Hilary Clinton

Auckland, Feb 14 NZPA - The cost of Hillary Clinton's planned visit to New Zealand has cost taxpayers $108,000, even though she was a no show.

According to figures obtained under the Official Information Act, the Visits and Ceremonials Office, a unit of the Department of Internal Affairs, spent a non-refundable $30,000 on travel and accommodation, $23,000 on VIP transport and $29,000 that went into "planning" a function organised jointly by the NZ-US Council and the American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand.

Further costs included $US7588 ($10,800) to fly New Zealand's ambassador to the US from Washington to Auckland and back again, as well as significant travel, accommodation and planning costs, the Sunday Star Times reported.

United States Secretary of State Clinton called off her planned three-day visit last month to help coordinate US relief efforts in Haiti, following the devastating earthquake there that killed up to 200,000 people.

She has promised to reschedule her New Zealand visit as soon as possible.

NZPA AKL rp dj