KEY POINTS:
Leader of the House Gerry Brownlee was in charge of allocating government-owned ministerial homes and he has taken the biggest one.
The Dominion Post reported today details of who got to live in what in the distribution of the $18 million worth of properties. The properties are available free to ministers whose primary place of residence is outside Wellington.
Prime Minister John Key followed tradition deciding to move into the $6.1 million, five-bedroom, Premier House.
His own home in Parnell is almost a million dollars more expensive and is where his family will remain.
Mr Brownlee has taken the second most expensive property, a 420sq m, eight-bedroom house in Bolton St near Parliament, worth $2.9m.
Mr Brownlee rejected suggestions he had given himself the choicest pad.
"It's ... a house that has been, I guess, one that has taken a great deal of maintenance and care over a period of time and, because it's a very old house, it always presents its own little difficulties," he told the newspaper.
Other ministers who were allocated houses owned by the Government were Simon Power, Tony Ryall, Nick Smith, Steven Joyce, and Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia.
Five other ministers - Judith Collins, Anne Tolley, Wayne Mapp, Pansy Wong and ACT leader Rodney Hide - are in apartments or townhouses leased by the Government as ministerial residences.
Mr Brownlee said residences were allocated according to what was available and what ministers wanted.
- NZPA
