Walker’s final MP bill $10K

WELLINGTON: A discredited former Southern MP accrued a $10,000 expense bill in his final months in the job, according to justreleased records.

Former National Party Clutha-Southland MP Hamish Walker’s expenses for the October 1 to December 31 quarter last year included $5800 on transport such as taxis, Ubers and car hires, but according to Parliamentary Services, most of that total relates to the quarter one period (July 1, 2020 to September 30).

There is usually a lag period with the spending data; some of it could have been from earlier.

Mr Walker has not been back to Parliament since his fall from grace in June, but he remained an MP until election day.

That meant he received three months’ pay, totalling $60,000.

He resigned after it was reported he had leaked confidential Covid19 information.

His spending records also show $4000 for Wellington accommodation in last year’s final quarter. In late July, the Otago Daily

Times reported Mr Walker embarked on a thankyou road trip in his thenelectorate.

Meanwhile, the list of MPs’ expenses revealed New Zealand’s 120 MPs spent a collective $2.17 million in the final quarter of last year.

The biggest spender of all MPs, perhaps unsurprisingly, was Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who racked up $46,600 from October 1 to December 31 last year.

She was followed by Damien O’Connor, David Parker and Kelvin Davis, who all live far from Wellington.

At just under $60,000, National Party leader Judith Collins was the highestspending nonministerial MP.