By James Murray and NZPA
Former Labour Minister Shane Jones has admitted watching porn movies at the taxpayers expense on RadioLIVE.
Mr Jones excused his actions by saying he was a red-blooded adult.
"I'm a red blooded adult, it shouldn't have happened, it has happened, it doesn't make me feel particularly worthy but I'm not going to hide from it."
He said he had apologised to "all and sundry" for his actions.
Far North list MP Mr Jones earlier revealed he had paid back about $5000 that he wrongly spent on his credit card.
Mr Jones was minister for building and construction during 2007-08 in the previous government and admits to wrongly using his card to charter a plane and buy wine, magazines and books. He also wrongly used the card to buy movies when he stayed at hotels.
Asked earlier by reporters if the movies were adult or not, Mr Jones said he could not remember.
"I can't recall exactly what they were; drugs, sex or rock and roll. I am a movie buff," he told Radio New Zealand.
"I don't recall. I watch a lot of movies... I don't know. I won't rule it out but I don't remember."
Jet-setting cabinet minister Tim Groser gave his ministerial credit card a good work out on his many overseas trips in his climate change and trade roles.
Most of his spending for dinners, drinks and alcohol as part of his roles appears to be within the rules.
However, the minister appears to like a quiet drink in his room at night, on a couple of occasions more than $100, for using minibars in his room in Copenhagen, Bangkok, Australia, and England. Mr Groser was not immediately available for comment about how that came under work business.
The expense list for Mr Groser also shows two bottles of $400 whisky.
On one occasion Mr Jones chartered a flight. His scheduled flight was cancelled so drove to Auckland from Kaitaia, but needed to get to a meeting in Tauranga where he was to speak.
The flight was around $1200, he said.
"It is on the card."
Wine costs included an event at which Mr Jones hosted a group of architects and about $300 of wine was drunk. He paid that back but said he did think it was a work expense.
Mr Jones said he paid the money back after the election.
"I knew one day there was going to be a reckoning with disclosures over credit cards."
He said he realised he'd pushed the margins.
"I was too loose for my own good in terms of putting things on the card... Fair cop, I put things on the card that ought not to have been there. I've got to accept responsibility."
3 News political editor Duncan Garner says Mr Jones' career is in tatters.
"I really am struggling to see how he can survive long-term as a politician."
Mr Jones earlier this year admitted to media wrong spending on the card to media at the time of the Phil Heatley saga but not the extent. National's Mr Heatley stood down from his housing and fisheries portfolios in February because of wrongful use of his ministerial credit card, but was reinstated in late March by Prime Minister John Key as Minister of Housing in February after an Audit Office report said his spending was not deliberate.
An Internal Affairs spokesman said ministers had discretion about spending like that.
Mr Groser has had a bit of bad luck since becoming a minister in 2008. His credit card had to be replaced after being used for fraud and he had to go shopping for new clothes when his luggage was lost.
That bill included $439 for walking boots "I required suitable footwear for walking in the snow", a note on his reconciliation form says. At Benetton he purchased dress pants and a top for $135 and at Angerer Sport bought a snow jacket for $958.
Mr Groser also got the card out to pay for two staff leaving dos and used it to pay for a gift for a leaving member from a toy shop. One farewell cost $103 and another about $75 including the gift.
Internal Affairs was checking the rules for NZPA about that spending.
However, when Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee's credit card expenses were released last year he paid back money he spent on a staff lunch in Christchurch.
Mr Groser has recently been in hot water after attracting a complaint after drinking at a bar on an international flight from Dubai recently.
NZPA / 3 News
Audio: RadioLIVE's Marcus Lush talks with 3 News political editor Duncan Garner and Labour MP Shane Jones about credit-card spending by Labour Party members.
source: newshub archive
