Of salary escalation and sartorial intervention

National Party styles. Could it get more blokey. Dennis Plant MP cannot compete with the Hawke's Bay real deal. The ute, the thumbs up, the rugby photos - it couldn't be better if it was made up.
There's more to be concerned about in the Remuneration Authority's determination than John Key's make-over budget, but since the PM is the only one allowed to claim for it it is worth noting that the Crown will be picking up the tab. Muzza's Ministry for Rugby headgear will have to come from another allowance.

The parliamentary salaries and allowances determination was released by the Remuneration Authority. Why is it always back-dated? To promote structural corruption - or to bring the back-dated pay into issue as to whether they will take it or not? They have structured their own deal to include back-dated pay rises every year - their Christmas bonus? Why does it kick in retrospectively from 1 July if the thing was only signed off on Tuesday (18 November). A posthumous payrise for the PM. Why don't they set it in advance? They used to call it the "Higher Salaries Commission" - at least that had a palatable ring of truth to it.
From the top of the party-based system to the bottom:That's what the MP for Tukituki will probably be on: $131,000. And topped off with a little bit of gravy for "out-of-pocket" scenarios ;)
There are other things to be concerned about as Key leaves as the PM for APEC. One is what silly garb the Asia-Pacific leaders will have to don for their defining group photo, the other more uncomfortable situation being the bleak global trading outlook following the financial crisis. On top of this Key will be aware our currency and position is weak. Where is the bottom? The answer seems to be lower. The dominos are still falling in this game. This was Key's forte in the civvy world. Will he be taking advice, or giving it?
[UPDATE: 10PM: Garner on TV3 says giving it - Key's personally re-worked speech... we'll see.]
[UPDATE: 11PM: Colin Espiner reports from Peru that much has been made of this speech that our nation's white Obama will deliver to his fellow world leaders shortly:

Apec economies here are dreaming if they think that more free trade is going to be the answer to the credit crunch. Maybe it won’t hurt, but there’s a lot more than talking that needs to be done here if anything is realistically going to change.

Key knows this, and he’s planning what will hopefully be a hard-hitting speech to the business leaders here tomorrow, including some words of advice on how to regulate the credit industry a little more closely so that the recent towers of Babel that came toppling down in the United States don’t do so again.

It’s Key’s first moment on the world stage, I guess, so we’ll be there to see how he performs. Then he’s got some bilateral meetings with a bunch of other foreign leaders - not a bad dance card, ranging from the presidents of Indonesia and China to the Chilean president, the Canadan and Singaporean prime ministers, and of course good old Kevin Rudd.]