The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on every political party leader to commit to ending Parliament’s gold-plated superannuation scheme and cleaning up MPs’ taxpayer-funded entitlements, following revelations in the New Zealand Herald that MPs’ generous superannuation arrangements escaped earlier efforts to rein them in.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“MPs have managed to protect a super scheme that gives them $2.50 from taxpayers for every dollar they contribute. That is a deal most New Zealanders could only dream of.”

“Politicians can argue that they are following the rules, but they are also the only people with the power to change them. After years of ducking the issue, party leaders need to tell taxpayers whether they will finally give up the gravy train.”

The Taxpayers’ Union has launched a campaign calling on party leaders to:

• Replace tax-free cash entitlements with reimbursement for genuine out-of-pocket expenses;
• Stop MPs using taxpayer-funded accommodation payments to rent properties from themselves; and
• End Parliament’s gold-plated superannuation scheme.

“Every party leader should commit before the election to fixing these entitlements. MPs should not be insulated from the same restrain everyone else faces.”

Taxpayers can email the party leaders at taxpayers.org.nz/email_leaders_mp_perks

Responding to comments made today by Labour leader Chris Hipkins, the Taxpayers’ Union claims it is hypocritical of him to create new taxes on property ownership while using a taxpayer-funded superannuation scheme to finance his own holiday home.

Taxpayers’ Union spokeswoman, Ella Dickson, says:

“Chris Hipkins – like all MP’s – has a generous superannuation scheme with every $1 he puts in matched $2.50 by his employer (taxpayer-funded), which he admits contributes to the mortgage of his family’s holiday home. A second dwelling that would be considered taxable under the bracket of his proposed capital gains tax, yet taxpayers fund it.”

“Hipkins can claim owning a holiday home is different than owning multiple rental properties, but when his CGT sees no difference and taxes them both the same: where does he draw the line? He claimed not to ‘begrudge’ other Kiwis who own holiday homes, he just taxes them for it.”

“The Labour leader today admitted to getting the maximum entitlement from the taxpayer. When asked if it was ‘fair’, he said his goal was to ‘raise the wages of all New Zealanders’, but taxing them will not help in that mission. If Hipkins wants a fairer economy, he should start with his own benefits and his own tax policy.”

A new Taxpayers’ Union briefing paper shows Members of Parliament have spent nearly $15 million in Parliamentary Service funding over the past 21 months while continuing to withhold line-by-line expense information, leaving taxpayers unable to see what their dollars are being spent on. 

A Peek into the Books: MPs’ Expenses in Numbers, is based on Parliament’s own disclosures. The analysis shows wide variation in both individual and party spending. Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi recorded the highest individual Parliamentary Service expenditure over the period at $273,681, followed by Labour MP Damien O’Connor and Greens MP Hūhana Lyndon. 

“Over just 21 months MPs have spent close to $15 million through the Parliamentary Service on travel, accommodation, and transport,” said Taxpayers’ Union Policy Analyst Austin Ellingham-Banks. 

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi is the highest-spending Member of Parliament. 

“When some MPs cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars more than their colleagues, perfectly reasonable questions follow. Those questions may have perfectly reasonable answers, but because Parliamentary Service spending has special carveout from the Official Information Act, the public aren't allowed to access to the receipts.” 

“This briefing simply lays out the (albeit limited) numbers Parliament itself releases. If those figures raise eyebrows, the obvious fix isn’t fewer questions; it’s more transparency. Every other public employee is subject to freedom of information law, MPs should be no exception. Opening the books would let the numbers speak for themselves.” 

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling for 2026 to be the year that MPs’ expenses become publicly available under the Official Information Act. At the moment, the public only access MP’s total spending, with the details of transactions and goods/services kept secret. 

 Taxpayers’ Union Head of Policy and Legislative Affairs, James Ross, said: 

“Ministers’ expenses are publicly available. Public servants’ expenses are publicly available. And in most democracies across the world, MPs’ expenses are publicly available. Why not in New Zealand?” 

“When any information does surface, it is through controversy rather than transparency. Te Pāti Māori’s junkets overseas and Labour’s hiring of a social media manager are just some of the examples that have been made public.” 

“That lack of transparency is why 18,397 Kiwis submitted to the Select Committee calling on Parliament to Open the Books. But MPs ignored those who pay their bills, passing the Parliament Billwithout any amendments to make Parliament’s spending transparent.” 

“New Zealand MPs like to claim that our Government is open and transparent. But this is the fly in the ointment.  We say 2026 should be the year to bring us into line with other jurisdictions. Taxpayers should be able to know what their representatives are spending our money on.” 

“What better New Year’s Resolution than bringing New Zealand into line with transparent Parliamentary democracies? Let’s get it done.” 

The petition to Open the Books can be found at www.OpenTheBooks.nz. 

In response to the latest story about Maruameno Kapa-Kingi’s expenses, the Taxpayers’ Union is repeating its call for proper transparency over MPs’ expenses by asking Parliament to Open the Books.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“When MPs expenses aren’t subject to Official Information Act requests, it leaves them effectively marking their own homework. If MPs want to show they take accountability seriously they should close this loophole and make full disclosure of expenses the norm, as they do in other countries.”

