Tuesday 2nd May 2000
Rodney Hide
Media Release -- Governance & Constitution

The latest release of official papers concerning the operations of the Waipareira Trust raised even more questions about the monitoring government departments provided to ensure that young people were properly looked after and that taxpayers’ dollars were appropriately spent, ACT Finance spokesman Rodney Hide said today.

“They also raise questions about Mr John Tamihere claiming that everything at Waipareira was squeaky clean under his leadership. His constant challenge to ACT is to come up with the programmes that have failed to deliver. Well, here’s another one.

“The Ministry of Education provided over $500,000 a year for the delivery of education to children and young people at the Northern Residential Centre.

“Here’s what Ministry of Education senior adviser Margaret Hobbs had to say about the programme in a memo to Senior Manager Kathy Phillips: ‘Every quarter we are faced with the same serious issues … no satisfactory assessment procedures … a very narrow and limited range of programmes/modules offered … no provision yet (after 2 years 4 months) of the 40 hours education per week that we pay them to deliver … lack of curriculum provision, resources, professional development. There is little evidence over the last quarter of funds being spent in these areas.’ And yet amazingly the Ministry renewed the contract in May 1999,” Mr Hide said.

“The latest selective release of official documents raises a lot more questions about where the money went, the standards government departments are applying in allocating taxpayers’ money, and whether young people on such programmes are getting the service that taxpayers in fact pay for.

“It’s clear that neither National nor Labour want to hold Waipareira to account. Once again, the job of looking our for the taxpayer and the poor people that taxpayer dollars are supposed falls on the ACT party,” Mr Hide said. ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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