Foreign Minister Murray McCully is being criticised for using defence force aircraft to travel to a meeting in Vanuatu, at a cost of $75,000.
In Parliament yesterday Labour MP David Shearer questioned Prime Minister John Key over the expense.
Mr Key last month came under fire last month for using a defence Iroquois helicopter to attend the Hamilton V8s then a black tie dinner at the Royal Auckland Golf Club in Otahuhu.
"Is he aware that the Minister of Foreign Affairs spent at least $75,000 travelling to Vanuatu by the Royal New Zealand Air Force in February this year to attend a meeting lasting just a few hours?" Mr Shearer asked.
He said commercial flights would have cost about $4000.
Mr Key, who approved the trip, said he did not know the exact cost.
"But I am sure the minister would have done that only if it was believed to be in the best interests and the best use of taxpayers' dollars to do so."
Mr McCully told Radio New Zealand this morning that the costings Labour gave were inaccurate but did not say what the cost was.
"These are more expensive aircraft to travel on than commercial flights."
He had originally said he would not be able to attend the meeting but was told the defence aircraft was available and other delegations including Samoa and Tuvalu wanted a lift.
"I accepted the advice I should go there, but commercially I couldn't get there and back with the other constraints that I had."
He came back on an Orion because the aircraft that took him broke down.
NZPA