Wellington, February 25: New Zealand Prime Minister John Key ordered Thursday an inquiry into his cabinet ministers expenses after one of them resigned, admitting that he had used his ministerial credit card for personal purchases.
Mr. Key told a news conference that the auditor-general would review all expenditures by former housing and fisheries minister Phil Heatley and look at the systems and processes for dealing with ministerial expenses to ensure we are doing everything possible to make sure the rules are clear and are being followed.
Announcing his resignation from the cabinet, Mr. Heatley, 42, told journalists: I believe Ive failed to live up to my own standard, and for that Im embarrassed and immensely sorry. He said he would remain in Parliament as a National Party backbencher.
Mr. Heatley said Tuesday that he had apologised to Mr. Key and repaid more than 1,200 New Zealand dollars (880 US dollars) after a newspaper reported that he had used his taxpayer-funded ministerial credit card for personal expenses.
He resigned after it was revealed that he had put two bottles of wine on his card in August, claiming the 70 New Zealand dollars involved was for food and beverages for himself and his wife.
In fact, no food was included in the purchase, and, worse, the occasion was not a ministerial function but the annual conference of the ruling National Party.