Another day, another expensive PM helicopter ride

The Prime Minister needs to fill in some of the blanks around his helicopter use, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said today.

According to media reports Prime Minister John Key accepted a free ride in a helicopter owned by the Vela family in late 2009.  Later, after realising that taking a free ride in a helicopter may not be such a good look, the Prime Minister apparently arranged for the helicopter ride to be paid for by the New Zealand tax-payer.

“The Prime Minister was recently in trouble over chartering an Air Force helicopter to get back to Auckland from the V8’s in Hamilton,” said Mrs Turei.

“At least Mr Key was willing to be upfront about the fact he needed to get back for the Royal Auckland Golf Club’s black-tie knees up.

“This time around Mr Key has fobbed off any questions about his ‘copter use by saying his meetings were security related.

“The public deserves more details than that,” said Mrs Turei.

“If the taxpayer is paying for the Prime Minister’s use of a private helicopter owned by the Vela brothers then the taxpayer is entitled to know what it was Mr Key was doing after his $2000 aerial taxi ride,” said Mrs Turei.

“Mr Key also needs to say whether he knew in advance of the trip who the owned the helicopter.”