The deputy prime minister is defending her use of a taxpayer-funded VIP limousine while campaigning for the Labour Party.
Today, Carmel Sepuloni attended a number of events across Wellington while campaigning for Labour, and she travelled to and between them in her chauffeur-driven ministerial limousine — a high-end Audi.
Crown limos are normally used by ministers when they're conducting ministerial business, although exceptions are made for the PM and Leader of the Opposition during the election campaign.
When asked if ministers are allowed to use their tax-payer funded limousines while engaged in party campaigning Sepuloni said "Yes we are."
"I'm in Wellington so it's a bit hard for me to get around otherwise, but it's within the rules."
The rules do state ministers are allowed to use a chauffeur-driven VIP limo "at any time, for any purpose, at the Minister's discretion" but today Sepuloni was not acting in any ministerial capacity.
"We try not to (use the Crown limos) and so when we can we'll use our own cars but I can't do that in Wellington," she said.
Ministers using their Crown limos while campaigning for their party has previously proved controversial.
In 2015, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters slammed National after its ministers repeatedly used their Crown limos to campaign during the Northland by-election.
"This was a fraud committed against the taxpayer," Peters said at the time.
The then-Labour leader Andrew Little believed an investigation was warranted into National's use of the vehicles during the by-election.
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