The calendar's pictures show Green MPs digitally morphed into nature scenes. Photo / Supplied
Green MP Metiria Turei has spent $5000 of taxpayer funds producing a Maori new year calendar featuring MP Sue Kedgley as an "Eve" figure and MP Keith Locke resembling an American president.
All the Green MPs are visible in various images in the calendar with their faces digitally
morphed into scenes from nature.
The MP will give away 10,000 calendars to mark Matariki, the Maori new year, which begins today. She says it is what she has done for the past three years, rather than sending out Christmas cards as other MPs do.
"Matariki is the only truly indigenous celebration that the whole country is aware of and partakes in," she said.
"From a Maori point of view it is what I do as part of my Maori support in my Maori portfolio."
Ms Turei said the Speaker had approved Matariki cards - and calendars - as acceptable.
The calendar has a parliamentary crest on it and was funded by the Parliamentary Service. It also carries the authorisation of the party's financial agent, Jon Field, which is required of an election advertisement under the Electoral Finance Act.
Ms Turei does not consider the calendar to be an election advertisement but has put the authorisation on it in case it is found to be one.
It does carry eight Green Party logos, however, and the party's contact details.
The Electoral Commission has yet to determine whether logos themselves fall under the definition of an advertisement under the act. If the calendar, or the display of logos, were found to be an election ad, the $5000 cost would have to come off the party's election spending cap.
Parliament has changed its rules so that MPs can claim the cost of any material as long as it does not explicitly seek votes or support.
National MP Lockwood Smith used taxpayer money to produce a desktop calendar two years ago with 12 different images of himself, including one in togs with fellow-life-savers.
