Most expensive ex-PM? Jim Bolger

Jim Bolger. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Jim Bolger is the biggest spender on domestic travel perks available to former prime ministers and governors-general, racking up $36,000 in expenses in 2008.

An Official Information Act request from NZPA has revealed that five former prime ministers and four former governors-general had taxpayer funded domestic travel.

Former National prime minister Jim Bolger spent $27,191 on chauffeur-driven cars, $5562 on self-driven cars and $3400 on domestic airfares.

Mr Bolger has a number of high profile roles including chairing New Zealand Post.

Sir Paul Reeves was the most expensive former governor-general with $28,100 in expenses - $22,794 in chauffeur-driven cars and $5306 on domestic flights

The second most expensive governor-general was Dame Cath Tizard with $14,083 on chauffeur-driven cars and $2707 on airfares.

Sir Michael Hardie Boys spent just $1404 on air travel and $4646 on chauffeur-driven cars.

The second highest former prime minister was Sir Geoffrey Palmer with $26,055 made up of $14,187 on chauffeur-driven cars, $10,078 on domestic airfares and $1791 on self-drive cars.

Sir Geoffrey said in a letter to NZPA that he had used the VIP transport service and domestic airfares concession for his work as Law Commission president.

This arrangement had been approved by the Auditor-General when he took up the position in 2005.

In 2008 work on the War Pensions Project and the review of liquor laws had required a great deal of travel above his normal expenditure.

"When I was practising law in the private sector I did not use these concessions in connection with my law practice," Sir Geoffrey said.

The least expensive former prime minister was Mike Moore, who spent $660 on domestic airfares, $2812 on chauffeur-driven cars and $5947 on self-drive cars.

Mr Moore was prime minister for two months in 1990.

Helen Clark, who left Parliament earlier this year to run the United Nations Development Programme in New York, spent $9681 on just chauffeur-driven cars.

The information does not include other expenses such as international air travel subsidies available to former long-standing MPs through Parliamentary Service.

- NZPA