Minister Grant Robertson was just one of the MPs who spoke at the 'President's Dinner' event

Finance Minister Grant Robertson said he had spoken on a wide range of issues in his capacity as a Labour Party MP - "just as politicians from all parties do". Photo / Mark Mitchell

Labour hosted a $750 per head "President's Dinner" fundraising event in Auckland last night where a senior minister spoke to those who had paid to be there.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson was one of the speakers at the dinner at the General Restaurant on Shortland Street.

Transport Minister Phil Twyford was also at the event, as was Whānau Ora Minister Peeni Henare and Labour MPs Deborah Russell and Marja Lubeck.

At a similar event last year, a ticket where Robertson was speaking cost $600.

But Labour appeared to have learned the lesson about billing speakers as Ministers – unlike the invite to last year's dinner, the invite to the President's Dinner did not refer to Robertson as Finance Minister.

A spokesman for Robertson today said he had spoken on a wide range of issues in his capacity as a Labour Party MP – "just as politicians from all parties do".

He said the event was a Labour fundraiser and would not comment further as it was a matter for the Labour Party.

But Speaking to the Herald, Robertson said it was a "wide-ranging speech" where he covered wellbeing, sport and the global environment.

Labour Party President Nigel Haworth said it was a "perfectly standard organised fundraising process".

But he would not say how many people were at the event, or how much money was raised.

He said Robertson was there in his capacity as Labour's Wellington Central MP, not as the Minister of Finance.

"There was a party fundraiser where a Member of Parliament spoke, along with other members of Parliament – it was a very successful evening."

He would not, however, reveal who the other MPs were who spoke at the event.

This is not the first time Labour has hosted such an event.

Labour Party President Nigel Haworth said the President's Dinner event was a "perfectly standard organised fundraising process". Photo / Greg Bowker

In June last year, Robertson was a guest speaker at a $600 per head event in Wellington where he spoke to roughly 40 people.

Soon after, he spoke at a similar event in Auckland to an audience of closer to 100 people.

A spokeswoman for Robertson at the time said the event was a "party matter".

National Leader Simon Bridges said as long as Robertson was speaking in his capacity as an MP, he had no issue with him speaking at the event.

"Parties have got to make money."

After news that Robertson was speaking at the event last year Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed she had sought advice from the Cabinet Office as to whether or not there had been a breach of the Cabinet manual – the rulebook for ministers.

It was later confirmed that there was no breach but a spokeswoman said it would have been preferable if the invitations for such events made reference to the speaker in political party terms, not in their capacity as a minister.

At the time, National Leader Simon Bridges accused the Government of facilitating "cash-for-access" talks.

But when it was in Government, National ran similar events – referred to as the "cabinet club" where people would pay to attend events where ministers spoke.

Then Prime Minister John Key confirmed that between 2014 and 2008, National hosted more than 50 of these events.