Laws spends $5000 on council card

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Whanganui Mayor Michael Laws charged just over $5000 to his council credit card in the past year.

Whanganui District Council chief executive Kevin Ross released his and Mr Laws' council credit card spending yesterday.

Other councils provided this information to The Dominion Post under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act last week.

The Whanganui council indicated a fortnight before last week's deadline that it needed an extension.

Mr Laws has spent $5124.30 since he was issued with a council credit card in July last year.

His total included $1422 – which was reimbursed – for personal spending, speaking at a health conference in Rotorua in August, and lobbying.

The council said the spending records were considered appropriate after a review by the Office of the auditor-general, and the spending was "in line with council policy". Mr Laws had also spent $4416.70 of his own money on civic and mayoral-related duties and had not sought reimbursement.

Mr Laws, who is employed as a radio broadcaster and columnist, donates his mayor's salary to charity. Speculation emerged this week that he and Winston Peters were planning to join forces to relaunch NZ First.

Mr Ross spent $3212.56 in 2008-09 and $4014.10 in 2009-10.

- © Fairfax NZ News