Regular release of ministers' accounts likely - Key

Credit card statements for ministers and their staff are likely to be released regularly due to greater public scrutiny, Prime Minister John Key says.

Asked in Auckland today if details of ministers' spending should be released regularly, Mr Key said he was happy for that to happen and "my view is it will happen."

"We now release, on a quarterly basis, all of the travel expenditure and housing expenditure of MPs and ministers and I can't see any particular reason why this won't be happening with credit cards in the future," he told reporters.

Journalists were yesterday given thousands of documents under the Official Information Act covering the use of the cards since 2003 -- most of the previous government's time in office, and updating the records of current ministers.

They revealed years of laxity, carelessness and sometimes deliberate use of taxpayer money for personal entertainment and purchases.

The money was paid back, but the records reveal the frustration of Ministerial Services as it prodded and pushed ministers into producing credit card and reconciliation statements.

Mr Key said he believed ministers could still be trusted with credit cards and increased public scrutiny would help curb rouge spending.

"In the end there's nothing like the glare of the media to make sure we focus the minds of those who are actually guardians for spending taxpayer money."

Despite that, he said most of the expenditure that had been highlighted was actually within the rules.

"Not everything that's been spent, by any stretch of the imagination, was against the rules but some of it's clearly been inappropriate," he said.

An auditor-general's review of politicians expenditure may make recommendations around the suitability of the rules.

"All I can tell you is, as a political leader, I have made it quite clear to my ministers and to my caucus my expectations of them. There will always be some expenditure that the media doesn't like and will highlight even if it's within the rules but in the end it's up to ministers to exercise their judgements."

Mr Key said it was not always clear what was and was not appropriate, which was whythe review was taking place.

There was also a history of an "imbalanced relationship" between ministers and Ministerial Services but that would change, Mr Key said, because he had asked Ministerial Services, which administers ministers' credit cards, to be hard on those who were outside the rules.

Mr Key said politicians should repay money where spending was outside the rules.

Asked specifically about Trade Minister Tim Groser who gave his ministerial credit card a good workout on his many overseas trips, Mr Key said the one alcoholic mini bar drink and one a day in the bar was "pushing the boundaries" but not excessive.

He was more scathing when it came to former Labour minister Shane Jones who used his card to pay for personal purchases including porn movies.

"It's for Phil Goff as leader of the Labour Party to decide what standards he wants to set. He was certainly critical of National ... it'll be interesting to see how he responds," Mr Key said.

Mr Goff's silence on the matter was unacceptable, he said.

Mr Goff is in China.