I don't get it

I'm struggling to understand how NZ First is actually still a registered party. Shouldn't they be struck off for not paying the money back?

Even if they do successfully find a charity to take the money, there legal obligation to pay the money back has not been met. I wonder how this will play out?

Kiva

I just signed up to Kiva to make loans to third world entrepreneurs. This is like the Grameen Bank who make small loans to the world's poor. The Grameen Group was founded by Nobel Prize winner Dr Muhammad Yunus, the father of Microcredit.

I love that I'm not just handing out money - I don't believe that this helps the self esteem of either party and I also love that my money comes back and I can make the loans over and over again. Yes am totally aware that the borrower might default on the loan, but only 1% of the loans default.

So now that I've done my good deed for the day - I'm off up north, for a weekend of arguing, drinking, more arguing and general mayhem with 16 of my closest friends - love it.

Update: No arguing actually - how dull.

Commemoration of life well spent

Not entirely sure why the commemoration of Sir Ed’s life should be an either/or situation. By all means name a mountain after him, but please call it Mt Ed, not Mt Hillary - wouldn't want Hillary Clinton to claim it. And please don’t spend thousands of dollars consulting with every man and his Iwi about which mountain, just do it cheaply and quickly. Acutally might be better to do this in Nepal, I'm sure they will love it.

And, have a public holiday in his honour – I don't think it need necessarily relate to any particular date, just a Friday some time in the middle of winter would be good, thus bringing much relief to workers during this long stretch without a break. Since I run my life around the Australian Stock Exchange it won't be of any benefit to me, but you can't say I don't do anything nice for you wage slaves.

As for continuing his work in Nepal, then by all means raise money to enable this work to continue. I suggest that the fundraising activity could be undertaken in the week of the Sir Ed's national holiday. But it is totally inappropriate that it comes out of taxpayers account – it is the individuals’ choice where their charity dollar is applied (or not) – it is not the governments.

Bye, bye Winny

I do so hope that the Auditor General doesn't hold NZ First to account for the $158,000 they are trying to give to charity instead of refunding back to the taxpayer. If this happens then we all have a legal precedence to justify giving our tax directly to charity, rather than wasting it on public servants.

Anyone keen to set up a charity for The Disenfranchised Taxpayers?

And if they don't pay it back, can they be struck off the ballot? Here's hoping anyway.