Resignation revives calls to overhaul travel rules

Pansy Wong. Photo / Paul Estcourt

The resignation of Pansy Wong from the Cabinet for her husband's breach of rules around MPs' holiday travel has revived calls for an overhaul of the perk.

Greens co-leader Metiria Turei wasted no time in calling on Prime Minister John Key to commit "to fixing this broken system".

"The current system is undermining public trust in the Parliament of this country and cannot continue as it is," Ms Turei said.

Mr Key needed to establish an independent body to develop a more transparent system that clearly separated personal expenses from remuneration and legitimate work expenses, she said.

An independent system was the only way to restore public confidence.

Mr Key has not committed to a review which is, strictly speaking, the responsibility of the Speaker.

And Speaker Lockwood Smith is the person standing in the way of an overhaul. He has long defended the discount because it is now taken into account when MPs' salaries are set.

He has also defended it on the basis that it is one of the few measures that recognises years of experience.

Before leaving Japan last night at the end of the Apec conference, Mr Key would not be drawn on whether it was time to end the perk.

But he is likely to take soundings about it from his ministers this morning when he chairs the Cabinet.

Mr Wong used the discount for a business trip in September last year.

Mrs Wong could not give Mr Key assurances there were not other occasions on which the rules were broken.

It has since emerged Mr Wong used to book his travel directly through his wife's office.

Her use of the travel discount since she became eligible for it in 1999 is being reviewed.

Parliamentary Service and its spending, including spending on the travel discount, is not subject to the Official Information Act.

Dr Smith has started to regularly release some expenditure by individual MPs including travel but there is no specific break-down of the international travel perk. Identifying spending on it has to be done by deduction and often requires an MP's confirmation.

Dr Smith last month moved to have the spending on the travel perk taken out of the statistics altogether (claiming it was part of remuneration and not an expense).

He was forced to back down when political parties revolted.

The travel perk

* After a term in Parliament MPs and their spouses qualify for 25 per cent discount on any trip, rising to a 90 per cent discount after four terms.

* Ex-MPs get between 50 per cent and 90 per cent discount depending on their service.

* Ex-MPs elected after 1999 do not get it after they retire but can get it as sitting MPs.

* It can't be used for business, but can be used by MPs for parliamentary-related work.