Paris is lovely this time of year

It's not often I would think a press release was worthy of running in full on my blog, but I thought I'd make an exception in the case of Hone Harawira.

The Maori Party MP seems to think it's perfectly OK - indeed, it's funny - to skip out on an official trip while in Europe at our expense to go visit Paris because, hell, how often does one get to Paris and he wanted to feel the wind through his hair.

Harawira claims it wasn't a drain on the taxpayer because he paid for that part of the trip himself, but this misses the point entirely - when you are on official business for the taxpayer, you don't skip out on meetings so you can go and enjoy yourself.

It isn't the first time Harawira has done this. He skipped out on a delegation in Australia a couple of years back to go walkabout in Alice Springs. He claims the two are not related because it is a different place and time. Rubbish. It's the same complete disregard for either protocol or the public purse.

I think it's interesting, coming so soon after the whole row over MPs travel expenses, that Harawira should appear so completely out of touch with public sentiment on this issue. There seems to be a sense, amongst some MPs anyway, that they can do what they like and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

And it also appears to be something particularly affecting the Government's support parties. ACT leader Rodney Hide thought it was fine to take his partner on an overseas trip, even though he knew Prime Minister John Key was unhappy about the practice and had asked ministers not to do so during the recession.

United Future leader Peter Dunne similarly went against Key's direct instruction, using his Parliamentary Service perk.

And now the Maori Party's MP has also thumbed his nose at the taxpayer by galavanting off to Paris.

I think this sort of behaviour is going to start to undermine the Government shortly, if Key is not careful. Fair enough that he treads softly with his minor support parties, and that approach has worked pretty well so far.

But while they are independent, and while Key does need them for confidence and supply, he must be careful not to get into the situation his predecessor got into with Winston Peters, where the New Zealand First leader was allowed to get away with murder because Helen Clark was unable to discipline him.

Key has shown fiscal restraint in his own spending, and has demanded a similar standard for his ministers. But his good nature is at risk of being taken advantage of - and the latest Hide slip-up over the teacups in Christchurch, where he effectively bagged the Prime Minister when he thought he wasn't being quoted - just makes things worse.

While Hide has had the sense to apologise, it doesn't sound like any such repentance is likely from Harawira, judging from his press statement, which I've published in full below.

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday 05 November 2009

Hone Harawira, Maori Party MP for Te Tai Tokerau

TO PARIS OR NOT TO PARIS

Last month I was up in Europe as part of a parliamentary delegation to the European parliament, and while there decided to take the opportunity to skip away to Paris for a day. Now it seems like everyone back here is all in a tizz about it - so here's the scoops.

I met with the person chairing the meeting, the night before I went to Paris, and we discussed a wide range of issues that would be coming up the next day, including trade, illegal immigration, parliamentary activities, local government, music, art, history, travel, and other matters of interest (including the imminent visit of the All Blacks).

I also talked with other MPs and officials who would be at the meeting the following day, and discussed a number of issues including sporting relationships and European perceptions of New Zealand.

And I met with one of the European MPs from Finland with whom I discussed the similarities between the Saami people and Maori, and made tentative arrangements for a future visit to Finland to see how the Saami parliament was run.

Because of the range of issues we had discussed, I decided to ask the chairperson whether she would mind if I skipped the next day and went to Paris. When my request was translated for her she burst out laughing and said how she'd love to come but she had the meeting to chair, so I told her I would make up for it by introducing her to some All Blacks when she came down here!! She positively glowed with happiness at the thought, so after all the speeches were over I did the honourable thing and closed the evening with a haka which brought the house down.

AND YOUR QUESTIONS ARE ...

Did you go to Paris outside of formal arrangements of the delegation? Yes.

Did you consider your Paris excursion to be a breach of parliamentary protocol? Yes, but not a breach of the requirements of the trip because I discussed the issues which would come up the next day with the chairperson and other European MPs before going.

Did you miss anything from the meeting you didn't attend? No. I checked later and found out that most of the issues that were discussed, I'd canvassed with MPs the night before.

Did you think your Paris excursion was a drain on the NZ taxpayer? No. I paid for that part of my trip myself.

Do you think you should have to pay any of my trip costs back to parliament? No - given that I notified the chairperson before going to Paris, covered all the issues before going, and have had follow up contact with European MPs who were there about future activities.

Is this the same as your trip to Alice Springs? No. Different place, different time, different issues.

Would you do it again? Hard to say. You take the action you consider to be appropriate at the time, but I wouldn't rule it out.

Any chance of you getting another overseas trip? That's for somebody else to say.

Did you enjoy your day in Paris? Hell yes. A man would be dumb to go to Europe and not take the opportunity to visit such a wonderful city and see such iconic places and images. I'm glad I did it.

Any flak from your party leaders about it? No. Not yet.

Any adverse reaction from your constituents? No, not at all. In fact, every comment I have had has been really, really positive. In fact one Pakeha lady stopped me to say she loved my article about the Paris trip and said she could picture the places I talked about as I described them. The only adverse comments I've had are from the press.

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