MPs' perks fly out the door but wait…there’s more.

The Kiwi Party Press Release 18 November, 2010

How did it last so long, and accumulate to so much?

"It is one thing to remove the perk from existing MPs, but the real perk survives for the older retired servants of the public", said Kiwi Party leader Larry Baldock.

“Winston Peters for example, whether successful in his bid to re-enter parliament this year or not, will enjoy 1 business class roundtrip to London and 12 domestic trips subsidised by 90% by the tax payer every year till his death.

"Peter Dunne, Jim Anderton, Michael Cullen - all are in similar situations. If we accept that they have served our country well and in many cases that is the case, isn’t a perk that lasts till death maybe just a bit much?

"But there’s more…. The perk applies to the wife of an MP for her natural life so long as she survives her husband. And in the case of someone like Winston who has a partner some years younger than himself, the law treats a de-facto partner in the same manner as a married spouse.

"If one of our long serving MPs took a partner 40 years younger than themselves, and then passed away perhaps 5 years later, the tax payer would be providing the same annual trips to London and across New Zealand to their partner for the remainder of their lives as well.

"It is welcome news that the Law commission is looking into all the perks like these that are being enjoyed by former MPs. Let's hope our current parliamentary leadership will have the commitment to implement their recommendations. As we all know, sadly, that was not the case in the alcohol review the law commission undertook", said Mr Baldock.

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