Bill English
Opposition Finance Spokesperson
Govt. hides Beehive refurbishment
The Government has hidden its plans to spend at least $11 million to refurbish the Beehive, Opposition Finance spokesperson Bill English said today.
"Why hasn't the Prime Minister been upfront about spending millions for a make-over job for her own Ministers' offices?
"She has had plenty of opportunity to tell New Zealanders but instead the Beehive refurbishment is buried on page 260 of the 661 page Volume Two of the Estimates of Appropriations.
"It's a three year project - but they've only budgeted $11million in one year - so who knows what the total cost would be.
"Ministerial accommodation has been a hot issue in the past and Labour and the Alliance had plenty to say about it then.
"They preached frugality in the public sector before the election, but now they want to bring the decorators in through the back door.
"It may well be that the Beehive needs refurbishing, but all New Zealanders should know what the Government plans and be able to have a say.
"It shouldn't be up to the Opposition to tell the public about the Government's plans to spend millions of dollars doing up its offices. "
Ends