The original trip was budgeted and approved by Cabinet to cost $33,000 but ended up blowing out to $63,000.<\/p>\n
Nicola Willis told RNZ on Thursday afternoon that she took spending limits set out by Cabinet for international travel \u201cextremely seriously, as does my office\u201d.<\/p>\n
Finance Minister Nicola Willis criticised Shane Jones for a $30,000 budget blowout at a Canadian mining conference. Photo \/ Mark Mitchell<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving reviewed how we\u2019ve come in against budget on all of my international travel, we\u2019ve consistently spent less than we sought from Cabinet, and that I think is good practice, that you should never exceed what Cabinet grants you in terms of your travel budget, and I think this reflects significant errors on the part of the minister and his office.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if New Zealand First was out of touch with New Zealanders who are doing it tough, Willis told RNZ that was a matter for that party but she had a track record of sticking to budgets, and others should do the same.<\/p>\n
Willis said all ministers \u201cincluding Mr Jones\u201d should take budgets set by Cabinet \u201cvery seriously\u201d.<\/p>\n
Asked whether Willis was interfering, Jones told RNZ: \u201cLook, I\u2019ve been down this track before.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will compose myself and keep political firepower to the six weeks before the election \u2013 but I\u2019ve got a message for my coalition partners \u2013 provoke the matua at your peril.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking to media on his way into a select committee scrutiny hearing as Regional Development Minister, Jones said his officials were responsible for his travel costs and sign-off was overseen by the finance department \u2013 \u201cwell above my pay grade\u201d.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s reported Jones had a private limo on standby for a total of 24 hours over three days at a cost of C$3791.15 ($4641), while the original budget for land transport was set down and approved at $500.<\/p>\n
Jones defended the expenses, blaming officials and booking errors for the overspend. Photo \/ Mark Mitchell<\/p>\n
Asked why he needed the limo, Jones said: \u201cI presume that\u2019s when I was in chilly cold snow blizzard-riddled Toronto.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said whether he should have taken a taxi was a matter for officials who he \u201cpresumed\u201d booked his trip.<\/p>\n
When asked if he requested the limo, Jones said, \u201clook, all those details \u2013 I\u2019m up in the wheelhouse \u2013 all those details would have been attended to by the trip organiser\u201d.<\/p>\n
As to why he flew business class when premium economy was approved for the trip, Jones blamed a booking error.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo the best of my knowledge there was some sort of cock-up with the original booking, and then it was corrected, and by the time they corrected it there must have been a change in the cost structure of the trip.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI tend not to book my own travel,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, these things are detached from the politicians, so that there\u2019s accountability, and the system runs the budgetary travel, and then it\u2019s signed off, I think, by the Prime Minister\u2019s department or something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n