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SOUTH ISLAND EDITION press.co.nz MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2010 Retail $1.40 MPs want Break-in drives family from home travel perk scrapped Andrea Vance WHAT THEY GET MPs across the political Backbench MPs are paid $131,000 a year before allowances. spectrum are calling for their The Remuneration Authority sets the base rate of their wage private travel perks to be and the Speaker decides on other entitlements such as scrapped after the resignation travel and office expenses. They are entitled to: of cabinet minister Pansy ■ Domestic travel, but this is not restricted to work-related Wong. trips. The Remuneration Authority considers 5 per cent of this Prime Minister John Key as a benefit and so deducts $1500 from each MP’s salary. said yesterday there was ‘‘a ■ Domestic travel for spouses/partners – as long as they are time and a place’’ for looking not conducting business. As this is also a benefit, a further at the travel perks. $3400 comes out of each MP’s salary. Speaking from Japan ■ Four free flights a year between Wellington and their home where he is attending the base for children of MPs. It is unlimited for under fives. Apec summit he said: ‘‘It’s ■ Discounted international travel for MPs, as long as they are possible there may need to be not conducting private business. some change but today’s not ■ Discounted international travel for their spouses, who must the day to make those not be travelling on business. comments. ‘‘It’s tripped up a number of MPs and that’s very unfor- ing a free travel privilege as a not sure that will ever mollify tunate. It looks somewhat like way of remuneration doesn’t the public. I’ll live with a relic of the past but in the make a lot of sense,’’ he said. whatever they decide.’’ Nervous: Talia Atkins, 12, and Kendra Phillips, 15, don’t like returning to their house after it was burgled on Thursday. Photo: IAIN McGREGOR end that’s not solely my Green Party co-leader National MP Tau Henare, decision. That’s something we Metiria Turei said Speaker Labour’s Chris Hipkins and need to discuss [and] in due Lockwood Smith must relin- Stuart Nash and ACT’s course we will.’’ quish his power to set allow- Heather Roy used their Twit- Weekend shocks Raising MPs’ salaries in ances and establish an inde- ter accounts to call for Woman warns others place of the perks was pendent body. MPs would be change. contentious. ‘‘fools’’ not to agree to support Henare said he had used Glenn Conway main earthquake on ‘‘It’s not so much getting legislation that would allow the discount on private travel September 4. rid of it, the question is would that. twice on trips to Rarotonga. A large aftershock rocked GNS duty seismologist there be any salary adjust- ‘‘I think the public percep- ‘‘I’m of the opinion that after house burgled Canterbury last night, the Caroline Ashenden said the ment.’’ tion, after the Pansy Wong people wouldn’t get into biggest in a string of 4.7 aftershock overnight There was support yester- business, is the writing is on trouble if we didn’t have them Giles Brown aftershocks, and now there’s weekend shakes. was seven kilometres deep, day for a review from Nat- the wall. The public’s lack of [travel perks]. It’s like kids in I’m scared to go all this damage,’’ Buchanan The magnitude 4.9 and centred 20km ional MPs, Labour, United- confidence in the system is a lolly shop. Don’t take them if Two girls left shattered by the said. aftershock struck at 7.21pm southwest of Christchurch. Future, the Greens and ACT. severe and that’s what has to you don’t want them to have earthquake are now too in my room The burglars had smashed at a depth of nine A ‘‘cluster’’ of smaller Over the weekend politi- be restored.’’ lollies,’’ Henare said. scared to enter their Sprey- because that’s Kendra’s bedroom window. kilometres, centred 20km aftershocks were felt just cians from across the political ACT leader Rodney Hide – Roy said she has never don home after it was ‘ ‘‘I’m scared to go in my southwest of Christchurch, beforehand, she said. spectrum took to social media known as a perk buster before used the perk for private ransacked by burglars. how they got in. room because that’s how they near Rolleston. A magnitude 3.2 site Twitter to call for an it was revealed it cost travel. Denise Buchanan and her Kendra Phillips got in,’’ Kendra said. A magnitude 4.7 aftershock was reported at overhaul in the wake of the taxpayers almost $22,000 for ‘‘Travel within New Zea- daughter, Talia Atkins, 12, Burglary victim Last night, the trio again aftershock also rattled 12.03am, and a 2.8 Pansy Wong