to his London home and for four months the two men claimed expenses on the same property.
The Commons fees office stopped the arrangement. Mr Cawsey said he had not been aware of Mr Morley’s financial arrangements.
