Speaker's Mojo Mathers decision outrageous - Peters
New Green Party MP Mojo Mathers has found herself an unlikely ally – NZ First leader Winston Peters.
Mr Peters has said the decision of Parliament's Speaker's Office to refuse special funding to Ms Mathers, New Zealand's first profoundly deaf MP, to help pay the cost of electronic note-taking equipment is "unthinkable".
“Other physical disabilities are recognised in the parliamentary environment and it is outrageous that deafness is not included," Mr Peters said.
He has offered to contribute some of the cost of the equipment from the New Zealand First leader's budget and has called on other parties to do the same.
Labour disability spokeswoman Clare Curran said that if Dr Smith requires the approval of the Parliamentary Service Commission to fund this equipment, "Labour supports a speedy resolution. Being deaf should not be a barrier to participating in a modern democracy. Mojo was democratically elected. She deserves all the support required to be an active and effective member of parliament."
Ms Mathers is due to give her maiden speech to Parliament tomorrow (Wednesday) at 4.15pm.
Parliament's Speaker, Lockwood Smith, will brief media at 3.30pm today.
Signup to free NBR email alerts here
Back to home
Back to top
Print
Email
Share
Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Google
Yahoo
Technorati
Scoopit
NBR SERVICES
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Sign up for NBR subscriber content or email alerts
Latest
Comments and questions23
The Speaker made the right call; paying the cost of electronic note-taking equipment is only the thin end of the wedge. The taxpayer will more than likely have to pay the on-going cost for the replacement batteries.
I thought parliament is where all New Zealanders are represented? Obviously not...only those who aren't deaf.
Didn't he say they didn't have the authority to pad for it and he would investigate further at the next meeting.
ie. refusing to break the law but agreeing to pursue further - sounds reasonable to me.
Eventually it will be paid by the taxpayer, whether it be via parliamentary services, ACC or some other department is just academic.
If she wasn't a list MP from a party that only 11% voted for more sympathy would be given .
Surely the green party themselves should help pay and extend her office budget as they gave her the position
Fair go i've heard some bs reporting in my time but this takes the cake - he said you'll need to pay for it out of your parlimentary allowance - not out of her pocket. So she doesn't have to pay for it herself - just budget within her allowance for it (perhaps on less "Researcher" to concoct mad ideas). I know Winston won't like it cos' he needs all his allowance for the Back
Bencher
read prev post - and now before you start spouting rubbish get your facts straight.
...something about NZ's 3rd official language??
So NZ gets:
Mojo - that's the deaf portion
Labour Party - dumb portion
NZ1st - Blind (drunk) portion
What a stellar line up of representative NZ the last 2 lots are!
Who said anything about it being paid from her own pocket? Off on a tangent are we wMc as you seem to have missed the point.
No. You're the one implying she can't have the gear or must pay from her personal money which is a load of crap. She can have the gear, Speaker just said it needed to come out of her parliamentary allowance - nothing to stop her/Greens getting it from existing allowances if they need it.
You can buy the software for about $1400. That is not the problem - the problem is that the software requires another person who can type at least 60 words a minute to type into a separate PC. This then using the software can come up on the deaf persons PC and there is an extra screen to type additional private notes.
I think the issue is not the equipment rather it is who pays for the personal service. Normally for any normal worker with a disability that would come out of a social services budget of some sort.
I thought that all MPs were deaf?
Good on Winston
Good on Winston
@Richard Cranium
Have you not heard of Lithium-Ion rechargeable batteries?
Let the Greens pay for it for one reason they do not have an elected member , if a blind person is elected will we have guide dogs in the house paid for by the taxpayer.
As for Peters who takes a notice of him his party also does not have an elected member.
MP's are paid enough most of them would not earn anywhere near what the taxpayer is forced to pay them.
Let Mojo fend for herself.
WTF? some of you guys are cruel, tight and oh so sad, yeah the sort of people who would throw a child out of a lifeboat to save your own pathetic self, it's only $1400.00 blah, blah, blah. FCS she's deaf, she's in Parliament, get her the gear. Go Winston, again and go the deaf!
Totally agree - I bet she "sure plays a mean Pinball"
You are indeed a True Leader Winston... No discrimination with you. One People... One Flag... One Nation. What a great example you are. Your indiscriminate generosity is noted by all.
What are you, Peter Shirtcliffe in drag? If those parties have members in parliament its because people voted for those parties (I am not saying thats a good thing, BTW) knowing who was on their lists. Saying they are any less elected than any other MP is just drivel. and Thread-jacking to boot!
The Speaker has agreed that the equipment would be paid for out of taxpayers funds, but he said that the person needed to run the system should come out of the 80 hours MP's support budget. Or have I now ruined a good emotive storm in a tea cup?
yep - emotive, storm in a teacup drivel dreamed up by politicians looking for a soap box upon which to cry crocodile tears... for more photo opportunities.
The Greens receive tax payer funding nearing over $5 Million annually to support and run their "party"
The Greens chose her to represent them in parliment, knew of her circumstances - so the Greens should foot the bill to equip her to participate as equally as everyone else.
This is a man-power resourcing issue - not an equipment resourcing issue. The Greens can/should pay out of the generous pax-payer funds already over-paid to them.
Why not stop all the BS with speaking Maori in the house, then there would be plenty of money for real causes like this!!
i don't get it... why doesn't he just pay cos this whole thing is making him look really bad...
Post new comment or question
To share this article, click on a service below