By Ian Llewellyn of NZPA

Wellington, May 27 NZPA - Agriculture Minister David Carter has declared interests in eight companies working in the sector, the MPs' Register of Pecuniary Interests showed today.

The document was tabled in Parliament near to its legal deadline and the day before the budget.

The register shows that most MPs use trusts to manage their assets and it is difficult to find out what assets are held by those trusts.

Some are more open than others about their financial interest.

Mr Carter, who had extensive business and farming interests before entering Parliament, declares interests in a number of companies.

Among these are Alliance Group (meat exporter), Doone Partnership (farming operation), NZ Wool Services (wool exporter), Silver Fern Farms (meat exporter), Ravensdown (fertiliser), and Combined Rural Traders (rural supply company).

He also owns two farms in Canterbury.

Prime Minister John Key, who is reportedly worth in excess of $50 million, holds most of his assets in trusts.

Unlike any other MP he states that one of these trusts (Aldgate Trust) is blind, which means he has no knowledge of what it operates.

Mr Key also recorded interests in Earl of Auckland (commercial property), Little Nell (property investment) and Jackson Mining.

One of his listed assets has also been hit hard by the credit crunch, with Mr Key owning shares in Bank of America.

Mr Key also has registered his home in Parnell, an office in Huapai, holiday homes in Rodney and Hawaii, and apartments in London and Wellington.

ACT MP Roger Douglas, a former finance minister under Labour and newly returned to Parliament, also showed that he liked to play the sharemarket.

Sir Roger lists share holdings in 36 companies that read like an A to Z of the stock exchange.

Fellow new ACT MP David Garrett also declared a controlling interest in Waste Management Ltd -- a Tongan-based company that deals with waste, portaloos, sceptic tanks and scrap recycling.

Mr Garrett also declared that he was still employed as self-employed barrister in Albany and a principal of a Tongan law firm Garrett and Associates.

Another to declare employment is Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, who is listed as an Auckland City Councillor.

Labour MPs tend to have less interesting assets to declare though new list MP Jacinda Ardern said that she received assistance from the International Union of Socialist Youth and the Partido de la Revolucion Democratica of Mexico to travel to conferences in Mexico and Bolivia.

The register of assets was compiled as of January 31, 2009.

Registrar Margaret Bazley said it seemed last year's furore over New Zealand First leader Winston Peters' treatment of donations had led to MPs overcompensating.

Dame Margaret believed many declarations contained more information than was necessary and while she had published the information, she would be considering the issue over the coming year.

NZPA