Dear Editor, In only three months, MPs have spent 98 per cent or $246,347.03 of the annual $250,000 budget for MPs travel. Election promises by all parties shows that they would cut back on overseas travel, especially after the downturn in the economy from Covid. No, it was the opposite.

. The big spenders were PM Mark Brown at $66,702, Tina Browne and husband at $53,693, Vaine Mokoroa and wife at $36,867, Tingika Elikana at $24,000, Akaiti Puna at $14,359 and Rose Brown at $6749.

Entertainment allowances for Tina Browne came to $4500, Tingika Elikana $4500 and Akaiti Puna $3000. MPs who pocketed $1500 entertainment allowances were Vaine Mokoroa, Toa Isamaela, Tai Herman and Stephen Matapo.

The question is who are they entertaining? Is this money accountable or not? We have families struggling to put food on the table and difficult to provide school lunches.

Then MPs were paid additional allowances after paying for rooms, meals and incidentals, additional money paid out to PM $8460, Tina Browne $4320, Vaine Mokoroa $7360, Tingika Elikana $3780 and Rose Brown $1920

Instead of flying premium economy to save money, MPs upgraded themselves to business class costing the travel budget – PM $37,609, Tina Browne and husband $35,689, Vaine Mokoroa and wife $22,903, Tingika Elikana $6332, Akaiti Puna $5051 and Rose Brown $2622.

Talk about abusing MPs travel money paid by the people.

Parlia-money

(Name and address supplied)