Hillary Clinton a costly no-show

The government spent $108,000 on Hillary Clinton's state visit - even though the American secretary of state never actually set foot in Godzone.

The bill for New Zealand taxpayers included $US7588 ($10,800) to fly New Zealand's ambassador to the US from Washington to Auckland and back again, as well as significant travel, accommodation and planning costs.

Clinton, arguably the most powerful woman in the world, was due to visit New Zealand last month, but returned to Washington to oversee aid efforts in Haiti following the devastating earthquake there that killed up to 200,000 people. She has promised to reschedule her New Zealand visit as soon as possible.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the timing of Clinton's visit was more a matter for Washington than New Zealand, but discussions were ongoing.

The postponement last month left officials scrambling to cancel accommodation and catering for Clinton and her entourage, and stand down a huge security operation involving police, security forces and government officials.

Figures obtained under the Official Information Act show the Visits and Ceremonials Office, a unit of the Department of Internal Affairs, spent a non-refundable $30,000 on travel and accommodation, $23,000 on VIP transport and $29,000 that went into "planning" a function organised jointly by the NZ-US Council and the American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand.

- © Fairfax NZ News