Don Brash MP
National Party Leader
14 July 2006

Website to highlight Labour's wasteful spending

A website is being launched today by National to expose Labour's wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars.

National Party Leader Don Brash says the website, www.wastewatch.co.nz, collates some of the many examples of wasteful spending by the Labour Government over the past few years.

"National campaigned hard at the election last year against Labour's over-taxation and its wasteful spending of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. Since the election, even more examples have come to light.

"There are the pre-election classics, like the enormous amounts spent to so little effect at Te Wananga o Aotearoa, and the $26,000 spent on the hip-hop tour.

"But new examples just keep coming. Recent examples include the $490 million blowout in the cost of building the four new prisons, the $11 million in landscaping of the prisons, and the $1 million given to the 211 phoneline pilot scheme where staff answer an average of just three calls a day.

"The latest example comes from the Agriculture Ministry, which spent $14,724 for 40 senior managers to attend an 'organisational planning feedback session' at the plush Boomrock Lodge near Wellington last November.

"That cost included $7,302 for catering alone - for a one-day course. That's $182 a head.

"A further $1,125 was spent on 'outdoor team-building activities' and $3,702 on two presenters. We are unsure if the team-buliding included any staff trying out the 'latest model Mercedes-Benz' at the lodge's car testing circuit.

"As new examples of waste are revealed they will be added to the website. People will also be able to send in their own examples.

"National in government would have kept a careful watch on your money. Labour is happy to watch your money go down the drain."

Attached: Information from Parliamentary Questions on Boomrock conference

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See... http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/0607/boomrock.pdf

ENDS

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