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Chris Carter at work - Source: ONE News -
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Labour MP Chris Carter has finally fronted up to explain why his travel expenses have been so much higher than so many of his colleagues.
Carter says details of his spending are available on his website and he has expressed concern at at "how much misinformation has been going around".
Carter has spent the week dodging every chance to explain his last months as education minister and how in six of those months he spent more than $200,000 on parliamentary travel - a third of it flying internationally.
Now he has broken his silence, initially on the Labour Party blog site and on Friday afternoon fronting media at his electorate office in Te Atatu. Carter says he went against caucus instructions when he posted a blog on Thursday night to defend himself.
He says he discussed the issue with Labour leader Phil Goff and is "really glad that Phil agreed I should do this press conference".
Explaining the fact that as education minister he managed to spend more than twice as much on travel as most of his cabinet colleagues, Carter says he made eight trips overseas.
"I hope that our country and it's $2.3 billion international education industry benefited from my active recruiting of international students as education minister."
Carter's long-time partner went on almost all his ministerial trips, roughly doubling his international travel bill to $83,000, with cabinet approval.
"Absolutely no regrets about taking him with me, we have a close relationship that will continue to be close I hope."
He says the $57,000 he has spent on airfares so far this year has come about because he is the spokesman for foreign and ethnic affairs and that means he has to travel. Again his partner has accompanied him on most trips.
He says he is prepared to take some overseas trips without his partner if that is called for. Carter says Helen Clark always encouraged her ministers to take their partners on overseas trips but he is aware those privileges are going to be scrutinised very closely from now on.
He says if that means he has to travel on his own more often he will do that, but he has no regrets about taking his partner with him.
Carter says he has never used parliamentary privileges for personal gain for either him or his partner. He says he understands the public wants to know MPs are not being extravagant.
He says he is very careful about his costs but is also a busy
person who gets out there and gets things done.
