Moore’s travel offer ‘a stunt’

Press, 18 February 1989, Page 8

Moore’s travel offer ‘a stunt’

Paying the travel expenses of journalists on a ministerial visit to the Middle East is a gross abuse of taxpayer funds, the Opposition Trade and Industry spokesman, Mr Philip Burdon, said. He was commenting on an offer from Mr Mike Moore, the Minister for External Relations, to meet the air travel costs of journalists who accompany his visit to Turkey, Iran and Pakistan in April and May. “This is another high profile publicity stunt — in the guise of a trade promotion — calculated to raise his political profile,” Mr Burdon said. He suggested Mr Moore will handpick the journalists who take up the offer. Mr Burdon said the offer of free travel was an abuse of ministerial responsibility and he would

ask the Auditor-General to comment. Mr Moore wrote to Parliamentary journalists this week giving his itinerary for the trip to Turkey, Iran and Pakistan. He said he was writing to gauge interest for seats and journalists would not be charged for the cost of their travel aboard the R.N.Z.A.F. Boeing 727 being used. They would, however, have to pay about $5OOO for the cost of accommodation and food. A spokesman for Mr Moore said the spaces available to journalists would depend on the number of business people who went on the trip. He said journalists would not be chosen by Mr Moore, but seats would be allocated to cover a wide range of news media.