Bridges spends $72,000 on travel
National Party leader Simon Bridges spent $72,000 on travel and accommodation in the three months to October – less than his previous whopper bill.
That $113,000 bill was leaked and led to an inquiry process that sparked the Jami-lee Ross saga.
Bridges’ bill this quarter is recorded at $75,000 but just over $3000 of that actually came from the previous quarter and was billed late. Just over $47,000 of that bill was for travel by limo.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spent just over $82,000; $23,636 on domestic travel and $58,452 on international travel over the same period.
She repaid $11,206 of that travel personally. The three-month quarter included Ardern’s trip to the United Nations in New York.
The two other ministers with high travel bills were Trade Minister David Parker and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, who each spent over $70,000 on international travel in the quarter, and tens of thousands in domestic travel.
Parker came out on top with a total of $110,183.
Housing Minister Phil Twyford spent the most on domestic travel of any minister – $44,266, followed closely by Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta.
Bridges spent by far the most of any non-ministerial MP, as is normal for the leader of the Opposition. As the leader of the Opposition he is entitled to limo travel as is the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. This VIP transport service, also available to ministers, costs him $171 per hour. Ministers generally get a cheaper rate for limo travel than Opposition leaders.
His closest rival was NZ First MP Mark Patterson, who is based in the large Clutha-southland electorate. He spent $27,715.
The full ministry spent just under $1.6 million on travel over the period, up from $1.49m in the previous quarter.