When John Key was Prime Minister he used to say some pretty dumb shit that often got him into trouble. However he would usually perform well for the media spotlight, often making political capital from his mistakes. They didn’t call him Teflon John for nothing.
The current Prime Minister however doesn’t have the same cunning. When Bill English tries to copy from Key's ploy book he just looks awkward and evasive. Take for instance the slow burning Todd Barclay affair where English was simply dishonest. Take for instance his reaction when the National led government was caught in the complicit act of illegal spying on Greenpeace.
It’s relatively easy to trap English in his lies, as was evident again when Family First reported on the PM speaking his mind at one of their events.
On Monday, the NZ Herald reported:
Family First stripped of charity status
The Charities Registration Board said in a decision today the reason was "because it does not advance exclusively charitable purposes".
This is great news. Family First isn’t a charity by any stretch of the imagination. They’re barely a functioning lobby group. Clearly the bigots at Family First were disappointed that the Charities Board had made the correct ruling against them. It also appears that the non-charity was upset with the Prime Minister for not coming to their rescue.
Yesterday, Scoop reported:
"Charities Board Should Be Removed From Public Service" - PM
Family First NZ says that the Prime Minister Bill English at their recent Forum on the Family in July has challenged the basis of the Charities Board’s intent to deregister Family First.
In response to a question by National Director Bob McCoskrie: “For some reason (the Charities Board are) gunning for us because we believe things like marriage is one man one woman. Do you think that is right?”, the Prime Minister responded:
“Well if they were gunning for you on that basis, then the people doing that would of course have to be removed from the public service because the law is not anything to do with what the advocacy is…”
So the PM gave his opinion that public servants, who essentially work for him, should be fired because they apparently don’t believe in traditional marriage. WTF!
Family First has instructed its lawyer to file an immediate Notice of Appeal in the Wellington High Court against the Charities Board’s formal decision to deregister Family First NZ because our views about marriage and the traditional family “cannot be determined to be for the public benefit in a way previously accepted as charitable”.
I certainly do hope Family First has submitted an appeal based on what the Prime Minister said. That would be a very foolish and costly mistake on their part. Let’s hope the Judge leaves the door open so we can once again hear a fool whining about money.
Mr English went on to say;
“You've come up against this legal argument as I understand it about advocacy versus actual good works and the charitable definition is focused around good works... Until or unless that law changes, then the people overseeing it have to administer it without fear or favour or any colour to the political argument, the political position that people take…
Good god man! Arguing against marriage equality and LGBT rights isn’t good work. The fact that the Prime Minister has made such a statement about why a law should be changed to allow what is essentially a hate group the ability to avoid paying their fair share of taxes is an affront to our democratic system, not to mention an insult to the people Family First targets.
In one breath English says the public servants working for the Charities Board should be removed because he agrees with Family First’s argument, and in another he says the Charities Board shouldn’t fear administering the law.
This is clearly another good reason to not vote for Bill English or the National party this coming election.
