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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."
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Add a Comment:
Post new commentcornflower said on 2009-11-09 @ 10:50 NZDT: Report abusive post
The hypocrisy of Hide defies belief.
lizblack said on 2009-11-09 @ 09:00 NZDT: Report abusive post
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.
dancingqueen said on 2009-11-09 @ 05:18 NZDT: Report abusive post
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.
santa0007 said on 2009-11-09 @ 04:05 NZDT: Report abusive post
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.
peteredw said on 2009-11-08 @ 20:50 NZDT: Report abusive post
Good on you, Rodney, for admitting you did wrong. We all do the thing at times and it takes 'guts' to admit our wrongdoing. I accept your apology and will continue to give ACT my Party Vote in elections.