Charlie's Law

Sanctimonious Twaddle

One of the most offensive things about the Left to many people is its habitual sanctimonious self-righteousness.  The Left has a "holy people"--poor, working (aka exploited) classes--and it has an evil people--those with assets and money. 

The self-righteousness is so deeply ingrained many on the Left are no longer aware of it.  When it bubbles up yet again, gales of mockery and derisive laughter burst forth from those outside the "true faith".  Here is the latest example of the type.

Charles Chauvel--Labour MP--has proposed "Charlie's Law", as in "he's a right Charlie".  He has suggested that when it comes to disclosure of  lobbying interests, left wing lobbyists should be carved out because they are too holy and righteous to be thus impugned.  We kid you not.
  This from Karl Du Fresne:

Only a week after Green MP Holly Walker’s Lobbying Disclosure Bill passed its first reading in Parliament, Labour has had an attack of the collywobbles.

Walker’s bill would require parliamentary lobbyists to go on a register, disclose which politicians they meet and sign up to a code of conduct to be written by the Auditor-General. It appears to have broad cross-party support and even the lobbyists themselves, or at least those who have given their views on the bill, seem relaxed about it.  There’s a lot of work still to be done on the legislation – even Walker accepts that – but there’s broad agreement in principle on the need for greater transparency.

But not all lobbyists are equal, according to Charlie Chauvel.  He has proposed an amendment to Walker's bill which would limit the requirement to disclose lobbying activity and interests to those representing money and business.

But what’s this? The New Zealand Herald reports today that senior Labour MP Charles Chauvel, in a bravura display of special pleading, has proposed an amendment seeking an exemption for trade unions. Chauvel argues that the bill is too broad and should apply only to people who lobby for a commercial purpose rather than not-for-profit groups. His amendment would exempt unions, charities, churches, NGOs and sports bodies.

In other words, transparency’s all very well when it’s wicked professional lobbyists and corporates who are under scrutiny, but Chauvel thinks people like Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly and secretary Peter Conway – two of the lobbyists outed last week as having swipe cards giving them special access to Parliament – should be allowed to continue flying under the radar. They are, he says, “less sinister” than the other sort of lobbyist.

Classic left-wing sanctimony.  We are the "holy, righteous, and good" whilst those who oppose our just cause are wicked and degenerate.

What do Christians say about this?  Merely this.  Everyone on the planet is self-interested.  Further, most of those are selfishly interested.  This is otherwise known as sin.  To help protect everyone from the selfish rapacity of the most there needs to be full disclosure of interests.  To claim disinterest for those who purport to be not motivated by profit or money is either stupidly naive or thoroughly disingenuous.  Either way, Charlie's Law is sanctimonious twaddle.