Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:37a.m.
It seems Chris Carter as a Minister had a total disregard for the public purse.
When the international travel figures for the six months to June 2008 were released two months ago, Carter had clocked up $83,087 heading abroad - or so we thought.
But after last night's investigation on 3 News, we now know it was more than $131,000 in just six months. And that's just the international travel!
In Carter's defence - and lets get this out there now - all his international travel was approved by his friend, the Prime Minister at the time, Helen Clark.
So what did Carter achieve on these trips? I don't know. I have asked the Cabinet Office to release his travel reports. They are working on it apparently, but we won't get the reports for at least another week.
So let’s look at where Carter went, who he took and what it cost.
Remember this guy wasn't the Foreign Minister. He wasn't the Prime Minister - although he was standing in for her on some trips we are told. And he wasn't the Trade Minister.
In January 2008 he went to the UK between the 7-9 January and Spain from the 15-17 January. He took his partner Peter Kaiser. Airfares cost $7246.00. Other costs, like accommodation and meals came to $9,969.92. Did he have a European holiday in between appointments? What did he do on behalf of the NZ taxpayer? Who paid?
In April he went to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and China for 11 days. Again he took his partner Peter Kaiser. He also took his press secretary Michael Gibbs. Airfares cost $28,696.00 Other costs totalled $28,712.22. All up - that's more than $57,000. I never knew South-East Asia could be so expensive.
To be fair Carter was representing the Prime Minister at the 2008 Asia-Pacific Interfaith Cooperation for Peace and Harmony Conference in Cambodia. He then went to China to join Helen Clark and Phil Goff for the signing of the Free Trade Agreement in Beijing. I was there too. I covered it. Why Carter, Kaiser and Gibbs were there continues to beat me. There were a lot bags to carry though. He and his party then went to Thailand and Vietnam for bi-lateral and portfolio visits.
He went to Australia in April for two days. No big deal right? But how come flights for him and a staff member cost $4526.00? Try and get a flight across the Tasman for that amount? Is he taking the piss? Did he hire the plane out? Who books this stuff?
Then in June Carter, Kaiser and his press secretary went to Chile and Peru for the week for the APEC Education Ministers' meeting. The three spent more than $38,000 on airfares to get there and just short of $10,000 on expenses. $48,000 all up. But $38,000 on airfares is phenomenal. I do remember covering APEC myself in Peru at the same time - we flew economy class through the US to cut costs. We looked at flying direct, but going through the States was cheaper and we were in the middle of a recession and this was the only cost effective to do it. We actually had to take three flights - a leg through Miami on the way back to cut costs. The return flight cost TV3 just under $3,000.
So Carter's bill tops $131,000. It is embarrassingly large, no one is questioning that.
Labour is doing only a half-arsed job defending him as well. There's a lot of disquiet in the Labour caucus about Carter. He hasn't been labelled the Minister for Overseas Travel for nothing. But I guess this just shows that Carter, and perhaps those who made his bookings, had a total disregard for the public purse. Perhaps it's systematic within Parliament. If it's someone else's money, then who cares - that seems to be the prevailing attitude around here.
John Key has stopped husbands and wives travelling with Ministers, unless they pay for it themselves. It's a loose ban for the first 12 months of his reign. And even that may be lifted soon.
But Parliament and Ministers and their staff need to get serious.
Ordinary taxpayers work bloody hard for their wages. An overseas trip for most Kiwis is a privilege. Carter and all his colleagues across the board need to be reminded of that.
$131,000 in just six months is two and half times the average wage.
So when staff and Ministers are booking their next flights, remember who is paying.
By Duncan Garner