The Infrastructure Minister's defending the role of job creation through the Provincial Growth Fund.

Management of the fund has come under scrutiny in a report by the the Auditor-General.

The report makes three recommendations around the fund's effectiveness and transparency in decision making.

When questioned on whether jobs on projects counted as new, Minister Shane Jones says they're not considered the permanent new jobs.

He says if there weren't projects, firms wouldn't be hired to work on them - and the permanent project jobs come when they're completed.

Meanwhile, the political media's been accused of treating politicians like prey.

Outgoing Labour MP Claire Curran who was sacked as a Cabinet Minister by Jacinda Ardern says it's time for the media to turn the mirror on itself.

Curran told parliament both politicians and the media focus on conflict and perceived or real slip-ups rather than substance and the quality of ideas.

She says the objective is to catch people out and take them down.

Listen to Josie Pagani and David Farrar discuss the speeches with Heather du Plessis-Allan on The Huddle above