Parliamentary spenders: Latest release details MPs' travel and accommodation costs

Ministers and non-ministerial MPs spent collectively $4 million on travel and accommodation for the last quarter, the latest expense documents show. 

According to the Department of Internal Affairs, Ministers spent $993,879 on travel and accommodation within New Zealand in the October-December 2025 quarter, and $821,511 on international travel.

According to Parliamentary Service, non-ministerial MPs spent more than $2 million on accommodation and travel within New Zealand and overseas. Of the $2.2m spent by non-ministerial MPs, $1.3m was spent on domestic travel, $70,000 on international travel, $727,000 was spent on Wellington accommodation and $122,000 on accommodation outside Wellington. 

In the same quarter the previous year, non-ministerial MPs spent $1.97m on travel and accommodation.

MPs who live outside of Wellington generally have higher travel and accommodation costs - especially those living in places outside major centres in regional areas. 

Of the MPs that had higher spends, independent MPs Tākuta Ferris for Te Tai Tonga and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi for Te Tai Tokerau spent $42,773 and $39,933 respectively.

For the Green Party, co-leader Marama Davidson spent $35,218, MP Hūhana Lyndon spent $31,899 and Scott Willis spent $30,242 during the quarter. The Green Party total was $354,874.

In Labour, Christchurch East's Reuben Davidson was $31,233 and Damien O’Connor was $50,754. Labour’s total was $806,747.

Te Pāti Māori’s four MPs had Rawiri Waititi, who represents Waiariki, at $30,700, and the total spend was $91,452. 

For the National MPs, excluding Ministers, Southland MP Joseph Mooney spent $31,018, Kaikōura MP Stuart Smith spent $30,869 and MP for Waikato Tim van de Molden spent $30,977. National had a total of $703,285 on domestic travel for its non-ministerial MPs.

ACT MPs - excluding ministers - spent a total of $83,222. No MPs spent more than $30,000.

For NZ First MPs, of which only three were not in the ministerial list, a total of $77,781 was spent. Only Jamie Arbuckle’s was more than $30,000, but his expenses included costs relating to a previous quarter.

For ministers, only Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Finance Minister Nicola Willis, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop, Courts Minister Nicole McKee and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters had no Wellington accommodation costs.

The total for Wellington accommodation costs for ministers was $288,000. Out of Wellington accommodation was $37,193, domestic air travel was at a cost of $303,266, and surface travel was $364,411. The total for internal costs was $993,879. Compared to 2024, the figure for the same quarter was similar at $947,492 for internal costs for ministers.

The highest Minister for internal costs was Social Development Minister Louise Upston at $53,068, Health Minister Simeon Brown at $47,534 and followed by Regional Development Minister Shane Jones at $45,128.

Luxon, who has the use of Premier House, had internal costs at $40,315. His international travel costs were $155,854, which was the second highest behind Trade Minister Todd McClay at $160,010.