A FORMER New Zealand government minister once tipped as a likely future national leader admitted yesterday to charging pornographic movies in hotels to his official expenses.

A FORMER New Zealand government minister once tipped as a likely future national leader admitted yesterday to charging pornographic movies in hotels to his official expenses.

Shane Jones, now an opposition legislator after his centre-left Labour Party lost the 2008 election, charged about 20 pornographic movies to his official credit card as a government minister, along with other personal expenses.

"In actual fact I'm not a sex fiend or a sex addict, but the reality's there I watched blue movies. I'm not going to deny it," a rueful Jones told reporters.

He said he repaid personal expenses totalling about $3400 (about R26350) in 2008 but admitted yesterday he had been wrong to charge the personal expenses to his official card in the first place. - Sapa-AFP