Bill English in clear over housing claims
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The Office of the Auditor-General says there are no grounds for an inquiry into Finance Minister Bill English’s housing arrangements. .
The Auditor-General’s conclusions were predictable, Mr English says.
“Importantly, the Auditor-General concludes that the current parliamentary system is designed to establish whether an MP maintains a current residence outside Wellington, rather than where an MP lives in an everyday sense.
“I welcome the Auditor-General’s confirmation that I correctly completed my declarations and provided other information as required to claim Wellington accommodation costs.
The report called for a “simple and sensible” system for providing MPs and Ministers with support for the costs of their accommodation while in Wellington.
Mr English came under fire after it was disclosed he received more than $900 a week in allowances while living in his family home in Karori, twice what he was able to claim for living in the same house as an Opposition MP.