-
Chief executive of Te Puni Kokiri Leith Comer. - Source: Fairfax -
Watch Video
-
Related
The head of Te Puni Kokiri says he is reimbursing the government department for his wife's travel expenses.
It has been revealed today that taxpayers picked up the bill for Leith Comer to fly his wife to an ''exclusive'' fashion event during the Rugby World Cup.
The under fire Comer, chief executive of Te Puni Kokiri (TPK), the Ministry of Maori Development, also used taxpayer cash to shout flights and accommodation for his wife to travel to Auckland for the Maori Sports Awards.
In his expenses return, Comer recorded a total travel bill for the last six months of $26,102.
Comer said in a statement this afternoon that while he believes there was justification for the travel to be paid for by Te Puni Kokiri at the time, he now accepts the perception that it was not good use of taxpayer funding and rather than go through a protracted debate on the matter he will reimburse the amount involved.
Comer is very mindful that any expenses he incurs are subject to public scrutiny, Te Puni Kokiri said in the statement.
"He is constantly applying a critical eye to expenditure that is incurred for all Ministry business, especially his own."
Earlier this month, Comer told staff at TPK that restructuring would see up to 50 staff cut from the organisation. Comer earns between $390,000 and $400,000 per year.
On October 18, $218 was charged for air travel for the chief executive's wife to attend the TPK-sponsored Style Pasifika event. On the 21st, another airfare for $198 was charged for his wife to return from the Style Pasifika event.
On the same day, air travel charged at $198 was also recorded for Comer himself to attend a ''RWC event - Celebrating Maori Cuisine''. Comer's own attendance at the Style Pasifika event cost $598 for the airfares, dated October 21.
Style Pasifika was billed as ''two exclusive evenings in the week of Rugby World Cup Final 2011'' that would ''showcase the best of New Zealand and Pacific innovation and creativity''.
It was billed as a ''key event'' for the REAL New Zealand Festival, a nationwide cultural celebration held during the Rugby World Cup.
Later in the year, Comer's wife again flew on the tax-payer to attend the Maori Sports Awards, with flights charged at $598 and accommodation $275. The charges were recorded on December 3.
Comer also charged his fuel bill every month at amounts between $537 and $817. In July, he also travelled to Taiwan, with the airfares charged at $6728.
State Services Minister Jonathan Coleman this morning declined to comment on whether or not it was acceptable for a chief executive to fly his wife to events.
He said he had no concerns about any of the expenses he had seen
to date, but was not yet aware of Comer's case.
Latest NZ News Video
-
Kiwi speaks to TVNZ7 from Everest base camp (1:59)
-
Immigration advisor Bill Milnes discusses claims (4:34)
-
Dance to save Shakti service (0:41)
