Minister runs up $400,000 bill

Press, 24 April 1986, Page 1

Minister runs up $400,000 bill

PA Wellington The Minister of Overseas Trade, Mr Moore, has run up an international travel bill of more than $400,000 since the General Election of July, 1984. This is more than twice that of any of his Cabinet colleagues, according to figures given yesterday. Mr Moore’s total of 11 trips overseas is surpassed only by that of the Minister of Transport, Mr Prebble, who has cleared customs on 12 occasions and has had travel costs of about $lOO,OOO. The figures were given by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Tapsell, in reply to a written question by Mr R. F. H. Maxwell (Nat., Taranaki). All 20 Ministers have travelled overseas since the election, the most stayrat-home being the Minister of Housing, Mr Goff, and the Minister of Broadcasting, Mr Hunt, who have travelled only twice. Easiest on the taxpayers’ purse has been the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Caygill, whose five trips cost

$6274. The figures show the costs to the Internal Affairs Department, principally for accommodation and air travel. If travel was arranged by the R.N.Z.A.F., as for the Prime Minister, Mr Lange’s trip to Africa last year, costs would be billed to the Defence vote. Mr Lange’s trip to India aboard an R.N.Z.A.F. aircraft last year is credited as having cost only $928, Best apparent bargain was a trip by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Moyle, to Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium, all for $978. Five Ministers have spent more than $lOO,OOO on overseas travel — Mr Moore ($401,456), the Minister of Finance, Mr Douglas ($161,583), Mr Lange ($144,003), the Minister of Energy, Mr Tizard ($106,139), and Mr Prebble ($101,538). Altogether, Ministers have made 105 trips at a cost to the Internal Affairs Department of $1,788,040. The costs are as at February 28.