Labour Party MPs Annette King and Jacinda Ardern at Parliament in 2014.

Her first husband was transgender, so veteran Labour MP Annette King says she understands that group's "desperate need" for services.

"I also was married to a transgender person," the former Labour health minister is reported to have said.

"So I understand very much the issues for transgender people, and the need to have access to surgery and to counselling and drugs and support. We are very supportive of that in our policy."

King, the MP for Rongotai, mentioned her first husband during a discussion on sex reassignment surgery and other support with Gisborne students on Tuesday.

However, King says she hasn't "made a story of it" and has no more to say.

"I was meeting with transgender people yesterday, and I was talking about their need for services," she said on Wednesday.

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"I was married to a transgender person many years ago. He hasn't been [my husband] for years."

King said she had talked about her former husband publicly before "at Labour Party meetings and meetings for transgender people".

"Although, I didn't mention my former husband in my valedictory speech."

King said there was a "desperate need" for services for transgender people.

She would not comment further.

King is retiring from politics after the election.

This month in her valedictory speech, King spoke about highlights from her career, including homosexual law reform in 1986.

NZME has reported that King made the comments when she and Labour leader Jacinda Ardern met students from Qmunity Youth, a support group for LGBT+ teenagers.

She mentioned her former husband when Ardern was asked by a student what Labour's view was on helping people have sex reassignment surgery and other support.