Simon Bridges' roadshow cash splash: $113k in taxpayer money on limos and hotels

Simon Bridges is spending up large - using taxpayer funding to pay for his limousine. 

Newshub has been leaked MPs' expenses, which show the National Party leader has spent far more money on travel and accommodation than MPs usually manage to chew through.

More than $100,000 has been spent over the past three months.

A BMW Crown limousine has taken Mr Bridges from Kaitaia to Bluff - including a quick Bluff oyster stop and table tennis in Pakuranga - which is all part of his three month 'getting to know Simon' roadshow.

But that doesn't come cheap.

Not due for public release until later this week, the leaked figures show Mr Bridges has been splashing cash.

Travel and accommodation topped $113,973, and most of that - $83,693 - was spent on travelling the country by road and in style.

It breaks down to $919 a day - more than people earning the minimum wage take home in a week.

Opposition leaders do tend to pay more dollars for crown limos than ministers, although Andrew Little as Opposition Leader spent $35,000 less than Mr Bridges over the same time last year. Mr Bridges also spent more than Bill English over the same period - and Mr English was Prime Minister at the time.

It's even a bit more than the current Prime Minister spent in the first three months of this year.

Mr Bridges acknowledges it's a lot of money, but is unapologetic - saying he hasn't spent too much.

"I'm working incredibly hard as Opposition Leader to get out there and understand what's happening in New Zealand. I'm getting out and doing the hard mahi."

However not all Kiwis Newshub spoke to are convinced - and Winston Peters isn't convinced either. 

"Is mahi a new Māori word he's learnt? If he means hard yards, he hasn't been doing it," he said.

Newshub.