Red-blooded dude, but not a sex fiend - Jones

Red-blooded Shane Jones. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Shane Jones says he is not a sex fiend or a sex addict - but revelations that he watched pornographic movies in hotels and charged the taxpayer may destroy his political career.

"It's a day of great shame. Not only have I embarrassed myself, my family, party colleagues, but I got into a pattern of expenditure which was inexcusable."

The Labour list MP said his use of his ministerial credit card while he was Building and Construction Minister was indefensible, even though he had repaid money at regular intervals.

He no longer watched pornographic movies.

Initially, he said he could not remember if he had watched pornographic movies at taxpayers' expense, but later confessed.

"During the time that I was staying in hotels around the country, from time to time I definitely watched blue movies. Although I paid them back, it should never have gone on my ministerial card.

"But I've had a severe bollocking from my leader, Phil Goff, which I thoroughly deserved, a stern talking to from Annette King, and I will front up to my colleagues in caucus and give them an opportunity to tell me what they think."

He did not want to speculate on whether his colleagues might demand a resignation.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

"None of this reflects well on my judgment, my habits and my status.

"If I am to recover in that regard, I have to commit myself to far more profitable things in terms of my formal role, rather than watching blue movies."

He said he had had to change his behaviour, and no longer indulged in pornographic movies.

"I'm not a sex fiend or a sex addict but the reality is that I watched blue movies ... I've obviously got to watch BBC more.

"I'm a red-blooded, robust dude. I've got a fantastic wife. I've got seven kids. None of them are happy or feels that this reflects any honour on our family."

Mr Jones charged 50 pornographic movies to his ministerial credit card from late 2007 to late 2008.

He also used his credit card to pay for personal goods including petrol, groceries, chocolate bars and energy drinks, clothes and hired dinner suits, CDs and rugby gear.

He spent $6211.38 on personal items while he was Building and Construction Minister - from October 2007 until Labour lost the election in November 2008.

He repaid the money at regular intervals while he was minister.

Mr Jones' first indiscretion was in November 2007, when he watched two movies at the City Life Hotel.

The next week he watched two movies at the Sky City Grand, and before the month was out, two more movies at the Heritage Hotel.

In January 2008, he watched a pair of movies one evening back at the Sky City Grand, and two more the following night at $19.90 each.

The Stamford Plaza in Auckland did particularly well from Mr Jones. He watched more than 20 movies while staying there, often two in a night, and sometimes with extra minibar costs.

In October 2008 at the Stamford Plaza, he watched three movies in one night. A few months earlier, he stayed at Novotel Rotorua with an associate. The two stayed in separate rooms and that evening Mr Jones watched an in-house movie.

In February he told the Herald it was highly unlikely that he had used the credit card for personal spending, but records show frequent use.

Among his purchases were five CDs from The Warehouse, by artists including Jethro Tull, Lucinda Williams, Dr Hook and Aretha Franklin.

He often bought chocolate - Toblerone, Moro, M&Ms, Cadbury bars - milkshakes and energy drinks, toiletries and shaving supplies, books and newspapers.

He ate at restaurants and bars, once buying a pizza called the Prawnographic - cajun prawns, red onions, brie and relish - from a One Red Dog restaurant.

In September 2008 he bought two rugby protective vests, size XL, and two mouthguards.

A few months earlier he spent $330 on two bottles of wine at the One Tree Grill in Auckland.

Records show Mr Jones received letters from Ministerial Services on 14 dates between March 2008 and January this year asking for receipts and reminding him of the spending rules. Spending that had been approved as legitimate is also being questioned.

In June 2008 he spent $1200 to charter a Great Barrier Airlines flight to Tauranga to deliver a speech after his original commercial flight was cancelled, documents say.

He also spent nights at resorts and ate in restaurants in Mangonui, where he lives.