Time off, so MPs hit the road

Lockwood Smith. Photo / Mark Mitchell

With Parliament in recess, MPs have been jet-setting around the world, visiting a refugee camp on the West Bank, promoting economic ties and practising their Spanish and Italian.

Two trips were organised over the past fortnight.

A Speaker's delegation - Speaker Lockwood Smith and MPs Chris Tremain, Darren Hughes and David Shearer - spent two weeks visiting Madrid, Mallorca, Barcelona, Istanbul, Ankara, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and returns tomorrow.

The other was a week-long visit to Rome and Geneva led by Pete Hodgson with Jacqui Dean and David Clendon.

The final cost of the trips is yet to be determined, but many costs are met by the host countries or organisations. Airfare and accommodation expenses incurred by MPs will be made public as part of the regular quarterly release.

Dr Smith said such trips promoted New Zealand and helped expand international networks.

The Speakers delegation started by meeting Spain's King Juan Carlos, then went to Mallorca, where it visited San Llatzer Hospital, for which New Zealand company Orion Health provided IT services.

In Barcelona, the delegation visited Casa Asia, a Spanish Government-sponsored organisation which aims to achieve greater involvement by Spain in the Asia-Pacific Region.

The MPs' last visit was to Israel, to lay a wreath at the Yad Vashem-Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes Remembrance Memorial.

MPs on the Italian trip met 1000 other parliamentarians at the 123rd Inter Parliamentary Union Assembly.