Private limo on standby for 24 hours part of Shane Jones’ $63k travel bill

Thursday, 18 June 2026

Minister Shane Jones spent $63,000 on a trip to a mining conference in Canada in March last year, nearly doubling the Cabinet-approved budget of $33,068.

The overspend primarily came from $41,116 in business class airfares and hiring a private limousine driver who was kept on standby for 24 hours over three days.

Ministerial Services spent months questioning the 90% budget blowout before Jones sought retrospective approval from the Prime Minister's chief of staff in January 2026.

Jones blamed the overspend on an incorrect flight booking class and ground transport omissions, while Labour leader Chris Hipkins criticised the luxury costs as “eye-watering”.

Business class flights and a personal limo driver on standby for hours on end saw Shane Jones massively blow the budget on his ministerial trip to the world’s largest mining conference in Canada in March last year.

Stuff can reveal Jones spent $63,000 on the trip, despite Cabinet only approving a spend of $33,000. It led to the Prime Minister’s office having to retrospectively approve the spend, which only happened in February this year.

A report on the trip said its purpose was to attend the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention - described by Jones as the world’s largest mining conference - to promote the Government’s Minerals Strategy, engage with government and investors and to promote how the Fast Track Approvals Act supports the strategy.

A statement announcing the trip said it was the first time in a decade a minister from New Zealand would attend the conference which draws 30,000 attendees.

“This is where the global resources sector gets business done,” Jones said in the statement.

While on the trip, Jones met with the CEOs of OceanaGold, which runs the Macraes and Waihī mines and RuaGold, which runs the Reefton and Hauraki Goldfields. He also held meetings with Canadian politicians.

There was a large price to pay for the face to faces.

Documents obtained by Stuff show Cabinet approved a budget of $33,068, including $15,600 for premium economy flights for two people, $10,000 for four nights’ accommodation for two, $2200 for meals, $3193 for two VIP all access passes, $500 for transport and a contingency of $1575.

But the final bill was nearly double.

Most of the extra expense went on airfares which came in at $41,116.90 for two business class flights.

The hotel bill came in at $13,397.52, although meals for two for five days totalled only $301.09, so some of the dining may have taken place at the hotel.

Ground transport proved a major blowout - the approved budget was $500, but Jones hired a private limousine from Jassi Limousine Services for a total of C$3791.15.

The limo driver was kept on standby for a total of 24 hours across three days.

The final cost approved for a combination of ground travel, roaming and service fees was nearly $6000.

Before he left for the trip, Ministerial Services began chasing an explanation, asking if any extra budget had been approved as there was a $20,000 overspend. If not, they said, the PM would need to approve a supplemental budget.

There were several follow-up emails.

“Minister Jones’ overseas trip to Canada in March has been 90% overspent as per the Cabinet approved budget. Would you please advise and let us know if there is any further approval to this extended budget related to this trip?” they wrote in November.

It wasn’t until January 30, 2026, following yet another prod from Ministerial Services the week prior citing Official Information Act requests about the overspend, that Jones wrote to the prime minister’s chief of staff Cam Burrows seeking retrospective approval.

“The ministerial party incurred additional costs relating to flights, accommodation and ground transport. The additional costs were due to the incorrect flight booking class being provided; and the omission of the costs for ground transport,” Jones wrote.

On February 4, 2026, an assistant to Burrows said the spend had been approved.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has called the spend “eye-watering”.

“Christopher Luxon tells New Zealanders to tighten their belts, but when one of his senior ministers blows an extra $30,000 of taxpayer money on luxury travel, limousine rides and eye-watering accommodation costs, he signs it off without consequence,” he told Stuff.

“There seems to be one set of rules for ordinary families and another for Shane Jones.”

Stuff asked for an interview with Shane Jones about the overspend but he declined.

A spokesperson said: “Minister Jones’ travel and approval of his travel followed the correct processes and rules.”