Please take a moment to write to your MP if you too are upset about the underlying causes leading to David Jerrold Theobold’s actions, ie
- Allegations of managerial incompetence in Inland Revenue / State Services
- Allegations of a culture of bullying in State Services, inhibiting the discussion, submission and implementation of any positive changes
- Inadequate dispute resolution outcomes where issues are raised leading to an unsatisfactory work environment
- Allegations of preferential treatment being given to the top echelons of taxpayers – old boys network
- Allegations of slanting of news stories on the state-owned television network to minimise damage to government infrastructure and make DJT look like a fruitcake by editing interview footage and moving the focus onto the damage to the building, and DJTs mental health rather than focusing on his reasoning for feeling that after 3 years of unresolved disputes he had exhausted all other avenues and had no choice but to take drastic action
- Allegations of a culture of wastefulness and excess in management at IRD
- Lack of accountability and public scrutiny of affairs in Inland Revenue
etc. etc.
Whether or not you are familiar with any or all of these issues you can still help by writing to your MPs saying that for a longterm (20 year) employee to take such drastic actions and feel that he had exhausted all other channels to try and resolve his dispute, there should be an independant enquiry into the management culture within State Services at the very least.
Some of the relevant Ministers are listed below, plus a link to a full list of MPs
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Hon Tony Ryall
Ministerial Portfolios
- Minister of Health
- Minister of State Services
Contact Details
Email: tony.ryall@national.org.nz
Phone: (04)817 6804 (Parliament)
Phone: (07)5780175 (Electorate)
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Ministerial Portfolios
- Minister of Immigration
- Minister of Broadcasting
- Associate Minister of Tourism
- Associate Minister of Health
Contact Details
Email: jonathan.coleman@national.org.nz
Website: www.jonathancoleman.co.nz
Phone: (04)817 6818 (Parliament)
Phone: (09)4198021 (Electorate)
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Ministerial Portfolios
- Minister for Justice
- Minister for State Owned Enterprises
- Minister of Commerce
- Minister Responsible for the Law Commission
- Associate Minister of Finance
- Deputy Leader of the House
Contact Details
Email: simon.power@national.org.nz
Website: www.simonpower.co.nz
Phone: (04)817 6803 (Parliament)
Phone: (06)3237253 (Electorate)
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Hon Judith Collins
Ministerial Portfolios
- Minister of Police
- Minister of Corrections
- Minster of Veterans’ Affairs
Contact Details
Email: office@judithcollins.co.nz
Website: www.judithcollins.co.nz
Phone: (04)817 6806 (Parliament)
Phone: (09)2997426 (Electorate)
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List of members of parliament and contact details as at 24 July 2009 [PDF 275k]
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From Mick: “I’d like to add a comment at the top of Alastair’s letter that if every anyone’s begging, pleading, cajoling, screaming, crying for friends to help a simple testimonial or 1,000 of them would have done — Alastair also did what any moron would have done — complained to the broadcasting standards association — hands up who else thought of using the correct process first — I did for three years and that’s why I’m onmn bail and needing hospitalisation right now.”
By Alistair Galbraith
I’m sorry to bug you when you’re out of the country BUT
a very dear friend of mine has done something pretty newsworthy
David Theobald drove his car through 3 sets of plate-glass doors in to the IRD building in CHCH on Saturday morning at 6.30 am (having checked with staff and cleaners to make sure no-one would be inside)
He did this to draw attention to a culture of waste,bullying, and “favours for the rich” within IRD
he has worked there for 20 years and had a 100% rating!
he has never been before the courts before and is 47 years old
He is highly intelligent and articulate yet the only news coverage was total crap on tv1 which described him as “a paranoid and depressive” and allowed him NOT ONE FULL SENTENCE.
His concerns, what his protest was about , were completely ignored!
One of the major issues he’d like to draw attention to
is the amount of time allocated for reviewing Refunds for more than $100,000. to trusts and business (9 per hour)
compared to the excessive attention paid to Refunds for low income brackets.
the lack of “public scrutiny” to which IRD are subject, despite it being a part of their charter that their work be carried out so as to be acceptable to the highest public scrutiny!
the culture of bullying within the department which prevents positive change.
the unfairness of fairly recent changes to the tax system.
IS THERE ANYONE STILL IN THE COUNTRY WHO IS NOT AFRAID TO LET THIS MAN TALK TO NEW ZEALAND ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON, WITHOUT CUTTING HIS WORDS TO MAKE HIM APPEAR MENTALLY ILL?
i WISH YOU WERE HERE, COS i’D TRUST YOU MORE THAN ANYONE TO INTERVIEW HIM
let me know if you can help, or anyone you know would pick up the story from its real angle – IRD failures – not “disgruntled employee”
My blood’s boiling, seen a lot of good people go down for silly things
but this is different – otherwise I really wouldn’t bug you
Nice work — that’s very useful. I’ll write to a few myself.
Any interested parties archive this link for a week or so from now — I’m serious
http://www.jonathancoleman.co.nz/index.php?/archives/276-Colemans-Call-10th-of-July.html
And this at http://www.judithcollins.co.nz/comment.asp?Ref=CollinsComments140809&Year=2009
” We’re providing $45 million directly to schools that they have the flexibility and freedom to spend the money in a way that ensures more of their pupils get access to sport without layers of bureaucracy. The other $37 million will go into a regional partnership fund, which will be allocated across the 17 regional sports trusts around New Zealand. This will build stronger links between schools, sports clubs, and private sporting providers.
Most importantly, it’ll get more kids playing sport!
Every kid deserves the best love and care. Sadly, there are still children in our district who still go to school with empty tummies. This is a real concern to the government because these children are the future of New Zealand.”
One thing I’m amazed by, and which is why Alastair, like Steve, is a living national treasure, is that Alastair had all the facts about my concerns before he emailed me — he even knew what work I did and what the main points were.
No one will listen to even 1,000,000 letters saying ‘IRD workers should be able to drive through glass ’cause it’s a cool and groovy statement’ or variations thereof, but even my lovely mum could have understood the point about not being allowed a sentence, and the simple summary of just a few of my concerns.
And that’s how to get heard over the noise — I’m starting to post all my work emails on FB to show why you have to do that sometimes. Any indication of idiosyncracy can currently be used as a wedge to disemployment until diversity is actually celebrated rather than acknowledged with a faded ‘Celebrating Diversity’ poster.
http://ellesmerespeedway.tripod.com/
is a list of all current govt MPs, though Richard Worth’s departure hasn’t been updated