The Prime Minister is refusing to allow cameras in to see the state of Premier House, the official prime ministerial residence he's elected not to live in claiming it's not up to scratch.
Newshub wanted to show you how a proposed renovation budgeted at tens of millions of dollars was justified as the Government looks to slash programmes like food in schools to save cash, but Christopher Luxon won't let us, which he says is due to security reasons.
The most Premier of houses, fit for a Prime Minister, or not, according to Luxon.
"At the moment there are repairs and maintenance that are going on at that apartment. I couldn't live there if I wanted to."
But you'll have to take his word for it as he won't let us in to give the public a look at what he classes unliveable.
"There has been a longstanding convention around security issues... just in terms of it's been a longstanding traditional not to share interior photos."
Former Prime Minister and current Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he wouldn't have had a problem with that.
A report into the house's state is reported to say it's draughty, uninsulated and dated with 30-year-old furnishings and needs tens of millions spent on it.
"There is no way I think in a cost of living crisis where we are trying to ask people to have fiscal discipline that I can actually go to the New Zealand people and say I think we should spend tens of millions of dollars in upgrading Premier House," said Luxon.
It's dated, but nowhere does it state it's uninhabitable.
In fact the last Prime Minister to live there full time brought up her baby daughter Neve in there.
"A lot has happened since that former Prime Minister was in that house," said Luxon.
Not only did Luxon elect to choose his own accommodation, he also decided to claim a $ 52,000-a-year allowance to live in his own mortgage-free apartment.
On Friday, he fiercely defended it, saying he was entitled to it as an MP who didn't usually live in Wellington.
The public backlash was so swift and strong he climbed down within a couple of hours, acknowledging it was "becoming a distraction".
It all comes as the Government looks to slash 6.5 percent of spending out of the public service.
ACT's David Seymour on Monday said he wants to cut back the food in schools programme.
Luxon won't commit to reviewing MPs' perks as part of his public service cuts.
"We have said to Parliamentary Services, all public agencies, we are expecting everybody to generate savings and efficiencies and look at what they need to do... with respect to MP remuneration, that is handled by an independent remuneration authority."
