New Zealand: Former MP Broke Rules with Free Holiday Flight

New Zealand: Former MP Broke Rules with Free Holiday Flight

A former New Zealand Minister of Parliament has broken parliamentary rules over the use of frequent flyer points, according to the Dominion Post.

Former MP Penny Webster admitted that she used Airpoints accrued during her tenure for a personal trip after the election.

The personal use of Airpoints accrued through publicly-funded travel has been officially banned in New Zealand, though few efforts have been made to enforce the ban in Parliament.

Several current and former MPs said they had no recollection of signing the form which is attached to the members services handbook.

The handbook states that the use of free travel privileges is conditional on them and their partners agreeing to surrender unused points when they leave Parliament.

Webster stated she did not agree with the ban.

“They (Airpoints) belong to the airlines and the airlines give them to travelers,” she said.