By AUDREY YOUNG
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has referred Act's parliamentary staffing scheme to the Serious Fraud Office, having already written to the Office of the Auditor-General about it.
The party's unmarked Wellington electorate office is based in a townhouse owned by Act leader Richard Prebble and his wife, Doreen.
Their company, Kuble, received $6000 rent for the office from Parliamentary Service.
The party's Wellington electorate agents, said to work "from" the office, worked virtually full-time in Parliament. Rent is longer paid on the office since a review of the scheme after the last election.
Mr Prebble has said the scheme was a good use of taxpayers' money, but Mr Peters said yesterday that because Mr Prebble was a public figure there should be an SFO investigation.
"This whole issue of political job creation and electorate office staffing creates the impression of a political scam that stretches the bounds of credibility," Mr Peters said.
"It would be appropriate for the SFO to investigate the rent finances even though there is probably not a huge sum involved."
The Parliamentary Service Commission will discuss the scheme on Wednesday.
Peters wants fraud check on Act
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