What's the story? If reports are correct, there was an error, it was corrected. No foul play detected.

No story. Do we need to discuss non-stories? Or do you want to raise something, but didn't write in your post?

Merely an observation 

Nothing is "merely". There's always a reason for a comment. Go on, let it out.

what you see is what you get, there is no covert agenda. As I said just merely an observation. Close it if you wish.

Probably Winston trying to take some headlines away from Jacinda. Story is only headlining!

The 'story' is a non-story and our media are only chewing on it because they no longer understand what their responsibility to inform means. Someone made an accounting error. Winston didn't notice. End of (non)story.

Rikkitic:

 

The 'story' is a non-story and our media are only chewing on it because they no longer understand what their responsibility to inform means. Someone made an accounting error. Winston didn't notice. End of (non)story.

 

 

 

 

 

I guess the story is how an MP who has championed NZ Super for ages and knows all about it, could not have been aware that he was being overpaid.

Look, if someone had made an accounting error and somebody was being underpaid for their super, I bet an informed MP would notice this immediately (or should do if we trust them to run the country)!

Here's the view of David Seymour on this:

ACT leader David Seymour has blasted Winston Peters, raising questions about the timing and nature of his superannuation overpayment.

"The timing of Winston Peters' admission makes him look very shifty," Seymour said.

"How could he not notice superannuation overpayments when he's made a career of representing superannuitants?

And poor old Metiria Turei was prepared to pay back all her benefit overpayments, but nobody was impressed with this either!

There's a big difference between on the one hand deliberately making fradulent statements to obtain benefit money above your entitlement, keeping quiet about it for ~20 years, and then seeking to justify it as the right thing to do, and on the other hand not noticing an error and immediately paying back the overpaid funds.

I personally have no time for Winston but unless there is a whole lot more to this story, it's a meaningless beat-up in my opinion.

shk292:

 

There's a big difference between on the one hand deliberately making fradulent statements to obtain benefit money above your entitlement, keeping quiet about it for ~20 years, and then seeking to justify it as the right thing to do, and on the other hand not noticing an error and immediately paying back the overpaid funds.

 

I personally have no time for Winston but unless there is a whole lot more to this story, it's a meaningless beat-up in my opinion.

 

I doubt whether politicians and the media will regard it as a meaningless beat-up! Consider, for example, this write-up:

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/08/27/44774/co-habiting-peters-takes-single-super

If you were to work with Peters, possibly with Peters as Deputy PM, would you regard this story as a non-story?

frednz:

 

I doubt whether politicians and the media will regard it as a meaningless beat-up! Consider, for example, this write-up:

 

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/08/27/44774/co-habiting-peters-takes-single-super

 

If you were to work with Peters, possibly with Peters as Deputy PM, would you regard this story as a non-story?

 

I think that version has already been discredited, which is why media are wasting our time with this. If not, then it might be worth a further look but I doubt that is the case. I just don't think Winston is that dumb or that greedy. He is not going to take that kind of risk for a measly 18 grand over 7 years. I like to think his price is much higher than that. This is just a baseless beat-up.

Rikkitic:

 

frednz:

 

I doubt whether politicians and the media will regard it as a meaningless beat-up! Consider, for example, this write-up:

 

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/08/27/44774/co-habiting-peters-takes-single-super

 

If you were to work with Peters, possibly with Peters as Deputy PM, would you regard this story as a non-story?

 

 

I think that version has already been discredited, which is why media are wasting our time with this. If not, then it might be worth a further look but I doubt that is the case. I just don't think Winston is that dumb or that greedy. He is not going to take that kind of risk for a measly 18 grand over 7 years. I like to think his price is much higher than that. This is just a baseless beat-up.

 

 

 

I agree, you wouldn't think any politician would knowingly risk getting more benefits than they are entitled to. But Metiria did (before she was in Parliament) and look what happened to her! But this has happened to Winston while being in Parliament, so it's even more of a news story in the eyes of the media!

And what do you think will be one of the lead stories from all media outlets during the day? You guessed it, how could Winston not know he was being overpaid over a long period of 7 years?

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/i-didn-t-claim-extra-superannuation-winston-peters.html

So is it really a "non-story", well it's certainly not "fake news"! Look, all politicians have to be so careful when dealing with their own benefits etc and this has proven to be the case for as long as I can remember!

I am on the side of this being a total non-event.

I know some will try rabidly to bring this into the same ballpark as the Metiria thing, but it simply isn't. I may not agree with Winston on a lot of things, but the Media needs to let this one go.

It's a terrible look for Winston.

(And he's not helping himself by obfuscating)

That said, it's a pretty large difference between Peters and Turei's behaviours.

- I received this in error vs. I deliberately mislead and repeatedly actively mislead for a number of years

- It's been repaid in full vs. I will pay it back if asked to

- It was a screw-up vs. I was justified in doing this, and I refuse to criticise others doing the same.

He has explained it quite well....when he signed up for the super his partner was at WINZ with him and he declared she was living with him. 

Its not fraud like you know who, but rather an error or confusion by WINZ. Winston has so much money he would never look at it, so never spotted the problem...WINZ did.

Bit of a nothing story that has got Winston back in the spotlight where he likes to be.

Pumpedd:

 

He has explained it quite well....when he signed up for the super his partner was at WINZ with him and he declared she was living with him. 

 

Its not fraud like you know who, but rather an error or confusion by WINZ. Winston has so much money he would never look at it, so never spotted the problem...WINZ did.

 

Bit of a nothing story that has got Winston back in the spotlight where he likes to be.

 

I doubt whether Winston or the NZ First Party would really want to be in the spotlight for this type of story. It's easy to say that it's a "bit of a nothing story", but recent events make it a very interesting story. Take, for example, this NZ Herald write-up headed:

"Beehive knew of Winston Peters' super payments weeks ago."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11912771

In this article it says that: "Peters said there was no justification for the information to have been disclosed under the "no surprises" policy, overriding his privacy."

So, the focus of this story is now moving away from whether or not Peters knew that his pension was being overpaid to who leaked this story to the media and why the information was disclosed under the "no surprises" policy.

The article then says that: "Any suggestion that National leaked Peters' personal troubles could have a damaging effect on its chances of forming the next Government with his New Zealand First Party."

So suddenly, we now seem to have an even bigger story than the original one.

However, I can't help thinking that, when an MP needs to refund overpayments of benefit money, somehow, the media is always going to get hold of this, so it goes to show how meticulous MPs need to be with all their personal financial affairs.