Speaker says there will be public disclosure of MPs' expenses

Lockwood Smith.
Lockwood Smith.
Just hours after Green Party MPs released details of their travel and accommodation expenses, Speaker Lockwood Smith has announced a disclosure regime for all MPs' expenses will be developed.

The Greens' release follows a pledge by new co-leader Metiria Turei to disclose the information as pressure continues for MPs to be more transparent in how they spend taxpayers' money.

Dr Smith said a cross-party meeting was held this afternoon to discuss the extent of which expenses should be disclosed.

"A regime for public disclosure of expenses by MPs will be developed as quickly as possible," Dr Smith said.

"The committee was conscious of the public interest in this issue and agreed to develop a disclosure regime... members of the cross-party committee will take the ideas discussed at today's meeting back to their respective parties.

The figures released by the Greens today are for the first four months of this year.

They show that Dunedin-based MP Mrs Turei had the biggest bill for air travel ($18,968) and car transport ($7384) among Green MPs.

Auckland MP Keith Locke was the second highest spender on air travel ($16,832), and also spent $4194 on car travel.

Wellington-based MP Russel Norman was the third highest spender on air travel ($15,828) and the second highest on car travel ($4480).

He was also the highest claimant for out-of-Wellington hotel accommodation with $1319.

Dr Norman is the party's co-leader and he is also contesting the Mt Albert by-election.

The lowest spending Green MP was Wellington-based MP Sue Kedgley, who claimed for $4593 for air travel, $1172 for cars and $102 for out-of-Wellington accommodation.

In total the nine Green MPs spent $123,945 on air travel for the night months and $37,078 for car travel, though this also included spouses' travel.

The seven MPs not based in Wellington billed between $1386 and $2000 for accommodation when in the capital.

Prime Minister John Key has called for a cross-party committee to consider increased transparency for Parliamentary Service spending by MPs after leaks in Britain exposed MPs there as making large and embarrassing claims on the taxpayer's purse.

Mrs Turei said other political parties did not need to wait for a parliamentary committee to meet before making their spending public.

"The Green Party often leads on issues of honest politics and we hope other parties will also release their spending. We don't think there's anything to hide," Mrs Turei said.

The controls on spending were much more robust in New Zealand than in Britain, she said.

"Most New Zealanders are probably comfortable with their MPs travelling to and from Wellington and around the country to meet with constituents. They just want to know that the privilege is not abused."