20 November 2015

Investigation needed into roadshow promo

Labour’s State Services spokesperson Kris Faafoi is calling for the Auditor-General and the State Services Commissioner to investigate concerns that taxpayer money and departmental resources are being used for political campaigning.

“Documents released to Labour under the Official Information Act reveal Housing NZ staff working with ‘National HQ’ on filtering data for a roadshow to promote the Government’s Homestart scheme.

“The documents were heavily redacted. However in what appears to be an error in editing, a previously blacked out paragraph also shows National List MP Parmjeet Parmar wanted to co-host the event in Maungakiekie as a means of raising her profile.

“These meetings were supposed to have been organised and paid for by Housing NZ – in other words the taxpayer – as a way of explaining Homestart to the public.

“What’s patently obvious is that they have become a vehicle for National Party campaigning, aided by ministerial staff.

“That is a flagrant mis-use of public money and raises questions about the neutrality of the public service.

“I will be asking both the State Services Commissioner and the Auditor-General to look into whether the principles of the OIA have been adhered to and at the conduct of the various parties involved in organising the roadshows,” Kris Faafoi says.

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