CCD row over Tesla

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has been warned against asking questions about the wife of the prime minister about the purchase of an electric vehicle (EV).

During  question time on December 19, Hipkins probed Christopher Luxon over statements the PM has made on the clean car discount (CCD), learning te reo Maori and using NZ Defence Force (NZDF) planes to travel overseas.

On the CCD, Hipkins asked Luxon whether he would pay back the rebate his family received when buying a Tesla given his government had repealed the scheme and the PM personally had been critical of it.

Luxon said his wife owned the EV and, as such, Hipkins’ questions related to the “affairs of my wife”.

Hipkins repeated previous statements made by Luxon that the car was his. In response, the latter reiterated the Tesla was owned by his wife and proceeded to tell Hipkins he wouldn’t bring his partner into parliamentary debate because she isn’t a public official.

Luxon was backed up by the Speaker of the House, Gerry Brownlee. Despite Hipkins saying it was the PM who had first mentioned his wife, Brownlee wouldn’t allow further questions relating to Amanda Luxon.

Brownlee reminded MPs it was customary that those who weren’t public officials, such as family members, shouldn’t be brought into debate in parliament.

Hipkins had earlier said he believed Luxon was a hypocrite for backing down on a promise not to use NZDF Boeing 757s as PM because of their record of breakdowns. However, he was due to fly on one to Australia on December 20 to meet PM Anthony Albanese.

He was also critical of Luxon after revelations he used taxpayer funding to pay for his te reo Maori lessons as his new government sought to remove financial bonuses for public servants who learn te reo if it’s not needed for their jobs. Click here for the full NZ Herald story.