New Zealand’s first Chinese legislator resigns

WELLINGTON - Pansy Wong, New Zealand’s first ethnic-Chinese legislator, resigned from Parliament Tuesday, protesting her innocence of abusing a travel allowance but saying it was the right time to step down.

She told a news conference that allegations directed at her had distracted the government led by her conservative National Party, and she wanted to leave Parliament immediately after making the traditional retiring member’s valedictory speech that afternoon.

“I strongly refute these allegations and do not want to tie up the government’s and my time continuing to do so,” she said. “I want to ensure the National-led government can progress its agenda without unnecessary distractions.”

Wong resigned her cabinet portfolios of ethnic affairs and women’s affairs last month after admitting that she used taxpayer money to pay for a flight with her husband, Sammy, two years ago in China.

An inquiry subsequently cleared her of suspicion that she regularly abused parliamentary travel allowance privileges, but she was ordered to repay 474.12 New Zealand dollars (about $355.60) for one trip.

Sammy Wong was reported to have conducted some personal business on that trip, which breached parliamentary rules on using her taxpayer-funded 90 percent discount, which allows only official and private travel.

The opposition Labour Party condemned the inquiry report as a whitewash, called for the auditor-general to investigate and continued releasing additional information about the Wongs’ subsidized travel when questioning Prime Minister John Key daily in Parliament.

Wong, 55, an accountant, was born in Shanghai and educated in Hong Kong before migrating in 1974 to New Zealand. She has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1996.