Hide to hand back cash after apology 

Source: NZPARodney Hide

Act Party leader Rodney Hide will hand Parliamentary Services a cheque for nearly $12,000 on Monday, as he tries to fix the mistake he says he made when he used taxpayer funds to take his partner on overseas trips.

Hide apologised on Sunday , for claiming a 90% fare discount when he took Louise Crome to Hawaii for a holiday and then to London, Canada and the United States so she could be with him on a ministerial trip.

It is an entitlement all MPs have but Hide made a name for himself in Parliament by campaigning as a "perkbuster" and criticising allowances.

He is MP for Epsom and minister of local government. He visited the three countries to study local government structures there and his own fare was paid for by Ministerial Services.

But the tab for Crome was picked up by Parliamentary services.

Hide last week paid back $10,022 for the holiday in Hawaii and on Monday he will return $11,952 for the three-country trip.

"I want to apologise to the public. I want to apologise to my colleagues and to my supporters," he says.

"But most importantly I want to apologise to the people of Epsom. I promised the people of Epsom I would make them proud of me as their MP. I have let them down."

Hide vowed he would never again claim taxpayer money for holidays and said he had seriously examined himself after doing it.

"I just thought... those are the rules, and that's where I lost sight of it," he says.

"It's not easy for anyone to admit they have stuffed up."

What do you think of Rodney Hide's apology? Share your thoughts on the messageboard below.

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cornflower ; 2009-11-09 @ 10:50 NZDT  

The hypocrisy of Hide defies belief.

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lizblack ; 2009-11-09 @ 09:00 NZDT  

I agree with Adam that a law change is needed. MP's MUST practise what they preach. It's sad that Rodney Hyde has only changed his mind over misuse of funding because of public outcry. Taxes are not paid to pay for indulgences.

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dancingqueen ; 2009-11-09 @ 05:18 NZDT  

OK! while your arranging for Rodney's neck. Sack Chris Carter the little pansy, who was every bit as bad swanning around with his boyfriend, at the Tax Payers costs. He is hopeless case. I would like to see him gone by lunch time.

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santa0007 ; 2009-11-09 @ 04:05 NZDT  

Bring back Winston Peters, Many towns & cities could do with his expertise than these guys. Maori things for Maori people,simple really, the Govt has all the marbles, nothing wrong with playing with them.

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Gregglles ; 2009-11-08 @ 21:53 NZDT  

Rodney, you shouldn't be apologising. MPs have done this for years and what is much worse are the ex MPs who are still doing it. It is sad that the NZ public and media has chosen to pick on you just because you have done a good job of serving the country in the past. This is another example of tall poppy syndrome people and another reason why I'm a New Zealander living in London.

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