Expenses: public disclosure on way

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei says New Zealanders want to know MPs aren't abusing their privileges. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Just hours after Green Party members of Parliament released details of their travel and accommodation expenses, Speaker Lockwood Smith announced that a disclosure regime for all MPs' expenses will be developed.

The Greens' release yesterday followed a pledge by new co-leader Metiria Turei to disclose the information as pressure continues for MPs to be more transparent in how they spend taxpayers' money.

Dr Smith said a cross-party meeting was held yesterday afternoon to discuss the extent to which expenses should be disclosed.

"A regime for public disclosure of expenses by MPs will be developed as quickly as possible," he said.

"The committee was conscious of the public interest in this issue and agreed to develop a disclosure regime ... Members of the cross-party committee will take the ideas discussed back to their respective parties."

The figures released by the Greens are for the first four months of this year.

They show Ms Turei had the biggest bill for air travel ($18,968) and car transport ($7384) among Green MPs. She is based in Dunedin.

Auckland MP Keith Locke was the second-highest spender on air travel ($16,832). He also spent $4194 on car travel.

Wellington-based MP Russel Norman was the third-highest spender on air travel ($15,828) and the second-highest on car travel ($4480). He was also the highest claimant for out-of-Wellington hotel accommodation with $1319.

Dr Norman is the party's co-leader and he is also contesting the Mt Albert byelection.

The lowest-spending Green MP was Wellington-based Sue Kedgley, who claimed $4593 for air travel, $1172 for cars and $102 for out-of-Wellington accommodation.

In total, the nine Green MPs spent $123,945 on air travel for the four months and $37,078 for car travel, although this also included spouses' travel.

The seven MPs not based in Wellington claimed between $1386 and $2000 for accommodation when in the capital.

Ms Turei said the controls on spending were much more robust in New Zealand than in Britain.

"Most New Zealanders are probably comfortable with their MPs travelling to and from Wellington. They just want to know that the privilege is not abused."

- NZPA