Lot of baggage in air information bid

By JAMES GARDINER

The Airways Corporation spent more than a quarter of a million dollars on overseas travel and accommodation for three executives last year - then tried to make the Herald pay more than $3000 to obtain that information.

The corporation has now withdrawn the demand, following intervention by the Office of the Ombudsmen.

But it has succeeded in dragging out the process for more than seven months.

Corporation lawyer Andrew Matangi said it took 55 hours, at $56 plus GST an hour, to prepare a 14-line report detailing how $272,917.99 was spent in the year to May 2000 on trips to Britain and North America for chief executive Craig Sinclair and two other executives.

The corporation, a state-owned enterprise which provides air traffic control for domestic and international airlines in New Zealand's airspace, was involved in major bids to operate air traffic control systems in Britain and the US.

The British foray failed but the US bid was successful.

Mr Sinclair, John Bole and Paul Woodbury headed the consortium bid for the British air traffic control contract and between them travelled to London 19 times in the year to May 2000 and once each to the US and Canada.

Mr Sinclair's eight return trips to London cost $61,170.24 for airfares, $26,918.17 for accommodation and $5582.48 for meals, taxis and other expenses - a total of $93,670.89.

The corporation says he spent 97 working days overseas that year.

Mr Bole had five London trips, which cost $73,641.89.

Mr Woodbury's six trips cost $85,447.16.

The trio's North American trip cost a total of $20,158.05, the bulk of it ($17,705.34) in airfares.

The corporation did not respond for two months to the Herald's request for information but finally released the details last January under the Official Information Act after the Herald complained to the Ombudsman.

It then demanded $3465 for providing it.

By that time the Herald had lodged a fresh request for updated information on the grounds that the delays had resulted in the information being out of date.

The corporation said it would provide the information only if the Herald paid the first bill plus $280 plus GST for the fresh information.

The Herald complained to the Chief Ombudsman, Sir Brian Elwood, asking that he investigate whether the charges were fair and reasonable in the circumstances.

The corporation withdrew its invoice after being told Sir Brian was likely to rule in favour of the Herald.

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