National leader Christopher Luxon is under fire after revelations he ordered a Tesla as a work vehicle - before cancelling it.
One Labour MP suggested "you can't trust National", while ACT Party leader David Seymour said MPs shouldn't get taxpayer-funded cars altogether.
It was revealed on Tuesday Luxon, the Opposition leader, ordered the Tesla last year before cancelling it. Luxon already owned a Tesla and the order was placed while National was criticising the Government for handing clean car discounts to the wealthy.
"We have got a situation at the moment where we have got a Government that is taxing people with utes and there is no alternative and actually subsiding wealthy Tesla drivers by giving them subsidies," he told AM in November.
Luxon came under fire after Tuesday's revelations, with Labour MP Shanan Halbert saying National couldn't be trusted.
As Opposition leader, Luxon gets similar perks to Government ministers - including a car he can drive himself, should he want it.
The National leader was asked by Parliamentary Services last year if he wanted a self-drive car. Initially, he said yes - and was given a list of mostly electric and hybrid vehicles.
Luxon told AM on Wednesday he "thought for a brief moment" the car could come in handy - then decided against it a couple of days later.
He said the matter was dealt with and he was "saving the taxpayer money" by not taking the car.
Luxon said, in reality, the car would "just sit around in a garage not being used that often".
"I've got two cars at home," he told AM host Ryan Bridge. "They're used by other family members… and so there are times where, occasionally, I've been caught out where I need to drive myself somewhere, the family's using those cars - but I've got a 50cc scooter and I jump on that, and I'll go up and do my odd errands and journeys that I need to do.
"That's why I haven't taken it… I'm saving the taxpayer money by not taking the car that I'm entitled to."
Luxon also took a jab at the Government over its spending.
"The issue is not I'm 'anti-Tesla' - the issue is, I'm actually anti a Government that's… wasting and not targeting money," he said.
Seymour, meanwhile, called for taxpayer-funded cars to be scrapped.
"This perk should be gone, it makes absolutely zero sense," said Seymour.
