新西兰英语 364 Pansy Wong Resigns as Minister

　　Pansy Wong has resigned as from her job as Cabinet¹ Minister. She was Minister of Women’s Affairs, and Minister of Ethnic² Affairs. She resigned because her husband has been getting cheap international travel through her office for his business trips. MPs and their husbands or wives are allowed cheap international airfares for Parliamentary business or holidays but not for private business. Her husband has used these cheap air fares for his own private business. It is not clear if this happened only once, in 2008, or more often. Pansy Wong said she will find out how many times this has happened and she has promised to pay back the money to the government. Her husband, Sammy Wong, is a Malaysian-born businessman.
It is very disappointing that this has happened to Pansy Wong. She has been a leader in the Asian community. She is the first Asian Minister in New Zealand. She was born in Shanghai, brought up in Hong Kong and moved to Christchurch in 1974 to study for a Master of Commerce⁴ degree which she gained with Honours. She became an accountant. She was a list MP for National in 1996 then moved to Auckland where she was elected, by a huge majority, as the MP for Botany.
She has not resigned from Parliament³.
A Labour Party MP found out this information about Pansy Wong’s husband.
Questions
1. Why do we need a Minister of Women’s Affairs? Look at Office of Women’s Affairs
2. Why do we need a Minister of Ethnic Affairs does? Look at Office of Ethnic Affairs
3. What is the job of the Opposition⁵ – in this case the Labour Party?

1 cabinet   

n.内阁，内阁会议；(带玻璃门存物品的)橱柜

参考例句：

• I keep my collection of old china in the cabinet.我把古瓷器收藏品存放在橱子里。
• He had held many important offices in the French cabinet.他在法国内阁中任过许多重要职务。

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 Parliament   

n.议会，国会

参考例句：

• She won a seat in Parliament at the election.她在选举中赢得了议会中的席位。
• The drug was banned by an act of parliament.议会的法案明令禁止该药品。

4 commerce   

n.商业，贸易；社交

参考例句：

• Commerce binds the two countries together.贸易把这两国结合在一起。
• They drew up plans aimed at expanding commerce.他们拟定了发展商业的计划。

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。