te Heu Heu continues to dodge crucial questions

The Minister of Pacific Island Affairs Georgina te Heu Heu has continued to evade key questions around millions of taxpayer dollars awarded by her Ministry in this year’s Budget, Labour MP for Mangere Su’a William Sio said today.

“Despite questions being raised since the release of the Budget, the Pacific community is none the wiser about how the Pacific Economic Development Agency Limited (PEDA) was awarded $4.8 million to provide social services in Auckland,” Su’a William Sio said.

“The only justification of any substance from the Minister was a comment to Pacific media that the Government wanted to ‘back winners’.

“If that is the case why has nearly $5 million dollars of taxpayer money from the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs budget been given to a private company with little or no track record, and without a transparent tender process?

“My most recent attempts to get answers from Georgina te Heu Heu have been met with more evasion. Written Parliamentary questions I have asked the Minister have all come back with this response;

‘I am unable to provide the member with the information requested in the timeframe available. I will provide the member with the answer as soon as possible.’

“While that response may satisfy Parliament’s rules, it will not satisfy those in the Pacific community who want to know if the process followed was fair to all.

“It is clear Georgina te Heu Heu believes funding PEDA to the tune of nearly $5 million dollars of taxpayer money is value for money.

“She should now front up and tell taxpayers what they will get in return, who represented PEDA in negotiations, how the spending will be monitored, and why other organisations weren’t told the funding was available.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media