Jobs for the donors

Something I missed: back in December, John Key appointed former Wellington city councillor Chris Parkin to the Tourism Board. Parkin is an ACT hack, but had been in the hotel industry, so he could be considered qualified, except for this: he's a big donor to the National Party. In 2011, he gave them $55,000 (the Herald can't count, and only reported $53,000); in 2012, he gave them another $16,850. 2013 returns aren't out yet, but they may make interesting reading too. While Parkin might be qualified, giving a government job to someone who has given your party over $70,000 looks unseemly at best - and outright corrupt at worst.