Chris Hipkins must explain if he agrees with his senior minister Ginny Andersen, who told AM that a taxpayer-funded $52,000 breakfast tour promoting Labour MPs is just ‘part of democracy,’ particularly in a crushing cost-of-living crisis, National’s Public Service spokesperson Simeon Brown says.

“Kiwis getting ready for work this morning would’ve choked on their cornflakes hearing Andersen say that this lavish spending was ‘pretty typical.”

“If it’s ‘pretty typical’ for ministries to spend $52,000 on breakfasts promoting Labour Party political groups all over the country, Chris Hipkins must explain today how much has been spent since 2017 on doing this.

“He must also tell New Zealanders why the $40,000 farewell party last year was worthy of a Public Service Commission investigation and a public rebuke from him, but $52,000 on some breakfasts promoting Labour MPs is fine according to his senior minister.

“This flies in the face of Hipkins’ comments just yesterday when he said he expects all public sector agencies to be embracing cheaper alternatives to big conferences and events all over the country.

“When Chris Hipkins claimed he’d focus on ‘bread and butter issues,’ New Zealanders probably didn’t expect him and his ministers to take this quite so literally.

“Which Chris Hipkins will we get today? The one who claims he cares how taxpayers’ money is spent, or the one who admits he doesn’t?”

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