6 Sep 2018

Government ministers spend $1.5m on travel in three months

1:49 pm on 6 September 2018

Government ministers spent roughly $1.5 million on travel and accommodation between April and June this year.

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Ministers' spending details have been released. Photo: 123rf

Spending details have finally been made public after weeks of delay due to a processing error by the Department of Internal Affairs.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spent more than $27,000 on travel and accommodation within New Zealand and more than $56,00 overseas.

Overall, Labour ministers spent about $950,000 over the last quarter; New Zealand First ministers about $400,000 and Green ministers about $140,000.

The figures do not include one-off expenses charged to ministerial credit cards.

Those receipts reveal that on a visit to the Commonwealth Games in April, Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran took a chauffeur-driven car from Brisbane to the Gold Coast at a cost of $1000.