Labour Party leader David Shearer says his MP Trevor Mallard was unwise to sell tickets for a music festival for more than their original value.
Mr Mallard is under fire for the Trademe sale after he sponsored legislation outlawing ticket scalping in 2006.
The MP says he sold on four tickets to the Homegrown music festival for a profit of $276.
He says that is not illegal because the anti-scalping law applies only to major events like the Rugby World Cup.
David Shearer says he understands Trevor Mallard is offering to buy the tickets back from the people who bought them and Mr Shearer says that is the right thing to do.
Not hypocritical - Mallard
Mr Mallard says it is not hypocritical for him to sell tickets for more than their face value.
Mr Mallard was Economic Development Minister when he announced the law in 2006, saying buying tickets for the purpose of profiteering is a rip-off that could deny many people the opportunity to see an event.
He says he did not buy the tickets for the purpose of making a profit and saw nothing wrong with selling them when he discovered he could not use them.
Homegrown director Mark Wright says scalping is a problem, even when people do not buy tickets for the sole purpose of turning a profit.
