EX-CORRECTIONS MINISTER SAYS OBEYING LAW A MISTAKE

Sticking to the rules is easy but it won't get you anywhere in life. That was the message of former Corrections Minister Matt Robson when he spoke at a school assembly at Moenui Area School yesterday.
Robson who was invited to speak as part of the school's new Moral Education programme, told the students "breaking the law is OK as long as you get away with it."
"Learn from my experience," Robson urged the assembly. "Last year our Party was the only one that kept within the rules governing election spending and the result stands before you: a politician without a job. Had we broken the law like everyone else I would still be collecting a fat salary and firing paper darts and insults across the floor of the House like the rest of them."
"My advice to you young people is 'forget being honest. It will get you nowhere. Rules are there to be broken.'
Mr Robson gave as an example that stealing someone's lunch money was fine as long as the money belonged to 'some nerdy kid with glasses.' "If you are caught, say you thought the nerdy kid wanted to share his lunch money with you that he didn't make it clear that he wanted it for himself. Say he's been sharing his lunch money with you ever since you sat together on the mat in J1. Then cover your tracks by saying that anyway, everyone else shared the chips you bought too and besides Donny and some other boys were playing rudies behind the bike sheds with Dianne."
Mr Robson's speech was warmly greeted by the students and he stayed to chat for some time afterwards when he found his car was mounted on blocks and the wheels removed. Police would be investigating if they weren't too busy operating a speed-trap in the Meka gorge.