Collins says it’s ‘verging on corruption’ for Govt to announce marae funding boost just days from election
National leader Judith Collins says an almost $100 million funding boost for marae upgrades, announced by the Government today, is “bordering on very dodgy behaviour”.
Just eight days out from the election, with more than half a million people having already voted as of yesterday afternoon, Collins said the joint announcement by NZ First’s Shane Jones and Labour’s Nanaia Mahuta, should not be happening.
[…] Collins said Labour leader Jacinda Ardern “shouldn’t be allowing this”.
“Presumably Jacinda Ardern knows about it and Grant Robertson is signing it off for Shane Jones, it is extraordinarily arrogant but worse than that it’s verging on corruption of the system.”
[…] The funding will go to a variety of marae around New Zealand, with 77 in the Bay of Plenty and 59 in the East Coast the biggest recipients, alongside 34 marae in Northland.
Jones is NZ First’s electorate candidate for Northland – the seat being a lifeline for the party as it languishes below the Parliamentary threshold in the latest polls.
“Honestly – voting has already started,” Collins said. “Pouring money in a last ditch attempt to win a seat like that, it’s bordering on very dodgy behaviour, it’s totally unacceptable.”
“What it does show is the absolute desperation doing that at a time when the polls are open and people are already voting. It’s so wrong.”
Read the full article here. Comment on it on The BFD.
