A welcome move towards transparency

In her first speech as Green party co-leader, Metiria Turei has opened the books on her party's Parliamentary expenses:

Following the example of Russel Norman as our candidate in Mt Albert, this week we will release the costs of all MPs air travel, taxi use, rental car hire, Wellington accommodation and out of Wellington hotel costs for the period 1 January to 30 April. Thereafter we will release this information annually.

We are the first political party to make this commitment to transparency and we hope that the others will follow suit. It is traditionally the role of the Green Party to keep the old grey Parties honest and we will do so again.

It is a welcome move towards transparency in this area, and it immediately puts the pressure on the other parties to do likewise. And it seems to be producing some movement already, with John Key writing to the Speaker to request a cross-party committee to examine ways of opening up Parliament to greater scrutiny. However, he also caveated that with the usual argument against Parliamentary transparency:

However, the public had to remember that some MPs' expenses would be much higher because of where they lived - the MP for Wellington would obviously spend far less on air travel than that for Invercargill.

"So you wouldn't want a Member of Parliament to be besmirched by the fact that they might have a slightly higher flight bill or taxi record simply because they live further away," Mr Key said.

In other words, they need secrecy to prevent the public from drawing unfair conclusions about MPs based on their spending. It's the same arrogant, snobbish attitude that saw Tories arguing in the nineteenth century that the poor and women couldn't be allowed to vote because they were just too stupid or irresponsible to make such decisions "properly". It also shows a deep discomfort with the role of the people in a democracy as the ultimate arbiters of political behaviour. We decide what politicians are judged on - not the politicians themselves.

Transparency is vital if we are to do the latter properly and hold politicians properly accountable. Trying to hide will simply increase the public suspicion of politicians (who regularly rate down there with used car salesmen and Paul Holmes in terms of public trust), and increase the costs when the truth comes to light, with a consequent corrosive effect on our democracy.