The Post

MPs attacked over ABs ‘junket’

- Collette Devlin collette.devlin@stuff.co.nz

Two senior members of Parliament have come under fire for watching the All Blacks during a taxpayer-funded ‘‘sports diplomacy’’ trip to Japan.

Yesterday, Speaker Trevor Mallard and National MP Gerry Brownlee tried to justify watching the test as being part of trade talks during the $24,000 trip, funded by the Office of the Clerk (Inter-Parliament­ary Relations).

The travel is supported by both sides of Parliament as strengthen­ing the Comprehens­ive and Progressiv­e TransPacif­ic Partnershi­p (CPTPP) deal, confirmed last week after the required six nations signed up to the trade pact.

However, they have been criticised for wasting taxpayer funds on a boys’ rugby weekend, with ACT leader David Seymour calling on them to repay the cost.

‘‘New Zealanders were told the visit was aimed at strengthen­ing our relationsh­ip with parliament­ary democracie­s in the AsiaPacifi­c region . . . It was, in fact, a junket at the expense of the taxpayer,’’ Seymour said.

‘‘Engagement­s with Japanese parliament­arians were simply a pretext for going to the rugby.’’

The programme, published before the trip, stated it would include a formal meeting with the Speaker of the Japanese House of Representa­tives, watching the All Blacks v the Brave Blossoms with senior parliament­arians, as well as engagement with Japanese political, business, sporting leaders and meeting for academic links.

A spokeswoma­n for Mallard said the timing of this trip was deliberate because of bringing the CPTPP into force, with first effects next month, and because of a one-year push to highlight NZ during the lead up to Rugby World Cup. When asked about paying back the funds, she said: ‘‘The money spent is part of a set Inter-Parliament­ary Relations (Office of the Clerk) budget, and was intended to be used, in part, to promote New Zealand.’’

The Speaker and Brownlee met about 200 business and political leaders as well as officials involved in Rugby World Cup 2019. The main feature of the trip was a reception at the Embassy to which NZ exporters invited their Japanese contacts, she said.

Yesterday, Brownlee defended the trip as a good use of taxpayer money. ‘‘We have just spent, probably, many tens of millions getting a CPTPP that will give New Zealand enormous opportunit­ie,’’ he said. ‘‘We want to have good links and good contacts with the Japanese Government. We also of course have the Rugby World Cup next year, which is a massive opportunit­y for New Zealand to showcase itself.’’

 ??  ?? Gerry Brownlee
Gerry Brownlee
 ??  ?? Trevor Mallard
Trevor Mallard
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