Chch Wants First Class City, Not First Class Tickets

7 JUNE 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Taxpayers’ Union is aghast following news that the now-defunct Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Agency (CERA) spent $5 million of taxpayers’ money on travel, including junkets to the US, UK, Spain and Canada. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, says:

“CERA's primary function was to coordinate and oversee the Christchurch recovery, not send staff on junkets and international talkfests. We are simply amazed that a department which was always temporary in nature, thought it appropriate to send an executive to Harvard Business School and have taxpayers pick up the tab.”

“Wasting precious taxpayer resources on expensive junkets while the Christchurch rebuild is still progressing at a slow pace suggests that these officials were there for themselves more than the community. Taxpayers, and in particular the residents of Christchurch, deserve better than this.”

“Our staff and volunteers will be keeping a close eye on CERA’s successor organisation, Regenerate Christchurch, to ensure that this sort of culture of waste does not continue. Christchurch can’t afford a CERA 2.0.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media