Act took $44,000 'perk'

ACT, the perk-busting party, has been caught taking its own little perk.

A public relations firm half-owned by party president Catherine Judd received $44,000 of public money to provide services such as media training to the party.

Most of the money was paid to Awaroa Partners during the last election campaign, but $12,627 was received last year.

United First leader Peter Dunne criticised the payments, saying Act would be the first to be outraged if another party had acted in the same way.

"I think in these circumstances the prudent course is to be completely separate from the process, so that, if someone like Catherine Judd runs a public relations firm, the one firm Act doesn't use is her firm."

Green co-leader Rod Donald said: "There is a rather delicious irony in this particular case."

But Mr Donald said he did not think Act had done anything unethical. "It would start to become farcical if you couldn't use anyone to provide you with goods and services who is a member of your party."

Act leader Rodney Hide said the payments were made before he was leader, but insisted they had been the result of an open and transparent process.

The Parliamentary Service, which was responsible for the payments, said Act did nothing wrong and the payments were legitimate.