Cabinet pair put frugality first

Frugal minister Chris Finlayson. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

Arts and Culture Minister Chris Finlayson and Health Minister Tony Ryall are competing for a new portfolio - the Minister of Frugality.

Both have bucked the trend of their globetrotting colleagues and have not spent a cent of taxpayers' money on overseas travel since taking office.

Mr Finlayson even turned down a trip to the Venice Biennale, the art world's top show, to save the taxpayer $40,000.

Mr Ryall had a $20,000 trip planned to speak at a World Health Organisation conference in Geneva, but cancelled it to stay and deal with the swine flu outbreak.

Mr Finlayson's frugal attitude will continue when he takes his first international trip to London this Friday. He will start by not using his diplomatic passport for the speedy passage it allows through airports. That is a ministerial perk the disgraced Richard Worth used on a private trip to India before he lost his job.

In London, Mr Finlayson intends to use the Tube or borrow a friend's car - which will actually save the British taxpayer money. His spokesman said yesterday Mr Finlayson "does not want any airs and graces."

A long-time supporter of the arts, Mr Finlayson was eager to go to the biennale to support exhibitions by New Zealand artists Francis Upritchard and Judy Millar.

However his spokesman said he and Minister for Economic Development Gerry Brownlee decided to save the $45,000 their two departments had put aside for a minister to attend.

Mr Finlayson is single and has not used any of the MPs' partner perk that Rodney Hide, Peter Dunne and David Carter have used to take their partners on taxpayer-funded overseas trips.

As of last night, two National ministers - Maurice Williamson and Judith Collins - were still refusing to respond to Herald queries about their travel bills over winter.

Mr Williamson, Minister of Building and Construction, spent $13,414 on international ministerial travel and $10,984 on his perk - a total of $24,398.

Ms Collins, Minister of Police and Corrections, spent $20,283 on international travel and $5417 on her perk - a total of $25,700.