scandal. girlfriend Louise Crome to land should be uncapped and niece Kendra Phillips, 15, went to stay with family after residents at 1.34am aftershock was felt just She was forced to resign as accompany him on holiday – because otherwise people often spend a night with yesterday’s big aftershocks. yesterday. eight minutes before the ethnic and woman’s affairs said there was ‘‘a lot of wouldn’t be able to do their family when aftershocks turned upside down’’, ‘‘The girls are just so They were the biggest main aftershock. minister when it was revealed enthusiasm amongst the MPs job . but we should have to rattle their jagged nerves. Buchanan said. nervous and too scared to shakes since the 4.8 on Ashenden said her international travel perks just to kill it [travel perks]’’. account for that as we now do. However, they faced a She had lost her passport, stay,’’ Buchanan said. October 24. modelling by GNS paid for part of a trip by hus- ‘‘They should be reim- ‘‘The spousal travel – there bigger shock when they photographs, electrical goods ‘‘During the day, they are A spokesman for scientists predicted band Sammy Wong to China bursed for the costs of doing are arguments for and returned to their Christ- and jewellery. Even a collec- fine. It’s just at night. Talia southern police between five and 17 in 2008. He conducted some their job, they shouldn’t get against. The personal travel is church home on Friday tion of Talia’s baby teeth had thinks someone is going to communications said there aftershocks measuring business on the trip, which anything in addition to that.’’ the contentious one. That’s morning and found that been taken. come in while she is asleep.’’ had been no reports of between 4 and 4.9 in broke parliamentary rules. UnitedFuture leader Peter what people object to, that’s burglars had damaged their Now the family were too She said police had damage. magnitude could strike Labour leader Phil Goff Dunne supported a review as why I’ve never used it.’’ house more than the magni- ‘‘scared to come in the door’’. checked the house and taken However, scientists Canterbury this month. said the current systems was ‘‘the best thing to do’’. tude 7.1 earthquake on Sept- ‘‘What made me quite fingerprints. warned more sizeable ‘‘inadequate’’ and would ben- ‘‘It’s about getting a fair ❯❯ ember 4. angry was that we had Buchanan warned others aftershocks were likely as a ❯❯ efit from a review. ‘‘Establish- and reasonable package. I’m Editorial A12 The rooms had ‘‘been already had enough with the to watch out for burglars. ‘‘chain reaction’’ from the Rebuilds delay A9 Rugby union’s stance on alcohol shows it is ‘under sponsor’s thumb’ David Williams international at Eden Park in selling half-strength beer at Stadium, as were apparent at The Christchurch-based industry spokesman.’’ patrons arriving ‘‘pre-loaded’’ Christchurch police Auckland this month, police top-level matches. Eden Park. director of the National The Law Commission had was more of an issue than the alcohol strategy and enforce- Selling only low-alcohol beer had to break up brawls and However, Canterbury ‘‘I’ve always believed we Addiction Centre, Professor recommended cutting the type of alcohol sold. ment team leader Sergeant Al is not ‘‘necessarily the Australian players were Rugby Football Union chief need to manage the behaviour Doug Sellman, said selling excise tax on low-alcohol There had been discus- Lawn said selling only low- answer’’ to stopping bad be- pelted with plastic beer executive Hamish Riach said of people . rather than only low-alcohol beer would products – a move Sellman sions about introducing a alcohol beer was ‘‘a brilliant haviour at stadiums, Canter- bottles. no amount of low-alcohol beer deciding what people can, or be a ‘‘definite positive’’ that supported. mid-strength beer, he said, way of front-footing changes bury’s rugby chief says. This prompted pressure to would manage people who can’t, drink.’’ would immediately reduce The addiction centre also ‘‘which may be a more in crowd behaviour’’ and However, an addiction ex- clean up crowd behaviour were already drunk. ‘‘I’m not The Crusaders and Canter- intoxication and alcohol- wanted alcohol advertising appropriate beer to serve at there should be a national pert accused the rugby union ahead of next year’s Rugby sure low-alcohol beer is bury are sponsored by DB related harm. phased out of sport. some of the longer duration policy for all stadiums. of being ‘‘under the thumb’’ of World Cup. necessarily the answer. Breweries’ beer brand Tui, The union, he said, was Bryan Pearson, the chief events’’.

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