MPs paid $2.5m in housing allowances while owning Wellington properties
Saturday, 6 June 2026
Dozens of MPs have claimed taxpayer-funded housing allowances this parliamentary term while owning homes in Wellington.
An analysis by The Press has found nearly a quarter of MPs are claiming accommodation expenses to live in the capital while owning a property there, costing taxpayers more than $2.5 million so far this parliamentary term. Some MPs claim the allowance while owning properties with no mortgage registered against the title.
The payments are allowed under parliamentary rules, which are intended to help MPs maintain accommodation in Wellington when their primary residence is elsewhere. The level of the allowance is set by the independent Remuneration Authority and is based on estimated market rents.
Most MPs can claim up to $36,400 a year, rising to $52,000 for Cabinet ministers and the Speaker. Expense records show most MPs claim their full entitlement.
A quirk of the scheme is that the allowance is the same regardless of whether an MP rents, has a Wellington mortgage, or owns a Wellington home outright. Because it is a fixed entitlement rather than a reimbursement, it is often difficult to know how closely the payments align with an MP's actual accommodation costs.
As a result, an MP owning a mortgage-free Wellington property would get the same allowance as one paying market rent or servicing a mortgage.
The issue has drawn renewed attention after Social Development Minister Louise Upston came under scrutiny for claiming the maximum accommodation entitlement while owning a Wellington property. Upston declined to explain what costs the payments were covering.
The properties
Some of the major recipients of the accommodation allowance have claimed it consistently for many years while owning a property in the capital.
So far this term, Speaker Gerry Brownlee and Deputy Speaker Barbara Kuriger have claimed the most, each receiving about $118,000 since early 2024. As Speaker and Deputy Speaker, they are entitled to the same accommodation allowance as Cabinet ministers.
Brownlee, who as Speaker earns a salary of $320,600 and whose primary residence is in Christchurch, bought a townhouse in Wellington's Khandallah suburb in 2020. He has claimed about $237,000 in accommodation payments since then.
No mortgage is registered against the property's title, though Brownlee told The Press the home was 'significantly mortgaged' as part of his broader property holdings. He said the accommodation payment contributed to his housing costs.
Brownlee is also entitled to occupy the Speaker's Apartments within Parliament, a modest residence attached to the Speaker's office. Like most of his recent predecessors, he has instead chosen to receive the accommodation allowance.
Brownlee said the Speaker's Apartment was attached to a lounge and a dining room used regularly to host meetings and functions. 'It's not exactly the sort of accommodation that you want to be living in all the time.'
Kuriger has owned a Wellington property since she first entered Parliament more than a decade ago. Whether that property has a mortgage registered against it is unclear in public records.
Other MPs have claimed the allowance this term while owning Wellington properties with no mortgage registered against the title, including Jamie Arbuckle, Andrew Bayly, Paul Goldsmith, Mark Patterson, Jenny Salesa, Stuart Smith, Jan Tinetti, and Catherine Wedd.
Other MPs, including Hamish Campbell, Andy Foster and Paulo Garcia, have claimed most of the accommodation entitlement while owning Wellington properties. The mortgage status of some MP-owned properties could not be established.
Not having a mortgage registered on a title does not necessarily mean there is no borrowing associated with the property, as debt can be secured against other assets. It does mean, however, that allowances for living in Wellington could be indirectly servicing mortgages on properties outside the capital.
In some cases, MPs have not declared any mortgages in their pecuniary interests, or have declared fewer mortgages than properties they own, making it difficult to figure out what borrowing, if any, is tied to their Wellington accommodation.
The debate comes amid broader scrutiny of parliamentary entitlements. In addition to accommodation allowances, MPs receive taxpayer-subsidised superannuation and a range of travel and expense benefits set independently by the Remuneration Authority.
Questions about accommodation allowances have surfaced repeatedly in New Zealand politics. In 2009, then-Deputy Prime Minister Bill English faced criticism for claiming a higher housing allowance while living in his Wellington family home owned by a trust. He repaid the money.
More recently, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon paid back the accommodation allowance he’d claimed while living in his Wellington property before moving into Premier House.
Last month, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said there was 'increasing evidence' the MP allowance scheme was not working as it should. He said Labour would consider options for a “fairer, more transparent, and frankly more justifiable” system.