Lindsay Tisch

Wellington, Nov 26 NZPA - National MP Lindsay Tisch has been paying himself rent under an arrangement using his accommodation allowance.

The New Zealand Herald reported that Mr Tisch, who is deputy speaker, has been claiming $410 a week, bringing him close to the year $24,000 maximum, using his Wellington accommodation allowance which was paid to his own property investment company.

The allowance for "reimbursement of actual and reasonable expenses" was used to pay for a property he owns.

He also listed director's fees from the company as a payment received for four years running in the MPs' register of pecuniary interests but told the newspaper they had not been paid.

Mr Tisch said the rent was set independently at the market rate and he was not doing anything wrong by funnelling the money through his own company.

Parliament's Speaker Lockwood Smith said the practice was acceptable as long as the rent claimed was based on an independent market valuation.

Mr Tisch bought the apartment on The Terrace for $260,000 in 2003. The apartment has made a capital gain of $20,000, the most recent valuation rating it as worth $280,000.

He moved into a flat on the parliamentary precinct this month but until then the rent was paid by the department handling MPs' expenses, Parliamentary Services.