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Saturday, February 27, 2010

Frank Newman: MPs a sorry bunch

Our elected representatives really are a sorry lot of individuals. The Prime Minister of Australia was very sorry for removal of aboriginal children from their families decades ago. Likewise Prime Minister Gordon Brown was this week truly sorry for the lost generation of children extracted from their parents and sent to distant colonies like New Zealand. And locally this year Rodney has been sorry, Hone has too (but not truly and sincerely so) and last week former Minister Phil Heatley was tearfully sorry for shouting the party faithful a couple of bottles of wine at a National Party do.


All of the apologies simply show that governments have a great deal to be sorry about. With all of the retrospective apologies one wonders what they actually do right. Don’t get me wrong – I am not against politicians apologising for their behaviour. In my opinion the apologies should be universal rather than selective. Things would be a lot more upfront and honest if our MPs were to actually offer their apologies and expressions of sorrow at the start of their term – during the swearing in process -rather than at the end of their careers, or indeed some decades after it has ended.

Perhaps it would be something like this: “I, [name], swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of New Zealand, Her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God, and I hereby unreservedly apologise for all I am about to do and am deeply, truly and sincerely sorry for the harm I will cause to others.”

I think that should cover it.

3 comments:

Warren said...

Frank
This hits the nail on the head and couldn't be truer. Some would indeed be in the confession box for a long time,some don't know what straight up and down means and many don't have a clue about the word "sorry"

Anonymous said...

Frank, Nothing new in that MP's have always been a SORRY bunch as well as ARROGANT HUBRISTIC or CONCEITED as the situation warrents. It is no wonder that many fine upstanding citizens today have a problem voting for ANY OF THEM.
Maurice J at the Mount.

Frank Newman said...

Maurice, you are right about having to voie for them. Perhaps we should have a "None of the above" or "No confidence" option on voting papers. If No confidence wins, the election for that electorate should be re-opened and held again.