15 Dec 2010

Labour MP asks Auditor-General to investigate Wong

5:42 pm on 15 December 2010

Labour Party MP Pete Hodgson has written to the Auditor-General calling on her to investigate Pansy Wong's parliamentary and ministerial travel.

Mr Hodgson has provided new information which he says warrants further inquiries by Auditor-General Lynn Provost.

Mrs Wong resigned from Parliament on Tuesday.

The MP for Botany had been under pressure about her husband's use of her taxpayer-funded travel, and in November resigned from her ministerial portfolios after admitting her travel subsidy had been misused by her husband Sammy Wong on a trip to China.

A Parliamentary Service inquiry subsequently cleared the couple of any systematic abuse of the travel rebate.

On Tuesday, Ms Provost said she saw no reason to investigate Mrs Wong's use of travel entitlements.

But Mr Hodgson says that decision was made before vital information came to light.

He says the parliamentary investigation into Mrs Wong's use of the international travel subsidy had been flawed.

Mr Hodgson says the new information, which he attached to his letter to the Auditor-General, shows the Wongs engaged in more business activities than was divulged to the Parliamentary Service inquiry.