$24,000 trip included an All Blacks game and meetings with business and political leaders
A $24,000 taxpayer-funded trip to Japan for the Speaker of the House and a senior National MP that coincided with an All Blacks game is being defended as promoting trade.
Trevor Mallard and Gerry Brownlee spent about 40 hours in Japan between November 2 and 4, a trip touted as sports diplomacy.
It included meetings with political and business leaders, promotion of academic links between the two countries, and watching the All Blacks beat Japan alongside senior Japanese parliamentarians.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and National Party leader Simon Bridges supported the trip, but former Speaker David Carter said he would not have gone on it, while former National MP Tau Henare called on Mallard and Brownlee to pay back the money or resign.
Business Class Fares to Tokyo + Accomodation times 2 = $24,000 This is corrupt, either #PayItBack or resign. You know who you are!
Brownlee said not only rejected repaying the money, but even suggested that a minister should have accompanied them on the trip.
“There was also an announcement made there by the ambassador about the enhanced partnership between New Zealand and Japan, which has been announced by the Foreign [Affairs] Minister.
“Very surprising to me that there was actually no minister there to do that.”
He said the programme, facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was about building good relationships with the Japanese Government just before the CPTPP trade deal kicks in at the end of the year.
“We’ve just spent probably many tens on millions getting a CPTPP that will give NZ enormous opportunities to trade to all 11 countries… Japan, an old market for us, will see the reduction of beef tariffs and other such.
