Paula Bennett MP
National Party Associate Labour & Industrial Relations Spokeswoman

21 June 2007

Dept flouts rules on five contracts worth more than $500,000

National Party Associate Labour and Industrial Relations spokeswoman Paula Bennett says the Department of Labour has confirmed that it flouted the rules on five contracts worth more than $500,000.

“The contracts should have been put to tender. They weren’t. The taxpayer has not seen the accountability from this Department that they are entitled to.”

Miss Bennett says at a select committee hearing today the Department was grilled about the way it handed out contracts worth $8 million.

The Cabinet rules surrounding contracts state that any contract worth more than $100,000 should be put to tender.

“Those rules were put there to safeguard taxpayer money. They should not have been ignored.

“In the past Labour Minister Ruth Dyson personally attacked me when I raised concerns about the tendering process within her Department during Parliamentary question time.

“This is a Minister who needs to get on top of her portfolio rather than jump down people’s throats when they ask legitimate questions.

“Ms Dyson needs to say whether she will hold anyone within her Department to account for the breaches.”

ENDS

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