The PEDA Files #6 – English was instigator

The PEDA saga continues to unfold. Compared to the Pansy Wong issue, this situation would seem to be one where Muckraker Hodgson’s ‘talents’ might be more gainfully employed.

The NZ Herald carries an update today:-

A trail of documents show a lack of communication, an absence of Cabinet papers and the lone hand of Finance Minister Bill English in approving $4.8 million in public money for an agency that was ultimately left out in the cold

Just why was Englsih so involved?

Back in August Adam wanted answers to these questions:-

1 Why was PEDA selected originally? Especially as ‘major concerns‘ exist regarding the PEDA plan

2 Why was this not put out to tender in the first place?

3 Who decided to change the plan and go to tender now?

4 Who was really responsible for promoting PEDA?

Well it would seem that we now know the answer to 4, but answers to 1 through 3 are still unclear.

In fact this extract from the Herald article by Derek Cheng tends to raise even more concerns:-

THE EMAIL EXCHANGE

MID-MARCH
Bill English’s office emails Treasury to inform it of decision to give $4.8m over four years to Peda.

TREASURY EMAILS THE MINISTRY OF PACIFIC ISLAND AFFAIRS
“We don’t know a great deal more about this initiative…presume someone in [Pacific Island Affairs] must know about it?”

MINISTRY REPLIES
“The information we have over here on this is very sketchy. Are you able to send us or point us in the direction of the Cabinet papers so we can proceed?”

TREASURY ANSWERS
“We are even more in the dark on this one – there are no Cabinet papers or anything else…Maybe worth asking your minister’s office.”

MARCH 25
Ministry advice on Peda says it is untested, unproven, does not work well with others and is proposing programmes that would overlap with existing ones.

APRIL 1
Pacific Island Affairs Minister Georgina te Heuheu meets her officials, requesting information to be presented in one A3 sheet to “show the big picture and overlaps”.

APRIL 29
Ministry head Colin Tukuitonga’s email (recipient withheld): “I am unconvinced about the [Peda] ideas.”

MAY 20
Budget announcement of $4.8m over four years going to Peda.

AUGUST
Ministry announces competitive tender process.

YESTERDAY
Four companies win Government contract. Peda not one of them.

So some additional questions:-

1 Why was Bill English involved in this?

2 Why, when English mouths on about the need for tight and proper control of public spending was he, it appears, so keen to spend $4.8 million with PEDA in the absence of due process, against officials advice with an untried provider?

3 Why has English not fronted on this?

4 What really is the story here? It seems as if much more remains to be revealed.

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