Carter tops MPs' expenses

John Carter's ministerial travel perks included holidays to Rarotonga and Australia. Photo / Bay Report

National MP John Carter tops the list for expenses claimed using a ministerial travel perk for the last quarter of 2009, racking up a bill of almost $13,000, including holidays in Rarotonga and Australia.

The MP for Northland also headed the list for ministers for all of last year, totalling $34,922, ahead of Act leader Rodney Hide ($34,737) and senior National minister Nick Smith ($32,108).

Figures released yesterday showed that ministerial expenses, including international travel, for October to December rose to $2.18 million. The previous quarter it was $2.01 million.

Ministers use Parliamentary Service air travel expenses to fly their partners or children around the country with them, or for discounted holiday flights. Their own travel expenses come under Ministerial Services.

Mr Carter spent $12,827 during the quarter in this category, ahead of senior ministers Anne Tolley ($7411) and Dr Smith ($6442). A spokesman declined to comment except to say that the spending was all "within the rules" and that travel to and from Northland tended to be expensive.

The costs of Dr Smith, the Environment Minister, were partly from flying his wife and four children between Nelson and Wellington. His wife accompanied him to Copenhagen for last year's climate change conference, but they covered her costs themselves.

VIP Transport - available to ministers, the Speaker of the House and the Leader of the Opposition - made up the bulk of Labour leader Phil Goff's $89,454 bill, the largest in MPs' expenses. But this figure included $16,532 worth of VIP Transport invoices from travel that took place in the previous quarter.

VIP Transport accounted for more than half of Lockwood Smith's Parliamentary Service expenses, which totalled more than $30,000.

Labour MPs Parekura Horomia and Shane Jones had the highest non-ministerial claims for accommodation outside of Wellington, at $2514 and $2254 respectively.

Mr Horomia has a large electorate to cover, while Mr Jones is an in-demand speaker who often travels around the country.

Prime Minister John Key had the highest domestic costs of all ministers at $66,248, followed by Georgina te Heuheu ($63,179, including the highest Wellington accommodation claim at $12,649) and Bill English ($60,448).

Mr English's expenses are partly due to the travel costs of his six children from Southland to Wellington and back. MPs' children are allowed up to four return trips to Wellington from their electorate each year.

Mr English is also no longer claiming a housing subsidy, after controversy last year over the ministerial allowance for his family home.

Mr Key, Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Trade Minister Tim Groser all had large international travel bills of $164,999, $231,654 and $221,267 respectively. Demoted MP Phil Heatley spent $42,902 in ministerial expenses - including more than $30,000 in air and car travel expenses - and $1806 in parliamentary expenses.

Senior minister Tony Ryall is the Cabinet member who cost the taxpayer the least, his ministerial expenses coming to $22,100, with MP expenses at $3315 and no international travel.

Total expenses for ministers and MPs were $4.1 million last quarter and $4.07 million this quarter. Expenses came to $15.86 million for all of last year, of which $7.72 million was ministerial expenses.

Mr Hide, the Local Government Minister, spent only $1272 in Parliamentary Service expenses last quarter, following his embarrassment over the $25,163 bill to cover his girlfriend's costs accompanying him on an overseas trip. He repaid $22,000.

Labour's deputy leader, Annette King, said the scrutiny of expenses had prompted a change in behaviour.

"There will always be ups and downs in expenses because there are times of the year when MPs travel more or less ... but obviously we are being careful with our expenses, looking very carefully at it.

"The public expect us to and we have taken that on board as MPs ... but not stopping the job we were elected to do."

WHO'S SPENDING WHAT
Figures for Oct to Dec quarter

High spending ministers
(domestic costs, including accommodation and travel)

* John Key (left) - $66,248
* Georgina te Heuheu - $63,179
* Bill English - $60,448

Low spending ministers

* Tony Ryall (left) - $22,100
* Nick Smith - $24,128
* Tim Groser - $25,143

High spending MPs
(domestic costs, including accommodation and travel, excluding ministers)

* Phil Goff (above, Labour) - $89,454*
* Lockwood Smith (National) - $38,033
* Hone Harawira (Maori Party) - $35,772
* Shane Jones (Labour) - $31,375
* includes $16,532 from previous period

Low spending MPs

* Sue Kedgley (left, Greens) - $2805
* Katrina Shanks (National) - $3114
* Grant Robertson (Labour) - $3609
* Hekia Parata (National) - $5731

Minister's perks and spouses

FOR QUARTER

* John Carter - $12,827
* Anne Tolley - $7411
* Nick Smith - $6442

TOTAL FOR LAST YEAR

* John Carter - $34,922
* Rodney Hide - $34,737 ($22,000 repaid)
* Nick Smith - $32,108

TOTAL MP AND MINISTER SPENDING FOR LAST YEAR: $15.86 MILLION