“Today the Public Service Commissioner condemned MPP’s spending $39,262 on a farewell for its former Chief Executive, but the real scandal is that the Ministry is woefully ineffective. In its annual report, it boasts nothing more as its achievements than a few strategies and action plans, as well as “supporting the Government in delivering the official apology for the Dawn Raids,” which turned out to be nothing more than a self-indulgent farce - the practice continues to this day.
"I had a written question to the Minister for Pacific Peoples due back today which requested this exact expense. The question has not yet been answered, but I wonder whether it prompted this unusual candour from the government?
“The Ministry for Pacific Peoples also ballooned its staffing from 34 FTEs in 2016/17 to 128 in 2021/22. The Ministry spent the second most per FTE on catering of any Ministry in 2020/21, spending over $1400 per staff member.
“Pacific communities in New Zealand have thriving cultures, and are more than capable of sustaining their cultures and languages without a dedicated Government Ministry. The Ministry is unable to point to any achievements other than successfully spending its $30.6 million budget. Under ACT, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples would be gone.”