“We’re calling on Parliament once again to Open the Books by bringing all MPs’ expenses under the Official Information Act, ensuring they are held to the same standard of transparency as Ministers.”

The petition to Open the Books on MPs' expenses can be found at openthebooks.nz.

This week on Taxpayer Talk, James sits down with John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the UK TaxPayers' Alliance. John and James dig into some big issues, to see what New Zealand can learn from the UK's (many) mistakes.

Rates caps, death tax, and John's role in exposing the infamous MPs' expenses scandal, which forced every British MP to open their expense reports to public scrutiny. Six MPs were jailed, and hundreds more were caught out.

The latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll has revealed Kiwis overwhelmingly support extending the Official Information Act to cover the expenses of MPs and their offices.

Voters were asked: ‘Ministers’ expenses are covered by the Official Information Act and disclosed, but expenses for MPs who are not Ministers are not covered and kept secret. Would you support or oppose a law change to extend the Official Information Act to include spending by MPs and their offices?'

62% of respondents support the extension of the OIA to cover MPs’ spending, compared to just 13% opposed and 24% were unsure.

Voters for all parties in Parliament bar one had a clear majority in support, while Te Pāti Māori voters still have a sizeable plurality in support.

ACT supporters have the highest support. At 79% in favour compared to just 5% opposed, ACT supporters have a net support of +74%.

Te Pāti Māori supporters have the lowest support. But with 44% in favour compared to just 19% opposed, Te Pāti Māori supporters still have a net support of +25%.

The full polling report can be found here.

Commenting on the results of this poll, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“Kiwis support MPs having to front up to the public about what they’re chucking on their expense accounts, and it’s not even close. By a ratio of nearly five to one, voters want an end to the expenses gravy train."

“Whether it’s bottles of bubbly or trips to Hawaii, the fact is we have no idea what MPs are making us pay for. Ministers have to declare their expenses, why shouldn't MPs?"

“18,397 Kiwis submitted to Select Committee demanding that MPs open the books. The strength of feeling is obvious, and taxpayers are done listening to the excuses."

“Supporters of every party are clear that whilst taxpayers are picking up the tab, the secrecy needs to end. With the Parliament Bill up before Select Committee now, there’s no time like the present for our Parliament to catch up with the rest of the world."

The Taxpayers’ Union is launching a major campaign for Kiwis to demand MPs’ expenses no longer enjoy a special carve out from the Official Information Act.

"Submissions on the Parliament Bill close this Wednesday and we are encouraging taxpayers to make their voice heard at OpenTheBooks.nz," says James Ross, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Taxpayers’ Union.

"This campaign is to force MPs to justify why their spending should be a state secret when almost every other area of public spending is subject to public scrutiny. Government Ministers' spending is already covered by freedom of information laws, and it's about time opposition and backbench MPs were brought into line with normal practise overseas."

“In the UK, the expenses scandal blew the lid on widespread fraud – one MP even used Parliament's secret slush fund to clean a moat. Without transparency, we have no idea if the same sort of thing happening in New Zealand because non-Ministerial expense accounts and opposition party spending is a black hole."

"As it stands, the Parliament Bill actually opens up what MPs can spend taxpayer money on. For example, MPs won't even need their party leader's permission to pay for trips overseas."

"We say, MPs can't expect even more leeway to spend taxpayer money on themselves without the public having full transparency over every dollar."

The Parliament Bill – an omnibus bill making a series of reforms aiming to modernise Parliament’s operations – has passed it’s first reading.

Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“If the Government’s talking about dragging New Zealand’s Parliament into the modern age, then why aren’t we seriously discussing making the Parliamentary Service subject to the same transparency rules as the rest of the public sector?

“For too long, MPs and their staff have been able to live it large on taxpayer dollars thanks to their secret expense accounts. Despite being the people paying for all their champagne and caviar, there’s nothing Kiwis can do to find out how MPs are wasting their money.

“It took leaked stories of MPs putting duck houses and moat cleaning on the expenses tab to blow the lid on the UK’s Parliamentary expenses scandal. New Zealanders shouldn’t just have to sit around waiting for leaks from disgruntled ex-staffers before they can demand some accountability from their MPs.”

Responding to reports of a cyberattack on the Parliamentary Counsel Office and Parliamentary Service by an organisation with links to the Chinese Government, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“It’s a sad day when overseas hackers know more about how taxpayers’ money is being spent than taxpayers themselves.

“Currently, there is a strange carve-out in our official information laws that excludes politicians from the transparency and accountability that they rightly expect of all government organisations and local councils.

“Overseas scandals such as the one in the UK where MPs were found to be abusing and misusing their spending entitlements on things such as moat cleaning and duck islands for their personal homes, along with Ministerial expense scandals here in NZ highlight the need for transparency in how politicians spend their money.

“We shouldn’t need a scandal before politicians open up their spending habits to some much needed sunlight. MPs should get ahead of this latest hack and expand our official information laws to include their own expenses within our official information laws.”