Nat Calendar And Green Cards Collateral
Damage
Christmas for journalists and other social pariah's just got a whole lot bleaker following the Auditor General Kevin Brady's final report into the way parliamentary parties spend their taxpayer funds. A source close to Scoop would have endured a 2005 Xmas card free zone but for the arrival of a taxpayer funded and artistically pleasing card from the Green Party.
Given that the Greens are already committed to re-paying $87,000 of misspent funds it seems unlikely they will risk incurring NZ's grinch-like bean counter's wrath by sending out potentially vote swinging Chrissy cards for 2006.
Also suffering from the new fun free environment that Mr Brady has ushered in will be the good citizens of National MP Lockwood Smith's Rodney electorate. Photos of Dr Smith standing proudly in a pair of Speedos surrounded by his fellow Orewa Surf lifesavers were splashed across NZ's newspapers earlier this week after Finance Minister Michael Cullen claimed a Christmas calendar issued by Dr Smith broke the rules under Mr Brady's new guidelines.
Dr Smith's calendar showed more than just the good lads of the Orewa surf life saving club though – January portrayed Dr Smith leading his prize winning Belgian Blue Bull (Woodleigh Jackson) around by the nose and May had Dr Smith with a smiling Miss Hibiscus Coast (2001 Winner).
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ENDS