te Heuheu and English giving different stories

The Government is talking out both sides of its mouth over $5 million dollars of taxpayer money awarded in this year’s Budget, Labour’s Associate Pacific Island Affairs spokesperson Su’a William Sio said today.

“Today Finance Minister Bill English told media that officials were working to see whether the Pacific Economic Development Agency Limited (PEDA) ‘can actually deliver on the program’ it proposed to get the funding,” Su’a William Sio said.

“But interestingly yesterday and for some weeks now Pacific Island Affairs Minister Georgina te Heuheu said PEDA ‘have certain skill sets that we deem to be critical… they have networks, they have business connections, business skills’.

“The Government has already allocated this money to PEDA in the Budget. The deal has been done. So why are officials now looking into whether the little known or tested organisation can come up with the goods?

“The Pacific Island Affairs Minister has said repeatedly that the Government was already convinced about the abilities of PEDA.

“This whole saga smells and could have been avoided if there had been an open and transparent tender process where the plethora of organisations that provide help to Pacific communities could have taken part.

“Mr English has misjudged the level of anger in the Pacific community. Many Pasifika organisations believe PEDA has been given special treatment and on the evidence before them they have reason to be concerned.”

ENDS

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