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Rodney Hide - perkbuster gone bad - 2009 politics review

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Tue, 29 Dec 2009 7:25a.m.

Rodney Hide

Rodney Hide

Act Leader takes his girlfriend on an expensive taxpayer funded trip.

Act leader Rodney Hide faced public criticism this year, after he took his girlfriend on a taxpayer funded trip around the world.

Mr Hide and Louise Crome travelled to Hawaii, London, Canada and the United States on a trip that cost $22,000.

The MP has apologised for his actions and repaid the money.

Mr Hide’s reputation as a “perkbuster” made the trip even more damaging and the New Zealand Herald reported earlier this year that Prime Minister John Key had to avert a leadership challenge within the ACT party.

The purpose of Mr Hide's trip to London was for business, but it also coincided with the Wedding of Miss Crome's brother.

TIMELINE

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 - Hide defends tax payer funded trip.

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 - Rodney Hide apologises and has paid the money back.

Rodney Hide: Perkbuster? Or just busted?
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Comments

29 Dec 2009 04:12p.m.

Brian wrote:

Thank you James, I wasn't up with the play re the English and Carter transgressions, nor can I find details - easily - so unable to draw comparisons. My point in its entirety is the totally "out of focus" choosing only Rodney for castigation even after he had immediately seen the "possible" inference of his "using" public money that all the rest of them use automatically, the difference being he immediately refunded it.
The "headline" was:
Rodney Hide - perkbuster gone bad - 2009 politics review.
I was drawn by "2009 politics review" but was it? No way. It was simply another jibe at Rodney, whom I have found to be ONE of the very few poli's I've come across in my 25 years of poli contact. The only other is Lockwood. That shows my level of contact and my scorn of everything political or the worse, bureaucratic.
I fully stand by my original comment:
High time "news" coverage became newsworthy.

29 Dec 2009 08:47a.m.

James wrote:

I would have to disagree with you there Brian. There has been quite extensive coverage of a variety of MPs involved in the expense scandal - English and Carter to name a couple off the top of my head. What make's Hide interesting to my mind is his previous stance as a politician who had gone out of his way to highlight those who took advantage of perks. James Murray - Chief Editor 3news.co.nz

29 Dec 2009 07:55a.m.

Brian wrote:

Rodney Hide - perkbuster gone bad? No. What a storm in a teacup. Other poli's can take their wives on their trips, and all considered legitimate so why all the hysterical media coverage on "the girlfriend" going? Rodney has proven he is man enough to instantly refund the costs incurred for his common-law wife to accompany him. Would all the other poli's and bureaucrats refund the costs incurred for their wives when they have accompanied them? Obviously not as I've seen no "reporting" of their trips or hype on the costs incurred, all too at our expense. High time "news" coverage became newsworthy.