By Duncan Garner
Two months ago parliament's speaker revealed that Labour MP, and former Education Minister, Chris Carter spent $83,000 in six months travelling overseas.
A 3 News investigation has found that invoices for one big trip had not been counted, pushing the final bill for Mr Carter's six months of international travel to $131,000.
Mr Carter is reportedly nicknamed in private “the Minister for overseas travel” and recent invoices appear to reinforce such names.
He is just returned from visiting the tsunami victims in Samoa.
In just six months last year as Education Minister, he spent $131,000 of taxpayers money heading abroad.
3 News investigated the details of his trips.
In April he spent 11 days in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and China.
Flights for him and his partner Peter Kaiser and a staffer came to $28,696 - other costs came to $28,712.
The sum total of his trip was $57,408 worth of taxpayer money.
Prime Minister John Key says costs always blow out when wives, husbands or partners go too.
“There's a lot of money involved and its taxpayers which is why I said pay for it yourself,” he says.
Mr Carter refused to be interviewed for the story but in a statement told 3 News that all his travel was approved by Helen Clark - and at times he was representing her.
In Cambodia for instance he was New Zealand's representative at the Asia Pacific Interfaith Co-operation for Peace and Harmony.
Other trips the Minister took over the half-year period include; four days in Spain and the UK in early 2008.
Flights for him and his partner Peter Kaiser cost $7,246.
Add in accommodation and meals at $9,696 and the trip cost taxpayers almost $17,000.
Ministerial Services will not say if they travelled business class but Ministers traditionally do.
In April last year Mr Carter travelled to Australia for two days.
Airfares for him and a staffer cost $4,526.
The pair also spent $2,785 on accommodation and other costs over the two day trip.
Mr Carter has previously defended his travel bills.
“I am very careful about costs but I'm also a busy person,” he says.
“I don't sit on my chair I get out and get things done.”
Mr Carter and Mr Kaiser and staffer also travelled to Chile and Peru in June 2008 - the invoices have only just been counted.
Airfares for the trio came to $38,298, with $9,943.78 spent on other costs.
The trip cost a total of $48,241.
Mr Carter says all MPs and parties are now looking at how costs can be lowered - in his case being demoted into opposition and having a smaller budget is sure to help.
3 News