$1m for summit consultants

Luke Kirkness

The cost of the Government’s Criminal Justice Summit has inflated to over $1.6 million and numbers reveal nearly $1m was spent on consultants alone.

Justice Minister Andrew Little originally planned for the two-day summit to cost $700,000 but figures from last month’s event highlight a major blowout.

National Party spokesman for Justice, Mark Mitchell, said Little needed to take responsibility for the “wasteful spending” of taxpayer money.

“The breakdown of costs . . . show the final bill included $970,660 on consultants, $26,592 on MCs, $65,800 on gourmet catering and $101,528 on international speakers, the total was $1.625 million.

“The cost would be easier for taxpayers to swallow if they were getting value for money, but the summit . . . had no clear objectives and has shown no outcomes,” he said.

Between 600 and 700 people within the justice sector attended the Porirua event which was held to look into ways to turn around New Zealand’s high reoffending rate and rising prison population.

Little this month defended the cost of the summit, despite the criticism of Labour Party leader and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Ardern said when a budget is set, the Government should stick to it regardless of the situation.

Little yesterday said the cost of the summit was more than he had expected.

“It was more than I had expected and I have asked the ministry to review . . . in the event that we do anything like this again I wouldn’t expect it to cost this much.”

On the $26,592 for MCs Alison Mau and Marcus Akuhata-Brown, Little said it was important to have good people who could keep the dialogue going.

“I think they did an outstanding job. There were . . . moments of tension [and] they both managed that well.”