Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Phil Heatley Resigns Portfolios
Phil Heatley Resigns Portfolios
Housing and Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley has announced his resignation for his portfolios today, citing further problems with his ministerial credit card spending.
He said that he had charged two bottles of wine as as 'food and beverages' when there was in fact no food involved. Heatley has also asked the Auditor-General to investigate his expenses.
This follows Mr Heatley paying back $1260 that did not comply with spending rules earlier in the week.
He plans to remain in Parliament as MP for Whangarei, but did not expect to be rehabilitated to ministerial position soon.
Prime Minister John Key said: “Mr Heatley tendered his resignation to me this morning and I will be advising the Governor-General to accept it,” said Mr Key. “Mr Heatley has also asked that the Auditor-General conduct an audit into his ministerial expenses.
“My officials have been working with the Audit Office since yesterday when this latest issue arose, and the investigation will start this afternoon. The purpose of the audit is to confirm the appropriateness of the expenses claimed by Mr Heatley against Vote Ministerial Services," John Key said.
Mr Heatley said today: "The decision today comes after I had a closer look at my Ministerial Credit Card expenses covering the past 18 months.
"As I explained earlier in the week, I was not as familiar as I should have been with the rules; in fact, I was careless. I have apologised and have undertaken to pay back any money wrongly billed," Mr Heatley said.
The PM is returning to Wellington and will be holding a press conference at 1pm.
Also today, Ministerial and MPs expenses to December 31 2009 have been released. See: Release of expenses claimed by Ministers, members
View the Ministers’ Expenses as a PDF here.
Download the MPs’ expenses as a PDF here.
View the guide to understanding Ministers’ expenses here.
View the guide to understanding MPs’ expenses here
Scoop
Scoop Independent News
Scoop is NZ's largest independent news source; respected widely in media, political, business and academic circles for being the place on the internet for publishing "what was really said", and for the quality of its analysis of issues.
Binoy Kampmark: The ABC’s Colonel Blimp - Why Kim Williams Misunderstands Joe Rogan
Martin LeFevre - Meditations: A Meditation On Noise And Silence
Gordon Campbell: On What’s Wrong With The Treaty Principles Bill
Ramzy Baroud: No More 'Deals’ - What Palestinians Want And Will Fight To Achieve 
Peter Dunne: Dunne's Weekly - Mayor Whanau's Rare Win - To Her City's Detriment
Binoy Kampmark: Ironic Dependency - Russian Uranium And The US Energy Market