Another contract being investigated Protests at Vodafone rebrand won’t matter
AUCKLAND: A fourth government agency is reviewing a contract awarded to Ka Awatea Services, a consultancy owned by Gannin Ormsby, the husband of Government minister Nanaia Mahuta.
The Ministry for Maori Development is ‘‘looking into’’ a $28,000 grant made to Ka Awatea Services (KAS) from its ‘‘Rangatahi [young people] Suicide Prevention Fund’’ in April, 2021.
Last month, Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes also announced a more comprehensive probe of government contracts to Ormsbyfamily related firms. It will include the Te Puni Kokiri (TPK) grant, and a series of other contracts, and also establish whether other contracts exist.
The value of contracts awarded to KAS, and a second Ormsbyfamilyrelated consultancy, by government agencies in late 2020 and early 2021 total more than $230,000 (excluding GST). Three contracts were for work which was awarded on a sole source basis.
The agencies already conducting internal reviews of the contracts are: the Crown housing agency Kainga Ora, the Department of Conservation, and the Ministry for the Environment, which has completed and released its work.
Ms Mahuta and other Government ministers both welcomed and indeed recently requested Mr Hughes’ scrutiny. However, it was first called for by the National Party spokesman for public services, Simeon Brown, in August, and pressure had been building for more fulsome scrutiny of the contracts for months.
Ms Mahuta was associate minister for three of the four agencies that awarded contracts to the Ormsbyrelated firms, although her spokesperson and agency officials have said she has not had purview over the areas of work covered in the familyrelated contracts.
Ms Mahuta has said she has been ‘‘assiduous’’ in declaring and managing conflicts of interest ‘‘in accordance with the Cabinet Manual’’ and had ‘‘no say in approving at contract level’’.
The Public Service Commission’s (PSC) jurisdiction is over the public service and does not extend to ministers.
Chris Hipkins, Minister for Public Services, said the Government’s concern is at the departmental level.
Mr Brown said the fact that all contracts awarded to Ms Mahuta’s family members ‘‘are under internal review is further reason why the Public Service Commission must undertake a thorough review.’’
Of particular concern in the case of the TPK grant, he said, was the proposal that Ms Mahuta ‘‘would provide paid work on this contract.’’
The Ka Awatea application document outlined a multiday project comprised of meetings, workshops and excursions for Maori young people, and proposed a segment that included four panellists to critique participants’ ideas for businesses and other ventures.
Ms Mahuta was listed as one of the proposed panellists, anticipated to be paid $2000 each as koha for their time and to cover travel and accommodation expenses (the project was cofunded, but the application proposed paying the panellists from TPK funding).
Asked about the plan, a spokesperson for Ms Mahuta said that the Minister was not invited to the event and did not participate.
Ms Mahuta was the ministry’s Associate Minister at the time.
Associate ministers have narrowly defined responsibilities and oversight of the Suicide Prevention Fund rested with Willie Jackson, the Minister of Maori Development, his office said.
The grant application also disclosed the family relationship between Gannin, Tamoko and Waimirirangi Ormsby and minister Ms Mahuta as a conflict of interest. It was released to the
in June by Gannin Ormsby.
Mr Ormsby also said the project was successful and overseen by his nephew and niece, Tamoko and Waimirirangi Ormsby, both of whom are directors of Ka Awatea Services.
Last month, the Ministry for the Environment released a review of the process by which it awarded some $90,000 (excluding GST) of contracts to KAS and the consultancy Kawai Catalyst, owned by Tamoko and Waimirirangi Ormsby.
The report found no political involvement by ministers, including Ms Mahuta; however, the review enumerated a litany of deficiencies in the process, at the ministry level, by which the contracts were awarded
AUCKLAND: Like many people, my gut reaction was to have a go at Vodafone NZ’s new name, One NZ, and new colours, which it will adopt in the new year.
But I’m also wary that I got a bit caught up in the instinctive negative reaction most of us have to change, such as with the TelecomtoSpark and Shell NZtoZ rebrands — both of which also provoked a lot of kneejerk snark over name confusion, but ultimately became widely accepted and successful.
Here are five objections that have been raised to Vodafone NZ’s pending brand change, and why I don’t think any of them will matter.