By Chris Ormond of NZPA

Wellington, June 10 NZPA - The release of years of ministerial credit card records has exposed some indulgent, inappropriate and unsavoury spending practices, but the damage so far appears to be limited to red faces.

Former Labour ministers Shane Jones and Chris Carter pre-empted a backlash over their spending by fronting media today over inappropriate use of their taxpayer-funded ministerial credit cards.

In Mr Jones' case it was revealed he watched pay-per-view pornographic movies while staying in hotels on official business, as well as spending on other personal items not covered by ministerial rules.

He paid back about $5000 in 2008 and committed to reimbursing more if further discrepancies were found, but today admitted he had let a lot of people down and said it was a "day of shame" for him.

Mr Carter checked credit card transactions released to reporters for the years 2003 to 2008 and had found $251.56 worth of personal spending which would be paid back. He told NZPA that some things such as massages at hotels had been reimbursed or paid privately already.

While ministers are entitled to cover restaurant bills as part of work, running through expenditure from the likes of former Labour ministers Parekura Horomia, Mita Ririnui and Judith Tizard showed they weren't shy about indulging.

Former foreign minister Winston Peters, whose staff took care of the bills, and current Foreign Minister Murray McCully have also racked up big expenses, but their roles dictated that to an extent.

Prime Minister John Key today said he was comfortable with some big spending overseas by his minister Tim Groser, who has climate change and trade roles. Discretionary spending on food and alcohol accounted for a big chunk of it.

Mr Key told reporters Groser did a lot of travelling and was required to entertain dignitaries, and he was comfortable the spending that had been raised was within the rules. He said he had reinforced his expectations that ministers needed to be cautious with the expenditure of public money.

Mr Key this year accepted the resignation of Housing Minister Phil Heatley after questionable spending was revealed -- but reinstated him following an audit.

Labour leader Phil Goff, who is in China, was highly critical of Mr Heatley at the time and was opposed to him getting reinstated as soon as he did.

Mr Key said today Mr Goff needed to remember his stance and apply the same standards to his own MPs.

Deputy Labour leader Annette King said she didn't think Mr Jones should resign and a resignation had not been offered, but that he had dug himself a hole and it would take a lot of hard work to get back out.

She said while there was some finger pointing at National over Phil Heatley, the criticism could have been harsher, but there had been a realisation that ministers sometimes made blunders.

The taxpayer could take some comfort resulting from today's airing of expenditure, she said.

"I think it's now so open and transparent that any future minister, whether they are Labour or any other party, who uses their credit card for their personal use -- whether they reimburse it or not -- would be very, very silly indeed...there is no excuse from now on to say 'we didn't know the rules, we didn't understand the rules, we didn't know what we were doing'."

Ms King said she didn't expect people would judge Mr Jones for his choice of movies.

"It certainly isn't something I indulge in, but there are probably many others out there -- including some here -- who have," she told reporters.