The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is once again under fire for its expenditure after National revealed the ministry spent over $50,000 of taxpayer money on Budget breakfast events.
Figures posted online by National's public service spokesperson Simeon Brown revealed the ministry spent $52,587.76 on four post-budget breakfasts this year in Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington and Hawke's Bay.
A huge chunk of the money was spent on audio and visuals, while between $4957 and $9950 was spent on catering at the venues.
"Kiwis sitting around the dining table wondering how they'll cover the mortgage, as interest rates stay sky high to put a lid on Labour's inflation, will be asking how Labour could spend this much on a few breakfast events promoting Labour MPs," Brown said.
It comes a month after the Ministry for Pacific Peoples was blasted by the Public Service Commission for spending nearly $40,000 on farewelling its former chief executive.
Pacific Peoples Minister Barbara Edmonds told Newshub the post-budget breakfasts were community events and around 700 people attended in person across the country plus others attended online.
"Pacific communities have long been overlooked in post-budget communication and are not always aware of how initiatives in the Budget affect them," Edmonds said.
"National might think only business audiences deserve to be spoken to about the Budget, but we stand up our commitment to the Pacific community and ensuring they are involved in the budget process and decisions that affect them."
The breakfasts were a part of the post-budget Pacific roadshow which is part of the Government's wider engagement with communities on annual budgets. Invites are made by the Ministry of Pacific Peoples to Pacific businesses, communities and stakeholders, however, the events are open to the public and MPS and media are invited to attend.
The Ministry for Pacific Peoples said the event, which has been running since 2017, is always well-attended which is reflected accordingly in the costs.
"It provides a positive environment for Pacific communities to come together in a space where they are comfortable to talk with officials and Ministers. These post-Budget events are an important way to communicate how new initiatives will contribute to better outcomes for Pacific communities," a spokesperson told Newshub.
The ministry said expenditure for all four events complied with its internal policies and guidelines.
Appearing on AM, Labour MP Ginny Andersen defended the spending, saying it was "pretty typical" for the Government to go and inform people after the Budget.
"It's not unusual to go out and explain to people in New Zealand what's in the Budget. That's part of democracy," Andersen told co-host Ryan Bridge.
"To be honest, I think this is just National throwing something out to try and deflect that their budget, their tax cuts, there is a gaping hole in there that's just not costed."
Also on the show, National MP Erica Stanford said not only were the events "wasteful spending" but were using public money to promote Labour's Pacific caucus.
"It was a series of breakfasts to introduce the Pacific caucus to Pacific leaders so that is taking a very political bent with public money," Stanford said.
The Ministry for Pacific Peoples' (MPP) expenditure was recently reviewed by the Public Service Commission after it received information they had spent large sums of money on events.
One of the events it looked into was a farewell for the former chief executive. It said while the farewell had a justifiable business purpose the bill was "not moderate or conservative".
The cost of the farewell included $3083 for discretionary expenses such as photography, flowers, and ceremonial drummers. It also included $7555.49 spent on gifts to the outgoing chief executive, which he returned and reimbursed MPP. The former boss was not involved in the event planning, the report said.
To ensure there was not a repeat, Secretary for Pacific Peoples Gerardine Clifford-Lidstone said important decisions about sensitive expenditure will now be scrutinised and documented, and clear budgets set before any spending decisions are made.
