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Public Funds for Research: NZ MPs Under Scrutiny
New Zealand's Parliamentary Services function has responded to public concern and clarified that MPs are in the clear using consultants for market research and other purposes, provided such use is intended to make MPs better at their jobs, and not for electioneering.
In these circumstances, public money can be used to pay for work done by political consultants and advisers, says the committee, as reported on www.nzherald.co.nz .
The issue came to public attention when author Nicky Hager revealed that political party National was using Australian strategists and market researchers Crosby Textor, with at least part of the bill covered by its parliamentary budget.
A spokesman for Parlaimentary Services said MPs would have to be able to 'put their hands on their heart and say 'this is advice that enables me to perform my parliamentary service in a better way'. They would have to be confident it would withstand scrutiny.' However, definitions leave wide discretion for MPs in the interpretation of this. Parliamentary Services is exempt from the country's Official Information Act but a spokesman said the service had a thorough process for checking spending and any that seemed questionable was raised with the party.
Labour's use of research includes polling and focus groups from UMR Insight, which the party says gives it 'a better understanding of New Zealanders' feelings about the issues of the day, what their concerns are, and what their perceptions are of party policies and politicians.' Parties can also split the funding of certain activities between public and private funding - for example web sites which contain a mixture of content.
The Parliament is online at www.parliament.nz .
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