Philip Heatley MP
National Party Housing Spokesman

28 May 2008

HNZ boss has pay docked – Minister escapes

“How fair is it that the chief executive of Housing New Zealand is likely to have her pay docked for hosting a conference at a venue which the Minister endorsed?”

National Party Housing spokesman Phil Heatley is responding to Labour’s efforts today to distance itself from the conference held by 94 HNZ managers at the luxury Tongariro Lodge.

“Yesterday, Maryan Street said ‘I’m all for it’. Today she had a different story.

“Even so, HNZ’s CEO could have her pay docked for hosting a conference at a venue the Minister initially said in Parliament was OK.

“Even if HNZ had consulted the Minister, one can only assume the conference would have gone ahead, because the Minister saw no problem with it.”

Mr Heatley is also calling on the Minister to reveal where else the corporation has hosted these get togethers.

“HNZ has apparently confirmed that a conference for 75 people was held at the plush Hotel and Spa du Vin in 2003. I’ve heard these events are annual, if not more frequent. The Minister should lay all the details on the table.

"Where did they go in 2004, 2005, 2006 and last year? There seems to be a culture developing in HNZ that top notch exclusive conference venues are the place to be.

“Maryan Street will have to work hard to justify these sorts of events to the 10,000 odd struggling families on the waiting list.”

ENDS

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