Dairy unity
OPINION: A last-minute compromise ensured that the election of the new Federated Farmers national dairy chair wasn't a repeat of the Super 15 rugby final - Canterbury versus Waikato.
Milking It notes that Rawiri Waititi, chief co-agitator for Te Pati Maori, has done us all a favour by highlighting this overlooked fact: His Q1 travel expenses of $31,653 were the highest for MPs (excluding Ministers).
A spokesperson says Waititi lives in a rural area some 250km from the closest airport in Rotorua.
All the same, that doesn’t explain his air travel costs last year.
In 2023, he incurred $59,847 on air travel and $43,262 on surface travel costs - a total of $103,109.
David Seymour incurred $31,706 on air travel and $15,184 on surface travel - a grand total of $46,890 or 45% of Waititi’s costs.
