MPs' spouses to pay own way

Ministers have been told that they cannot take their spouses on trips overseas unless they pay for it, Prime Minister John Key said today.

Labour leader Phil Goff attacked the Government yesterday saying National ministers had spent $739,000 on travel in the first three months of the year - more than double the $336,000 Labour ministers spent in the same period last year.

"It's straight hypocrisy for the Government to call for others to exercise restraint while applying a different standard for themselves," he said.

Mr Key said Mr Goff was taking a "cheap shot" comparing the first few months of a new Government with ministers in an old government in election year.

The travel was necessary to build relations with Australia across many portfolios and work in areas to New Zealand's economic advantage around the world.

Mr Key accused Mr Goff of hypocrisy.

"Phil Goff himself spent $2 million travelling around the world in the last eight or nine years ... and for the best of my knowledge we did not go out and actively criticise him for that."

Budget papers show that Ministerial Services - which looks after ministerial spending - had resisted making major cuts, but Mr Key said it was difficult to get large savings from its comparatively small budget.

Mr Key had to sign off ministerial travel and he expected the trips to follow guidelines and had asked for some restraint.

"This year I made it clear to ministers that I did not expect them to take their spouses and to the best of my knowledge they haven't.

"There might have been one or two odd exceptions to Australia, but in every other instance I have told them if they want to take their partner they can do that, but they can pay for it."

Mr Key said he had paid for his family to accompany him to China recently.

- NZPA