Should have known the rules

The Herald reports:

Prime Minister John Key will not pay his “teapot tapes” settlement with public money, his office said, as Speaker David Carter confirmed today to do so would be against Parliamentary rules.

Mr Key said yesterday that it was “pragmatic” to pay a small settlement to freelance cameraman Bradley Ambrose out of his National Leader’s Office budget.

However, his office said today that after taking advice from Parliamentary Service, this would no longer take place.

A good outcome, as even if it was permissible, it was a bad look.

However it is not good that they announced the parliamentary budget would be used, without realising they could not. Staff should have checked in advance, and if so this would have never been an issue.