Hide went to wedding during official trip

Rodney Hide, Act leader and partner Louise Crome attended Crome's brother's wedding in London while on taxpayer-funded trip

6 November 2009
Act Party leader Rodney Hide did not tell the Prime Minister he was attending the wedding of his partner's brother when the pair went to London at the taxpayers' expense last month.

Critics of the Local Government Minister say he made the trip more for his partner Louise Crome than he did to look at big city structures in order to be able to get the Auckland super city plan right.

Mr Hide travelled to London, where Louise Crome's brother was getting married and to Toronto, Portland and Los Angeles.

Neither Mr Hide nor Prime Minister John Key were answering calls last night.

Labour Party deputy leader Annette King says under the last government, ministers had to account for every day and every detail of their trips before they were approved. She says it would be interesting to know what Mr Hide told Mr Key before he went on the trip.

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