9 November 2012

Government Minister Unmasked as Treaty Santa Claus

New Zealand First is demanding answers from the Government on why it’s dodging questions about how many people it’s appointed to assist with Treaty of Waitangi settlements and how much they’ve been paid.

Rt Hon Winston Peters says the Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson’s evasive answers to written questions on the matter creates a smokescreen which masks the true cost of treaty settlements.

“He has refused to reveal exactly how many people have assisted in the negotiations, who they are, or how much they were paid.

“The suspicion is that he has dished out taxpayer dollars like a Treaty Santa Claus and now he’s doing his utmost to cover it up.”

Mr Peters says Minister Finlayson is making it impossible to establish the true cost of each settlement.

“That can only be established if the Minister releases full details about Government-appointed negotiators and facilitators – including how much they’ve been paid.

“The only reasonable conclusion to come from the Government, and Minister Finlayson, withholding information is that they have something to hide,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>