OPINION

Here's a story you're not going to enjoy if you're one of the government employees who has just been made redundant.

It surrounds Otaki MP Tim Costley.

He’s a known name in Kapiti, and owns a $1.4 million riverside home in Waikanae, two rental properties in Palmerston North and a flat in Wellington.

It's the latter of those properties that's causing Tim a bit of a headache.

It turns out Tim is claiming $36,400 a year from a Parliamentary housing allowance to rent his own apartment back to himself, despite his family home being just 58km away from the Beehive. 

He lives in Waikanae, but even with Transmission Gully, a 40-minute drive is too much of a commute for him.

Yes, it's entirely within the rules, but the rules are dumb.

It's not a long drive, even after a very late night in Parliament (which doesn't happen that often). I'm sure he could suck it up. Parliament sits 90 days a year.

He’s clearly learned from his leader. Remember Christopher Luxon claimed $52,000 for his mortgage-free apartment in the city, even though as Prime Minister he was entitled to live at Premier House on Tinakori Rd?

He chose not to live there because it wasn't quite up to his standards, but later U-turned on pocketing the allowance.

But Costly Costley, well he's a first-term MP.

He said like many MPs he owns an apartment in Wellington and taking the allowance is within the rules set by the speaker.  

Costly Costley said it works out about the same as it does for MPs who stay at hotels. He believes the safest and most sustainable way for him to function as an MP is to stay in Wellington when the house is sitting.

He says junior MPs like him are required to stay on the precinct until at least 10pm and are often there later when the house is in urgency, which is very rare I should add.

He’s required to be back at Parliament for early meetings at 7:30 and 8:30am, he says. 

Come on Costley. How many people living in Waikanae have to commute every day?

I agree that would be tough for those very few times that you're driving home at midnight, but surely you don't need a place at a cost of $36,400 a year? 

What happened to MPs flatting with each other? 

MPs are entitled to claim $36,400 if their main residence is outside the Wellington commuting area, but the rules don't specify a minimum distance.

I say Waikanae is definitely within the minimum distance.

The Inland Revenue defines a reasonable commuting distance as between 50 and 80 kilometres for each leg of a journey, or between 100 and 160 kilometres taking both legs into account. 

That's a lot of travel, but its well above what Costley has to travel. The reality is he could very easily commute.

And here’s another kicker just to get you more frustrated, Costly Costley has also claimed nearly $15,000 in travel costs in just the last three months.

This is a man who lives just up the road and is not a Minister. He should be spending $1000 a month, if that. Where is he going?

Maybe this government needs to look at its own MPs when it comes to cost cutting.

Don't get me started on that. I've always felt we have too many MPs. Tim Costly Costley wouldn't be costing us quite so much if he wasn't there.

He's a backbencher without any portfolios.

Perhaps he should start behaving like one. 

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