The Taxpayers’ Union is calling today’s revelations that at least a quarter of a million dollars from the Ministry of Health were given to a company run by the Associate Minister Peeni Henare’s partner “banana republic stuff”.

Responding to the Parliamentary questions released by the National Party, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said:

“Taxpayers are entitled to know that conflicts of interests are, at minimum, truthfully disclosed. Why has, yet again, a senior Minister been caught short?”

“The first question we have for the Minister is whether all of the relevant contracts were tendered. If not, that would be an astonishing failure by the Ministry, and heads should roll. New Zealand is not a family affair at the bottom of the Pacific. High standards must be applied, and seen to be, to avoid slipping into banana republic territory.”

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