National Party MP Sam Uffindell recently revealed he did the shopping once a month to "give my wife a break".

In June, the Tauranga politician explained to Parliament his monthly excursion involved donning his National Party jacket, grabbing a list off his wife and heading to the supermarket.

As well as taking a load off his partner, Uffindell said entering the world of the supermarket every once in a while also gave him some good publicity - looking like an everyday man doing the chores.

Video of the speech has attracted a great deal of ridicule online regarding gender roles in the home.

So Checkpoint went to see how many New Zealand couples actually thought - and if there were any men giving their household a break. 

One shopper says it's easier for him to do the shopping, "I've got no problem doing it at all, so I don't really think about roles or anything like that."

Another says he works from home and did all the shopping: "I was raised with four sisters, so it's definitely not a pink job".

A third says his household split the task equally: "We do everything 50/50, I make clothes dirty so I wash sometimes... whatever needs doing, I do it." 

Other shoppers RNZ spoke to say it's less equal. One woman says it's mostly her that visits the supermarket.

"On the weekend we do them together, but we on weekdays [it's] just me [that does] the shopping, because sometimes he will pick something that I don't really like." 

Another says her household shares the shopping, but she doesn't think that's the case for most couples: "People say, you know, we share more, but I don't think we do in reality... I think women do more."

Others say they are the ones that do the shopping because they also do the cooking and meal planning. 

RNZ stumbled on some shoppers who would not often be found doing the weekly shop.  

"My wife, I think she goes every fortnight - no, I don't do it." 

Another says his mum did his shopping: "Yeah, I don't pay for anything. It's pretty bad, but I can't afford it so Mum gets it for me, I just get the beers".

'Really out of touch'

Asked about Uffindell's comment, some shoppers were unimpressed. 

"Good lord, really out of touch in terms of keeping [up] with today," says one woman. 

One shopper says maybe Uffindell could only get to the supermarket once a month because he's a busy man. 

Another told RNZ he was shocked: "Selfish, absolutely selfish. What's the difference between a male and a female going shopping? We all eat food... so why not share it?"

Uffindell's party leader Christopher Luxon was asked his thoughts on Uffindell's comments at a press conference on Wednesday. He did not wish to comment on whether or not the comments were sexist, saying the matter was between Uffindell and his wife. 

"He's got a lot of explaining to do when he's at home over the recess break. I don't wanna put myself in the middle of that conversation between Sam and his wife."

-Lousie Ternouth/RNZ.