WHAT’S IN A CHEQUE?

One $5000 contract, agreed with an unnamed whanau trust in Hawke’s Bay to help 20 people includes: Venue hire – $400 Kai – $1000 Resources – $1200 Ringawera (cook) – $600 Admin fee – $500 Travel – $300 Facilitators – $1000 Whanau Trust was required to administer the funds.

‘‘Category 1’’ Whanau Ora providers received the largest allocations from the WIIE Fund – the National Urban Maori Authority received $350,000 to develop at least 10 to 15 whanau plans between July last year and March this year. The Te Ao Hou Whanau Ora Collective in the Bay of Plenty received $275,000 to develop and implement at least three to five plans.

NZ First leader Winston Peters said the WIIE Fund was ‘‘an appalling waste of money’’.

‘‘If people in a family don’t want to keep up their own connections and their own linkages, then it’s hardly the taxpayer’s responsibility,’’ Mr Peters said.

The requirements for reporting under the fund were fine but it was not clear what was supposed to be achieved.

‘‘How is paying for a family reunion going to make people more self-reliant?’’ Mr Peters said.

‘‘This is a pie in the sky idea that comes with no analysis and no rigorous checks of what is going on. It seems like we’re financing a whole sack of reunions ... what is the policy and what is the intention both in the short, immediate and long term?’’

Whanau Ora Minister Tariana Turia could not be reached for comment yesterday.