Ruth Dyson
State Services Spokesperson
29 September 2011

National misuses public funds drafting election policy

Minister for the Environment Nick Smith has confirmed in Parliament that staff within the Ministry of the Environment are writing National Party election policy, says Labour’s State Services spokesperson Ruth Dyson.

“This is a clear misuse of public funds within the regulated election period,” Ruth Dyson said.

“The Minister’s admission that the Ministry was developing work on the Technical Advisory Group reports on both urban design and infrastructure must surely have come as a surprise to his colleagues.

“Government ministries are expected and required to provide Ministers with the information they require to carry out their roles and responsibilities. Providing information to inform an election manifesto is plainly outside this remit and constitutes a misuse of public funds.

“I will be asking both the Electoral Commission and the State Services Commission to investigate this matter. Use of the public purse is a privilege and one which must not be abused by party political policy making,” Ruth Dyson said.

ENDS

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