National Party MP Claudette Hauiti has given up her parliamentary charge card after she used it to pay for a personal trip to Australia.
"I went to Australia. It was travel only and way outside Parliamentary Service guidelines," she told Fairfax Media.
She said the trip over Christmas last year and other questionable spending, including refreshments for a hui on a marae, had cost about $200, which she has since repaid.
"Of course it's absolutely no excuse for not knowing the Speaker's rulings. It is my responsibility and I didn't do it."
Parliamentary Service refused to provide a total of unauthorised spending, or comment on the matter.
"A new release of parliamentary information protocol has just been presented for debate in the House, and it would appear that this information is covered under it.
The Service cannot make any comment. Any requests for information should be made to the member," a spokeswoman said.
That's two strikes for Claudette Hauiti. We don't care that she is a National Party MP; she has let herself fall into the trap of questionable use of taxpayer funds, and that is, in our book, a big no-no.
Ms Hauiti was ranked at #63 on the National Party list in 2011, but entered Parliament with the resignation of Aaron "Don't you know who I am" Gilmore. We don't know if the 2014 National Party list has yet been set in stone, but Ms Hauiti his quite possibly cost herself any chance of promotion.
MP's of all stripes need to remember it's not their money they're spending. It comes from those of us who pay taxes, and we deserve better.
4 comments:
"Of course it's absolutely no excuse for not knowing the Speaker's rulings"
I find a moral compass helps when unsure of the rules. It seems she doesn't have one.
One thing we've learned is that when the sense of entitlement is strong the things we find out about tend not to be isolated incidents.
Thankfully National's list isn't out yet. I expect to see a rapid descent.
Agreed it is time politicians of all stripes remembered it is not their money but ours.
As Rick Prick said she seems to lack a moral compass if she seriously thought is was OK to spend the money. It is not hard to work out and maybe it is time they thought a variation of what I call the Ray principle; if I do not have to invent a reason why I bought it then it is OK to spend the money but if I have to invent a reason then I know I should not be doing it.
I'm sure that National can find a higher calibre candidate somewhere within the PR department of Phillip Morris. That's where they get them, right?
The Roy Morgan poll tonight making you desperate Snow Angel?
Post a Comment