Trade Minister Tim Groser's international travel costs soared to almost $250,000 in the first three months of this year as he hit the international traps to lobby for support for his bid to be the director-general of the World Trade Organisation.
Mr Groser was formally nominated by New Zealand as a contender for the job in December last year.
Between January to the end of March this year he notched up $249,000 travelling to Europe, the United States, Africa, the Caribbean and around the Pacific Islands to campaign for support for the role, which current director-general Pascal Lamy will vacate at the end of August.
While his trips to Europe and the Pacific also involved trade or climate change duties, Mr Groser has been open about his focus on the WTO bid, in particular in his trips to the Caribbean and Africa.
Mr Groser and Prime Minister John Key have described Mr Groser as a "long shot" in the contest, but last week he made it on to the shortlist of five candidates.
Mr Key has previously said the Government would support Mr Groser in his attempts to get the role because of the benefits it would have for New Zealand, and Mr Key has also lobbied international leaders for support.
Green Party trade spokesman Kennedy Graham said he supported Mr Groser's bid, but funding his individual campaign from the public purse was only acceptable to a certain degree. He said Mr Groser's travel bill for the last quarter was more than the combined totals of Cabinet's other frequent fliers - the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister
Murray McCully and Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman racked up $196,000 between them.
"That clearly is not normal. To the extent that you can separate [his roles] out, public funds should not be used for travel for his candidacy. If there is a legitimate reason for a visit on substantive trade purposes, then incidental promotion of his individual candidacy is okay. But any visit has to be justified on its own merits in terms of trade negotiations for the country, not his candidacy."
Mr Graham said he was also concerned that New Zealand was falling behind in its work on climate change because of Mr Groser's absences.
Last year, Mr Groser's average spend on international travel was $145,400 per quarter and in 2011 it was $124,320 a quarter. His highest spend in any one quarter before that was $221,300 in the last three months of 2009.
In other expenses released yesterday, the highest spending minister on domestic costs such as Crown limos, flights and accommodation, was Mr Key, who spent $65,500 as well as $35,000 on international travel.
His credit card expenses also included a $580 silver cashmere scarf he bought for Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard who visited in February.
Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia came in second, spending $57,350. After copping criticism for racking up costs of up to $78,000 in the past, Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples has pegged his costs back to $54,200.
Mana Party leader Hone Harawira was the highest spending MP who is not a minister, spending $31,800.
Of other party leaders, Labour's David Shearer spent $21,200 and NZ First leader Winston Peters spent $15,494.
- Claire Trevett, New Zealand Herald
