UPDATED - Labour's Pete Hodgson, who this week flagged issues with a trip by Pansy Wong to China, has challenged the PM's handling of the affair.Ms Wong resigned as a Cabinet Minister this morning, after admitting that she had used her parliamentary
UPDATED - Labour’s Pete Hodgson, who this week flagged issues with a trip by Pansy Wong to China, has challenged the PM's handling of the affair.
Ms Wong resigned as a Cabinet Minister this morning, after admitting that she had used her parliamentary travel entitlement to pay for her husband's travel within China at the end of 2008.
Her husband, Sammy Wong, had conducted some business on the trip – in an apparent breach of Parliament’s rules.
“The Prime Minister has done the right thing but belatedly,” Mr Hodgson told reporters at Parliament this afternoon.
“This is after a week of repeated denial followed by a bit of personal abuse aimed at both the media and the opposition from Mr Key, from the deputy PM and from the PM’s staff.”
“When any member of the opposition or any member of the media makes what appears to be a reasonable allegation against a government, it’s beholden on the government to respond in a way that is reasonable and not abusive.”
Mr Hodgson acknowledged that he hadn’t personally raised the issue of the Minister’s travel – rather, he had focused on her use of “Minister of the NZ Government” rather than “MP” when signing a deed of variation on one of her husband’s business deals in January 2009.
“The proof I had was a signature and that’s where I started for that reason... the story developed as the week went by and, I don’t wish to be mysterious about it, but it hasn’t finished developing.”
Mr Hodgson said it was not for him to pursue the matter further, but suggested that the police or SFO might take an interest in the affair.
When pressed by reporters, Mr Hodgson referred to Labour MP David Butcher, who was convicted in 1999 for fraudulently claiming MP’s airfare rebates.
MPs are entitled to claim up to a 90% rebate on international travel based on the length of their time in Parliament.
MPs’ partners are entitled to claim the same subsidy if they are travelling with their partner or intend to join them overseas – but subsidies must not be used for private business travel.
Ms Wong has said that she will refund any inappropriate use of her travel entitlement in full, following the outcome of a Parliamentary Service investigation.
