Okay it's one of the seven deadly sins but indulge me. There is a bit of envy as thought is given to the travel perks available to former MPs and their spouses.

Having put in more than 35 years padding the corridors of sour, keeping an eye on the comings and goings - there have been eight Prime Ministers in that time - the perks are few and far between. In fact they're not even a few, there's not one, not even a dedicated carpark.

For the first time the boffins who run the place, Parliamentary Services, have been forced to publicly name the former MPs and their spouses who've been relaxing in their business class sleepers to Europe, with the tab being picked up by the long suffering taxpayer.

We're told it's part of their pension deal but it's a deal that's unheard of in the private sector. The equivalent of one business class trip a year to the Northern Hemisphere and 12 domestic flights, for simply serving nine years in Parliament.

They'd argue they accepted less pay which was compensated for by the perks. Bollocks. MPs have always been well remunerated, just as they are now.

It seems the generosity of the taxpayer knows no bounds. Those who're the most well heeled seem to have the biggest snouts in the public trough.

And it might seem harsh but there are many enjoying the continued taxpayers' largesse who contributed little in Parliament other than warming a seat.

There are spouses who continue to travel free, many years after the MPs they were hitched to have left the mortal coil. One in fact is still enjoying the perk even though her hubby left Parliament almost 40 years ago and died seven years ago.

And the portaloo and pizza protester, former Social Credit MP Garry Knapp, who's now selling real estate in Auckland, is still claiming almost 30 years on from leaving the place. But he's just one of 77 former MPs clipping the taxpayer travel ticket, with an almost equal number of spouses doing the same.

It makes the political masters uncomfortable, but they'll do nothing about it. They argue it will come to an end when the recipients come to an end.

Yeah well that won't happen in my lifetime as I book by next international flight on my own credit card rather than yours!