D Dawson

In response to Mawera Karetai’s letter in the Beacon (March 25) “Take another look”, elaborating on what some of the $35 billion of Covid money was spent on.

The information I provided came word for word from the Taxpayers Union - information the union received from its Official Information Act enquiry.

The information the union received from the respective agencies was updated as of December 6, 2023 and is inconclusive.

The Labour Coalition Government borrowed billions of dollars to help with the Covid epidemic and used approximately $35 billion of that Covid money to fund a “Jobs for Nature” environmental project programme to benefit the environment.

More examples of who the money was given to but not what it was spent on are as follows:

Bay of Plenty Regional Council, $1,574,718; Department of Conservation, $5,450,000; Ngāti Tamaoho Settlement Trust, $6,440,805: Nga Tangata Tiaki o Whanganui, $500,000; Aoraki Environmental Consultancy, $857,980; Ministry for Environment (TBC), $786,666; Muaupoko Tribal Authority $630,000; Sustainable Wine NZ, $1,400,000; Nga Potiki A Tamapahore Trust Papamoa, $250,000; and Nga Kaimahi Whenua o Ngāti Ira Charitable Trust Ōpōtiki, $250,000. This is just a sample of the 253 recipients that received Government funded “Jobs for Nature” Covid money from the previous Labour Coalition Government that is costing New Zealanders $10 billion a year in interest payments.

More accountability is needed along with a further investigation is definitely needed into what the money was exactly spent on.

This money has to be paid back one day by the New Zealand taxpayer.