te Heu Heu Failing To Explain PEDA Funding

The Minister of Pacific Island Affairs is failing to convince the Pacific community that she followed proper processes when approving $4.8 million dollars of taxpayer money to a private company in this month's Budget, Labour's MP for Mangere Su'a William Sio said today.

"Georgina te Heu Heu has dodged the hard questions around the awarding of nearly $5 million dollars to the Pacific Economic Development Agency (PEDA)," Su'a William Sio said.

"The Minister has refused to reveal who lobbied the Government on behalf of PEDA. Despite being asked for specifics by Pacific media outlets, Georgina te Heu Heu has been evasive.

"We know who runs and owns PEDA, so if it was the directors, why doesn't Georgina te Heu Heu just say so? And if it wasn't PEDA directors, who then was lobbying very senior Ministers for the funding?

"It is very curious why Georgina te Heu Heu has danced around this issue."

Su'a William Sio says the Government's processes and transparency around this funding has been back to front.

"The funding has already been approved but the Minister is yet to sit down with PEDA directors to finalise accountability and objective arrangements," Su'a William Sio said.

"Taxpayers expect much better transparency before a single dollar is committed. With nearly $5 million at stake, Kiwis would have hoped the Government had carried out thorough due diligence before signing on the dotted line.

"For Georgina te Heu Heu to also say PEDA won the appropriation because the Government wants to 'back winners' is weak.

"Little is known about PEDA and it has little or no track record in delivering social services to Pacific people in Auckland.

"Georgina te Heu Heu should stop evading the hard questions around PEDA. The Pacific community deserves answers," Su'a William Sio said.

ENDS

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