All in a late night's work for MP for Courtenay Place

By KEVIN TAYLOR

The Parliamentary Service says it was fine for Winston Peters to use a taxpayer-funded taxi chit to get home from Wellington's centre of nightlife at 3.30am - because he was on parliamentary business.

But the service said yesterday that use of taxpayer-funded taxi chits and cars by MPs would be raised at the next monthly meeting of the cross-party Parliamentary Service Commission.

The service's ruling on Mr Peters' taxi chit is sure to put the spotlight again on MPs' perks.

The NZ First leader was questioned by police on Tuesday after a fracas with Somali taxi driver Muhiyadin early on Thursday last week.

Mr Peters got out without paying after a dispute over directions to his Ngaio home from Courtenay Place, the centre of nightlife in Wellington.

The driver complained to police, who investigated but said they were satisfied it was a misunderstanding.

Mr Peters offered the chit, worth about $15, as payment to Muhiyadin this week and it was delivered to him by police.

Parliamentary Service general manager Joel George said yesterday that Mr Peters had been entitled to use the chit.

"The Parliamentary Service has confirmed that Mr Peters was engaged in a meeting with colleagues and staff with the express purpose of discussing an important issue relating to parliamentary matters," Mr George said.

"Accordingly, Mr Peters' travel falls within the guidance contained within the Members Handbook of Services relating to other parliamentary business."

Mr George said "other parliamentary business" included undertaking administrative functions related directly to the business of the House.

He would not comment further.

Green Party co-leader Rod Donald was unimpressed.

"Winston's stretching credibility to claim that socialising on Courtenay Place at 3am was parliamentary business."

He was angry Mr Peters had brought all MPs into disrepute.

"A lot of people think it's funny but it reinforces snouts in the trough.

"I acknowledge most MPs take a liberal interpretation of the taxi chit rules but Winston has clearly crossed a line - and it points to the need for Parliamentary Service to tighten the rules."

Mr Peters said the whole incident had been a media beatup and claimed his party had saved taxpayers more than $1.5 million by underspending for the last 10 years.

He told the Weekend Herald this was his only word on the matter.

Act MP Rodney Hide said the taxi rules were unclear.

"The whole problem is the definition of parliamentary activity. The definition I was told was 'whatever you think is appropriate'.

"Politics does happen late at night and parliamentary business is discussed late at night.

"It's a bit churlish to criticise anyone because, to me, the rules are unclear," he said.

"But if the police know Winston informally as the MP for Courtenay Place - that certainly is where he spends considerable time - he can clearly argue that he was just travelling home from his office."