While Prime Ministers usually reside in Premier House while in Wellington, Luxon until this point had stayed in his apartment, pointing to the need for superficial refurbishments at the official residence.
But he came under pressure for claiming an allowance to live in the apartment. MPs based outside of Wellington are able to claim up to $52,000 for their accommodation while they need to be at Parliament. But few Prime Ministers have claimed it, with Luxon being the first in at least 34 years.
He initially defended the move by calling it an “entitlement” and “within the rules”, but then U-turned, calling it a “distraction”.
“I have decided today that I will no longer claim the allowance and will repay anything I have received since I became Prime Minister,” he said in March. It meant Luxon would pay back $13,000.
A report released earlier this year from the Premier House Board indicated it had a number of problems, including decades-old fittings and furnishings and poor insulation.
The Kate Sheppard apartment isn’t the only property Luxon has recently sold. He sold a property in Onehunga earlier this month.
Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub Press Gallery office.
