Matua Kahurangi: Show us the receipts - Some MPs are burning more cash than they earn

There is a simple way to restore public confidence in how MPs spend taxpayer money. Publish fully itemised expenses, every quarter, for every MP. Line by line. No summaries. No vague categories. No hiding behind Parliamentary Service.

In New Zealand, an ordinary backbench MP earns around $168,600 a year, set by the independent Remuneration Authority. That salary is already scheduled to rise to about $181,200 this year in 2026. That is a solid income by any normal Kiwi standard. Most people earning that sort of money would be expected to manage their own travel and accommodation carefully.