Act Perkbusters Love Perks

New Zealand First has called on ACT to publicly explain its two-faced attitude to perkbusting as MP Deborah Coddington left today for ten weeks overseas study on full pay.

Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters said he was astonished that Ms Coddington had the gall to take taxpayers’ money for private study while her colleague Rodney Hide mounted a campaign against Phillida Bunkle, wrongly claiming she had been paid by a government-funded agency.

Mr Peters said that ACT had double standard over perks.

“If you are an ACT acolyte, the sky is the limit. If you are a solo mother, sick, lame or unemployed and receiving a benefit, ACT believes you should be hounded to the grave.

“Their party believes in the same noblesse oblige principles that sparked the French revolution – except that ACT MPs would be horrified at the suggestion that the poor should eat cake!”

“Ms Coddington has no right to prepare herself for life after politics out of the public purse and she should study at her own expense in preparation for job-hunting in 2005.”

Mr Peters said that to assist the Act MP, he had prepared a form for her to complete.

_____________________________________________________________________ I, Deborah Coddington, hereby authorise the stopping of my Parliamentary salary and expenses and travel perks whilst I am attending College in England as part of my journalism career. Signed………………………………………………………………………………… This 16th day of April, 2003 ______________________________________________________________________

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