6 May 2015

Whanau Ora providers must now be investigated

A thorough investigation of each of the Whānau Ora providers and their administration costs versus service levels to families must now be of the highest priority for the Government, Opposition leader Andrew Little says.

“The Auditor General is critical of the process of funding families under Whānau Ora. These organisations are where much of the $42 million plus in administration costs has gone.

“This process is described as a burden in the report, and it’s a financial burden on taxpayers.

“In each case we need to know how much money is being spent on whānau as applications make it clear that the funding cannot be spent on operational costs such as service delivery, salaries and rent.

“A significant overhaul of Whānau Ora’s governance model was announced less than two years ago and was said to include senior ministers, iwi leaders and experts. The Government knew about the issues then and yet the Auditor General confirms that problems remain.

“Te Puni Kokiri who did the negotiations for Whānau Ora should also be investigated. They were responsible in many cases for the delays in funding and transfers over the past four years.

“This is another example of wasteful spending by this Government when it is desperately needed by some of our most vulnerable people. Labour supports Whānau Ora as a delivery framework, but there is not enough good governance and oversight by those charged with making it work.”

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