U-turn over MP air points policy

Published: 11:38AM Wednesday May 16, 2001

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There has been a turnaround over a decision to allow MPs to keep their travel perks after they leave Parliament.

The body which looks after MPs' perks in March agreed to let outgoing MPs keep their accumulated air points when they leave Parliament, but after an outcry from the Green Party, that decision has now been reversed.

On Wednesday morning MPs from all parties unanimously agreed to revert to previous practice - that unused air points should be forfeited when they leave Parliament.

The Parliamentary Services Commission, made up of representatives from all parties, last year decided it could not enforce that and so abandoned the policy, drawing public criticism.

The Speaker of the House, Jonathan Hunt, says that was probably a mistake.

MPs will now be encouraged to use their air points for work travel and they will be asked to sign a document on election agreeing to surrender unused points when they leave Parliament.

Hunt says those who refuse to sign may be publicly named.

Parliamentary Services has confirmed about a third of MPs' travel was through Qantas New Zealand and those airpoints were lost with the company's collapse.

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