Get rid of ministers' credit cards, says business boss

EMA chief executive Alasdair Thompson. Photo / The Aucklander

Ministers have proven "beyond a shadow of a doubt" they should not have ministerial credit cards, and those who have misused them would be facing discipline were they company employees, says the Employers and Manufacturers Association's chief executive.

Some historical ministerial credit card spending records were released today, showing frequent misuses, including Labour's Shane Jones spending his taxpayer-funded credit card on adult pay-per-view movies.

Employers and Manufacturers Association chief executive Alasdair Thompson said it was a "bloody shame" Jones and other ministers were not treated as employees.

"If Shane Jones was an employee of a company, first of all it's very much less likely today that he would have a company credit card.

"Secondly, if he did have a company credit card, the company would have a policy making it very clear that no purchases were to be made on it on anything of a private nature.

"And, naturally, porno movies in hotels are definitely of a private nature."

The ministerial credit cards and their poorly defined policies were out of line with private sector practices, Mr Thompson said.

"I think with politicians, they have now proven beyond a shadow of a doubt they should not have credit cards.

"The bottom line is, if it's good enough for the prime minister not to have one, why should any minister have one?"

Prime Minister John Key has chosen not to have a taxpayer-funded credit card.

Mr Thompson said an employee getting caught for the MPs' misuses would face disciplinary action and would need a good explanation.

For example, an employee could have forgotten a personal credit card on a company trip, and repaid personal expenses after getting back.

The employee would still have erred in not telling his superior, but would be given another chance knowing harsher penalties would await the second time, Mr Thompson said.