What Bankers!

What do you give a failed Wall Street bankers that have been bailed out by the tax payer? If you think the sack then think again. According to The BBC Wall Street bankers bonuses for 2009 have gone up a whopping 17% or US$ 20.3 billion. Just mention this to your boss when next negotiating pay!

Would you Credit it

National's Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee and Fisheries and Housing Minister Phil Heatley have been using their ministerial credit card for their own use. A tearful repentant Mr Heatley who apologised on the TV news used the credit card to pay for a family trip to the South Island, wine and meals at the National Party conference, a trip to the cinema and a meal at a fast food outlet! If any worker had done the equivalent it would result in instant dismissal. It may come as a shock but they are still government ministers after paying back the oversight!

Tax Avoidance

The IRD caught the big four Australian owned banks with their 'fingers in the till', as they were forced by the courts to pay IRD $2.4 billion.

According to Jim Anderton MP that's more than the GST budget for the country, more than the entire education budget. And in a single year it is far more than sale of state assets in the 80's and 90's that caused so much grief.