Pansy Wong. Photo / Paul Estcourt
Pansy Wong took ten trips overseas during her two years as Womens Affairs and Ethnic Affairs minister including five to China where her husband has business interests, it emerged yesterday.
The information was disclosed yesterday by Prime Minister John Key in response to a question from Labour MP Pete Hodgson
who, along with his colleagues, stepped up demands Mrs Wong return to Parliament to face questions around use of her travel allowances to further her husband's business interests.
Speaking on his behalf , Deputy Prime Minister Bill English said Mr Key had approved 11 overseas trips by Mrs Wong. The last one, a trip to India which she was scheduled to take at the end of this week, was cancelled when she resigned after admitting her husband had conducted private business while on a taxpayer funded trip to China in late 2008.
That trip was the first she took as a minister, and was followed by a further four to either to China which included a China leg, three to Australia and one to the US.
Mr English said one of the ten trips approved by the Prime Minister was for private purposes.
Asked whether the Prime Minister was aware of rumours Mr Key was aware of "many rumours" Mrs Wong and her husband were mixing private business with the ministerial trips, Mr English told Mr Hodgson he should wait for Parliamentary Service's report on the matter before making further allegations.
Later during Parliament's general debate, Mr Hodgson and his colleagues further attacked Mr Key and his Government for saying they were deflecting and evading media questions over the matter and playing for time by instructing Mrs Wong to stay away from Parliament until the report into the matter is completed.
