Editorial: Shame Joyce didn't tell it like it is

Mark Dawson, Editor of Wanganui Chronicle

Am I alone in wishing that our politicians would be open and honest for once?

No, I don't mean they are lying to us - but here we are, Budget Day plus one, and I wish new Finance Minister Steven Joyce had done the unthinkable and come clean.

With a healthy surplus of cash to play with, Mr Joyce turned on the taps, dishing out millions here and there.

I'm not complaining about some extra money in my pocket and I doubt many of the other beneficiaries of Mr J's largesse are grumbling. But, hey - apparently there's some sort of election coming up in a few months.

I didn't hear all of the minister's speech but, from what I have read, nowhere did he say:

"I'm handing you some extra dosh ... oh, and I hope you will vote National in September."

We know that is what he thought - every political commentator and pundit has said so - and he knows that we know; and we know that he knows that we know. Everybody knows the game by now.

So why didn't he just say it?

Yes, of course, we are all astounded that the Government just happens to have stumbled on all this moolah in - well, I'll be damned - an election year.

So here we are locked into the three-yearly charade.

The Opposition parties have their own game - rip the Budget apart and find something to gripe about, even if they actually agree with much of it.

How we would have appreciated their honesty if they had said: "Hey, Steve - that's a really neat idea to give some more money to pensioners, and students trying to find a rental in Auckland."

Naturally, if Joyce had fessed up there would have been a resounding chorus of that old chestnut "Election Bribes", and he would have been branded cynical.

But I would have liked to hear it and, rather than cynical, I would have applauded him for fronting up and telling it like it is.