New Zealand MPs Combine Superannuation Contributions and Housing Allowance to Fund Personal Property

National MP Melissa Lee and Labour MP Jenny Salesa each bought a Wellington apartment through a private parliamentary superannuation fund and claim the full accommodation supplement on the same property, giving them up to $72,640 annually in taxpayer-funded entitlements.

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Parliament’s scheme matches each MP contribution with $2.50 of public money, capping the employer contribution at $36,240 when an MP contributes $14,496. Non-Wellington MPs may claim up to $36,400 per year for “actual and reasonable” accommodation; ministers can claim up to $52,000.

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Lee bought her Wellington flat in 2016 and also holds another property with an ANZ mortgage. Salesa bought her flat in 2017; her fund, Kaha’u, follows parliamentary rules. Other MPs—Chris Hipkins, Erica Stanford, Judith Collins, Louise Upston, Todd Stephenson, Kieran McAnulty, Andy Foster—have used similar schemes. Labour and National each own multiple MPs’ electorate offices, and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon rents his Botany office, owned by himself, at $45,000 a year.

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The combined entitlement for a backbench MP can reach $72,640 annually, $88,240 for a minister. Parliamentary Services paid $15,740 for Salesa’s office and $27,540 for Lee’s in 2025. MPs receive a $19,300 basic expense allowance each year.

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These arrangements direct public money into MPs’ private property, raising conflict-of-interest concerns and underscoring the generous nature of the entitlements.

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Salesa said her private superannuation fund complies with parliamentary rules. Luxon indicated he is comfortable with the arrangement for his Botany office lease. Lee declined to comment.

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The source labels the superannuation arrangement “extremely generous,” implying it creates a loophole that subsidises personal property. Critics argue that, while legal, the practice blurs the line between public entitlement and private gain.

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The articles do not cite an independent audit of the schemes, nor a government response beyond the MPs’ statements, leaving enforcement details and any pending reforms unclear.

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• “operates in accordance with Parliamentary rules” — Jenny Salesa, MP

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• “very comfortable” — Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister

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• “This is normal – the government pays to hire premises so that people can get access to their local MPs.” — The Spinoff, Publication

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• “By combining the superannuation scheme with the housing subsidy, a backbench MP can get as much as $72,640 per year on top of their salary towards the cost of buying and living in their own home, while a minister can get as much $88,240.” — The Spinoff, Publication

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