Carl Bates says he complied with the registrar's rules and the report reflected that outcome. Photo:
An inquiry into the declaration of National Party MP Carl Bates' interests in 25 properties has found he followed Parliament's rules.
It was announced in September that an inquiry would investigate the Whanganui MP's declaration of properties linked to him and his family.
Many of the properties were rentals, but Bates has said he was merely a beneficiary, and he was complying with the rules.
The inquiry was launched after Labour's New Plymouth-based MP Glen Bennett had requested it to be carried out via a letter.
In a report into the matter, the Registrar of Pecuniary and Other Specified Interests of Members of Parliament Sir Maarten Wevers concluded Bates was compliant with Parliament's standing orders when he declared his interests in January last year.
Wever said he did not find Bates failed to disclose any specified real property interests required to be declared.
He said Bates was a beneficiary of a family trust which had held shareholdings in property companies he had established 20 years ago, which was declared, as required.
Wever noted in a future review of Parliament's standing orders it could be worth looking at MPs interests in trusts, the nature of assets held in those trusts and the subsidiary interests of companies in which trusts have shareholdings in.
Carl Bates told RNZ he had complied with the registrar's advice, and the report reflected that outcome.
Bates was pleased he could now focus on his job in representing his constituents.
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