National MP Pansy Wong is denying her husband Sammy was involved in any business activity when he visited China's Fujian Province in 2005 on a taxpayer-subsidised trip.Mrs Wong resigned from the Cabinet last month because her husband was involved in a bus
National MP Pansy Wong is denying her husband Sammy was involved in any business activity when he visited China's Fujian Province in 2005 on a taxpayer-subsidised trip.
Mrs Wong resigned from the Cabinet last month because her husband was involved in a business deal when they visited China in 2008.
They both get 90 percent discounts on international air fares through Mrs Wong's parliamentary allowance, but it can't be used for business purposes.
An inquiry ordered by Speaker Lockwood Smith investigated all Mrs Wong's travel claims for the last 10 years and found no evidence of misuse other than the 2008 trip.
In Parliament yesterday Labour MP Pete Hodgson said that in June 2005 Sammy Wong used taxpayer funding to travel to Fujian Province and on the morning after he arrived he helped former prime minister Jenny Shipley launch a biotechnology centre in which Mrs Shipley had shares.
Mr Hodgson said Mr Wong told investigator Hugh McPahil that he went to Fujian Province for genealogical research.
Mrs Wong said he was invited to the foundation stone-laying ceremony by family friends who were majority shareholders in the project.
She said their friends knew Mr Wong was planning to visit the province to meet relatives and "chase his origins", and invited him to the ceremony.
"There was no business interest, absolutely not," she said on Radio New Zealand .
