Roger Sowry National Member of Parliament Shadow Leader of the House 15 January 2001

Sowry requests full inquiry into allowances

National's Roger Sowry has today written to the Controller and Auditor-General requesting a full and independent inquiry into the payment of out-of-town accommodation allowances to MPs.

"The Prime Minister is placing much faith in the Parliamentary Services report, but this limited internal inquiry is simply not enough. Taxpayers need to be assured that their money is being spent appropriately and accountability measures are in place.

"The Parliamentary Services report will only reiterate housing entitlement rules for MPs. What needs to be investigated is the possibility that tens of thousands of taxpayers' dollars were wrongly obtained in a process that may have involved signing declarations and statements that were false.

In his letter Mr Sowry notes that in Australia the misappropriation of parliamentary allowances is a serious matter that has led to jail terms for MPs.

"I do not believe Helen Clark's latest comments that she didn't know about Phillida Bunkle's flat prior to National asking some questions.

But I completely agree with her when she said 'I would have thought the rules were very clear.' I have been saying that since these allegations of illegal payments were first raised," Roger Sowry said.

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