Labour says National MP Claudette Hauiti's misuse of a Parliamentary charge card has to have been wilful because the rules about its use are made very clear to MPs.
Ms Hauiti returned her card and reimbursed Parliamentary Service in March, but how much she misspent still isn't clear.
There was no one at Ms Hauiti's home in Mangere East this afternoon. She flew to Wellington to appear on political satire programme BackBenches, but wasn't keen to talk about misuse of her Parliamentary charge card.
It has been revealed she surrendered her charge card in March after using it to pay for a trip to Australia at Christmas. No one from the Government would comment today.
The list MP is standing in the new west Auckland electorate of Kelston, after unsuccessfully contesting Mangere in 2011.
She was next on the list after former Christchurch MP Aaron Gilmore, who resigned after disgracing himself during a boozy night in Hanmer Springs.
Ms Hauiti last year broke the rules by employing her partner at her electorate office. At the time she said she didn't know the rules.
3 News requested a copy of the rules regarding Parliamentary charge cards from Parliamentary Service but was told by the office of the general manager "the p-card policy is not publicly available, so I am unable to send it to you".
It wouldn't reveal details of the misspending. But 3 News tracked down the policy, which clearly shows airfares are not to be booked on a purchase card.
In 2010 Prime Minister John Key said he was keen on improving transparency.
"It may make sense for there to be a committee formed of MPs, of one from every political party, to look at this issue, to look if there are ways for greater transparency, and on that basis I intend to write to the Speaker today," said Mr Key.
But transparency wasn't forthcoming today.
Labour's Chris Hipkins said Ms Hauiti's spending must have been a wilful decision because the rules are drummed into MPs when they start, and a trip to Australia is against the rules, plain and simple.
3 News
source: newshub archive
