Bob Edlin: The Press and politicians’ perks....

The Press and politicians’ perks – the spotlight goes on Brownlee while he considers the fate of Stuff journos

Checking on what’s doing in the country today, PoO spotted this on The Post website, on the top row of items on the menu under “News / Ā-motu” –


We followed the link to find an article written by Charlie Mitchell, from The Press, which is part of The Stuff stable to which The Post belongs.

The headline did not mention Gerry Brownlee. Its sweep was much broader:



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.
And so on.

Brownlee is not named until the ninth paragraph

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.

Then Brownlee becomes the star turn:

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.”

The article next turns to Kuriger (who has owned a Wellington property since she first entered Parliament more than a decade ago) and to other MPs who have claimed the allowance this term while owning Wellington properties with no mortgage registered against the title.

These include 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.

The article notes that accommodation allowances are being aired in news media 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.

The article also reminds us that questions about accommodation allowances have surfaced repeatedly in New Zealand politics.

In 2009, it notes, 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.

PoO’s interest in this laudable exposure of the perks of being a politician was heightened by our awareness of a stoush between Stuff and the Speaker.

RNZ headlined it …



The RNZ report said Brownlee was considering a temporary ban of Stuff Digital from Parliament.

Brownlee is set to make a ruling on Stuff’s access to the Parliamentary precinct after raising concerns about some of its reporting last month.

And what was the focus of the story that prompted the Speaker’s ire?

Accommodation allowances.

It related to Social Development Minister Louise Upston claiming an accommodation allowance of $1000 per week – which she is entitled to – to live in her Wellington apartment.

So why should the Speaker step in?

Good question.

As part of that reporting, a Stuff camera operator took footage of Upston from what are known as Parliament’s ‘black and white tiles’, toward a corridor the Minister was walking through. A screenshot of that footage was used as a still photo in Stuff’s reporting on Upston and her allowance.

The camera operator and Stuff’s political editor then filmed and attempted to interview Upston in another area, near Copperfields cafe in the Beehive. She declined to comment.

The Press Gallery rules dictate where reporters can and cannot film or interview MPs. In both of these areas – the tiles, and outside Copperfields – filming is permitted.

Let’s hear it from Mr Speaker’s perspective.

In an interview with RNZ, Brownlee said it was his position that Stuff had breached Parliament’s rules.

“My conclusion is that a long range photograph taken… through the Grand Hall into a corridor that is not for general filming, is just a bit bit too far.”

He confirmed he was considering a “censure” or “slight suspension”, but said no decisions had yet been made.

Brownlee said he would meet with the “offended editors” when Parliament resumed in two weeks’ time.

“Look, they’ve got a right to protect their corner, I suppose, but I think it’s a little bit over the top,” he said.

“We’ll talk it through, but in the end… there’s also got to be a balance between the rights of journalists to interview and film inside the place with the ability for members to make some of their own choices about what they do and don’t participate in.”

Brownlee said he strongly supported the role of the press gallery as part of the fourth estate, noting that they enjoyed “considerable privilege” in regards to their access to MPs.

Let’s see if that support wavers in the light of Charlie Mitchell’s report on accommodation allowances and the extent to which taxpayers help keep a roof over his head.

Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.