ACT must stop double-dipping

Green Party Co-Leader Rod Donald said today ' s Auditor General report into ACT ' s use of parliamentary funding fails to clear ACT of rorting the system.

" The ACT Party may be off the hook today, but that doesn ' t mean their behaviour is either ethical or acceptable, " he said.

Mr Donald called on ACT to live up to the same standards it demands of others.

" If this report was about any other party, ACT would slam it as a whitewash.

" ACT think they are smart to exploit the rules but, in fact, this exposes their true nature. They have got off on a technicality by exploiting a loophole that must be closed.

" Meanwhile, the taxpayer continues to bear the brunt of paying twice for ACT ' s ' creative ' practices, " Mr Donald said.

" Given ACT ' s ongoing campaigns to protect taxpayers ' money, I am sure they will support fixing the rules to ensure there is no more double-dipping.

" It is disappointing that Auditor General Kevin Brady did not interview any of the staff members involved or the landlord of the Tinakori Rd house where the first ' office ' was located. (The second ' office ' was in Pipitea St).

" I am therefore not surprised that the Auditor General was unable to draw ' definitive or reasonable conclusions ' , " Mr Donald said.

" However, the public will have no trouble drawing their own conclusions about ACT ' s behaviour.

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