"Jim Anderton deserves a black belt in hypocrisy," National's Murray McCully said today.
"Mr Anderton started this year with a tough talking memo to several Ministries advising them to 'terminate' the use of
contractors. But pollsters and advertising agencies are at least six million dollars of Government money richer this
year, despite Jim Anderton's posturing," National MP Murray McCully said today.
Answers to written questions asked by Mr McCully show an estimated Government spend-up of between 5.8 and 6.3 million
dollars since January this year.
That's only a provisional total, since 29 answers are still outstanding - including figures from traditional high
spending ministries such as Education, Maori Affairs and Justice.
"It's hard to predict the full size of the bill to taxpayers, as three other Ministers have provided answers which don't
specify figures: Steve Maharey, Annette King and Ruth Dyson. Welfare and Health, in particular, are big-ticket items and
you have to suspect they'll have big bills to match.
"National recognises there are times when the use of consultants and agencies is wholly justified. But the figures are
significant because of the Labour Government's repeated objections to the use of highly paid consultants.
"These answers terminate the myth Mr Anderton was trying to perpetuate. It's yet another example of this Government
saying one thing when they were in opposition and doing the exact opposite when in Government," Mr McCully said.
BACKGROUND:
The Grand total for advertising contracts and polling contracts, on a conservative estimate is: $5,813,817.6
The Grand total for both advertising & polling on a upper estimate is: $6,342,723.1
The difference between these two relates to a set of figures which didn't specify whether GST was included or excluded.
The conservative estimate assumes it was, the upper estimate assumes it wasn't.
Steve Maharey and Annette King have not answered their questions, mostly saying they have not had enough time and will
supply answers later.
Question14089 to King on Polling in Health is noteworthy. She first gives her own definition of 'polling' and then by
this definition doesn't answer - which begs the question how much is she hiding by this definition? Dyson uses exactly
the same answer on Disability issues (Q.14073)
("I define polling as surveying public opinion and do not consider polling includes consultation as part
of policy development, evaluation of a health campaign or comment on publicly -released discussion documents. In terms
of this definition, no agencies for which I am responsible have undertaken any polling or research on public or sector
group attitudes since 1.1.2000")
In the answer to Question 14037 (Housing) a contract has been let to "Marketing Impact" - yet the value of the contract
will not be known until the work is complete - which raises accountability questions as far as the taxpayer is
concerned.
YET TO PROVIDE ANSWERS: (Advertising spend) Public Trust, MFAT, Justice, Education, Sports, ERO, Adult and Community
Education, Forestry, Research, Crown Research, Attorney General, Maori Affairs, Disarmament, Broadcasting, Customs,
Consumer Affairs. (Polling spend) Broadcasting, Customs, Public Trust, MFAT, Justice, Education, Adult and Community
Education, Forestry, Research, Crown Research, Attorney General, Maori Affairs, Disarmament.
Advertising contracts tendered or let since 1 January 2000 QUESTION NUMBER JOB/DEPT/Min AMOUNT (if GST incl)
AMOUNT (GST not specified) AMOUNT (if GST excl) 14005 Research Sci and Tech - various Comms related. 159,050
14046 Fisheries - contracts tendered or let before 1.1.2000, work undertaken since 181,653 13982
Audit - media inquiries training 7,890 13983 Treasury - estimate only of $ - Emdesign
re-doing publications, stationary and Annual Report design. 20,000 14036 Land Transport Safety
Authority - nothing since 1.1.2000 but Maori and Pacific targetted ad contracts awarded . Values specified are 'up to'
maximums only 45,000 ditto Transfund NZ has contracted Shandwick International for various
items. Spending is to date: 47,057.70 ditto Maritime Safety Authority - various publications
168,000 14014 Courts - publication for users of Family Court 52,600
13985 ACC - no contracts signed since 1 Jan 2000 but contracted with Last Word and Write Sollutions 37,500
10425 Tourism - Michelle Boag on America's Cup Economic Impact study - Amount is less than that given.
6,000 14013 Corrections - various 27,600 13995 Agriculture & Forestry 61,400 14031 Envrionment - amount to date 750 13993
Conservation 24,870 13976 Film Commission & NZ Historic Places Trust - advice and on-call designer. Figures approx, to 30 June 6,700 14021
Air Force - recruitment ads & other various 360,483.5
13975 Prime Minister & Cabinet 6,880.55 14022 Internal Affairs - Millennium Birth certificates 2,000
14030 Statistics - various surveys re Census 1,675,000
14029 Land Information - promotion of Landoline computer application - cost up to a maximum of... 11,000
13999 State Services, inlcuding Public Sector Training Organisation 59,624.70 14037 Housing NZ and Ministry of
Housing - various (NB - "Marketing Impact" have been comissed to assist in various info material re income-related rents
- value of contract will not be known until work is complete !! 19,445 13979 Economic Development
(including Energy, Small bus, Commerce, Comms, Info tech and Industry/Reg dev) 168,545 13986
Inland Revenue (some value is estimate or 'to date') - various incl job ads 221,360 13996 Trade
Negotiations (NZ Trade Development Board). Some figures given incl GST, some excluded GST 21,687 60,000 14018
Police - approximate costs 9,500 TOTALS 200,182 2,925,644.70 335,769.70 inc GST
conservative est - assume middle column already includes GST 377,740.91 FINAL TOTAL ALL 3 COLUMNS = $ 3,503,567.60
Contracts for Polling on attitudes undertaken since 1 January 2000 QUESTION NUMBER JOB/DEPT/Min AMOUNT (if GST
incl) AMOUNT (if GST not specified) AMOUNT (if GST excl 14053 Internal Affairs - various - two amounts
excluded GST, one amount didn't specify 40,000 101,500 14049 Police - various 37,738
14066 Land Transport Savety Authority, Transit & Transfund - some amounts supplied GST exclusive, some didn't specify 202,000 128,055 14083 Accident
Insurance - budgeted amounts for various 365,440 14084 Revenue - various 789,552 14078
Economic Development (incl Energy, Bus Dev, Comms, Commerce, Industry & Reg Dev, Small bus) 107,300 14052 Defence & NZ Army 34,110 14060 Land Information NZ. Figure given is per month, survey is monthly so
I've multiplied by 7 to get Jan-July 23,373 14067 Housing NZ and Ministry of Housing - one lot
supplied inclusive of GST, the other wasn't specified 52,223.50 37,000 14111 Courts - one amount
specified excluded GST, the other didn't - and is only the budgeted cost at this stage 5,200 6,200
14076 Arts, Culture & Heritage - various 30,000 14071 Youth Affairs 7,399.14 14107 Labour
(incl Immigration) 124,597.49 14097 ERO 40,000 14050 Civil Defence -
expected approximate costs - various 90,000 Totals 207,593.13 1,305,600 708,495 inc GST
conservative est - assume middle column already includes GST 797,056.87 FINAL TOTAL ALL 3 COLUMNS = $ 2,310,250
GRAND TOTAL FOR BOTH TABLES TOGETHER = CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE
$5,813,817.6
GRAND TOTAL FOR BOTH TABLES = UPPER ESTIMATE (assumming middle row was EXCLUDING gst)
Ends