Rt Hon Winston Peters
New Zealand First Leader
Member of Parliament for Northland
8 JUNE 2017
GOVERNMENT MESS-UP COSTS KAIPARA RATEPAYERS ANOTHER $321,000
Northland MP, the Rt Hon Winston Peters, is writing to the Prime Minister to demand that the government reimburse
$321,960.62 to the Kaipara District Council, spent under the government’s illegally appointed Crown Manager.
“The shabby way Kaipara ratepayers have been treated by this government and its bureaucracy shows the unaccountability
of elites,” says the Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader and Member of Parliament for Northland.
“In all of the finger pointing over the Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme it’s been the poor Kaipara ratepayer who has been
overlooked.
“And thanks to another National screw-up, appointing a Crown Manager with illegal terms of reference, they’ve made
Kaipara ratepayers cough up $321,960.62 and all for nothing.
“The decent thing is for Mr English to admit that a Minister in his government, the Hon Louise Upston, seriously
screwed-up. Next, is to repay $321,960.62 to the Kaipara District Council and we are writing to the Prime Minister to
suggest he do just that.
“That should only be the start because Kaipara’s ratepayers were failed by past councillors and managers. Kaipara was
failed by the Audit Office and they were unforgivably failed by National’s appointed Commissioners. If that’s not bad
enough National then passed legislation to validate all of this mess. It is betrayal after betrayal.
“If the government cannot build the bridges it promised in 2015, then it can at least build bridges to Kaipara by
reimbursing the $321,960.62 they’ve been forced to spend and all for nothing,” says Mr Peters.
ENDS