The National Party leader is sticking by his stance on the slushy machine debacle, saying that they were intended for prisoners before he spoke out.

Last month, Simon Bridges went on the warpath after documents released to National revealed Corrections spent $1.095m on 193 ice slushy machines at the end of last year.

Corrections say the flavoured crushed ice drinks are for the wellbeing of staff and not for inmates, and Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis defended the purchase, saying it was right to consider the health and well-being of officers wearing gear that weighs up to six kilos.

Some political commentators also questioned why Bridges was focusing on slushy machines instead of more pressing issues.

However, Bridges told Jamie Mackay that it was an issue worth fighting for.

"What I know is that New Zealanders hate the wasteful spending of this government."

He says that Steven Joyce got a hard time over $400 MBIE spent on hair straighteners when he was Minister, but this is far more excessive. 

Bridges also says that the machines initially had an ulterior purpose. 

"I'm also hearing is that the truth of it was they were for prisoners and is that prisoners may well have been going to use them, and what I've done put pay to that."

Bridges agrees it was not on the same level as KiwiBuild or the Provincial Growth Fund, but it is still wasteful spending.