Gerry Brownlee MP
National Party State Services Spokesman

14 November 2005

CYF boss should donate tax-funded ‘furnishings’

National Party State Services spokesman Gerry Brownlee says departing CYF chief Paula Tyler could donate her taxpayer-funded furnishings to any CYF home.

“The Kiwi taxpayer invested a lot of money and trust in Ms Tyler. The fact she only stayed for 16 months is reasonable cause for the Minister to question the terms of her contract and protect the public money that’s been spent on the recruiting exercise,” says Mr Brownlee.

Yesterday, the National Party revealed that the taxpayer spent close to $70,000 on travel, accommodation and relocation costs for the outgoing CYF CEO and her partner, Peter Kruselnicki.

In June, the State Services Commission came under fire for spending almost $135,000 on its hunt for a replacement CYF CEO. (DomPost June 23, 2004)

“So all up, the taxpayer spent nearly $200,000 to find a new CEO for CYF, and now she is departing just halfway through her contract.

“Unless the Minister tidies up this process and puts in place some checks and balances, the taxpayer is going to have to fund the whole process for the second time in less than two years.”

Mr Brownlee says the relocation expenses included multiple return airfares for Mr Kruselnicki between Edmonton and Wellington. Taxpayer money was also used to buy the couple household furnishings.

“What were those taxpayer-funded furnishings? And wouldn’t it be appropriate for them to be given to a CYF home, rather than be sold or shipped back to Canada by a public servant who left part-way through her contract?”

ENDS

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