KEY POINTS:
The issue of commercial sponsorship of the parliamentary rugby team's trip to France has been kicked for touch.
Prime Minister Helen Clark asked Speaker Margaret Wilson to look at commercial sponsorship of the team after the extent of its sponsorship was revealed.
The rugby trip hit the headlines when then Corrections Minister Damien O'Connor allowed a suspended prison officer, Jim Morgan, to go on the tour. Mr Morgan's wife, Marie, works for Mr O'Connor.
Mr O'Connor lost the Corrections portfolio in a Cabinet reshuffle as a result.
Co-captain, National MP Murray McCully, said the touring party paid between $3000 and $4000 each to cover the basic air fares and accommodation package for the two-week trip to France between August 27 and September 11.
Some members paid much less, due to assistance from the French government for internal travel and hospitality and sponsorship from Air New Zealand, adidas, Lion Nathan, Visa, McDonald's and AMP, the Independent Financial Review had reported.
The newspaper quoted an unnamed sponsor as saying the tour was a chance to "brainwash MPs in the relaxed social environment of a trip they viewed as a rugby junket to Paris".
During the tour the group attended receptions, dinners and complimentary tickets were also provided for group members wanting to attend the official Rugby World Cup opening ceremony in Paris.
Ms Wilson said yesterday she had advised Miss Clark that the matter should be dealt with in the context of a code of conduct for MPs.
"As the incident took place outside the chamber and did not affect the business of the House, the Speaker has no jurisdiction."
Whether her control should be extended to cover such matters was for Parliament's standing orders committee.
That committee had a proposal before it for a code of conduct and Ms Wilson said she would refer the incident to the committee as part of its consideration of that code.
- NZPA
